Language Lessons

It's tough to understand people when they speak in different languages. Accordingly, I have put together a helpful little guide when you find yourself in a tight spot and don't know what someone 'means' to 'say'. For example:

When a Frenchman says, "Bon jour. Comme ca va?", he is saying, "Good day. How are you?"

See how simple it is? Let's try another one.

When a Mexican says, "Feliz cinco de mayo. Que pasa?", he is saying, "Happy May 5th Day. What's happening?" Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday commemorating their victory over the French. Yes, Mexico follows a long list of countries that have claimed victories, and often their only military victories against any nation, over the French.

But we're getting sidetracked. Let's try one more. This one is going to be really tough, but I know you can do it.

When transparent, self-serving, partisan Republican senators (ah, that'd be Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley and Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.) say that lifting the tariff on ethanol "would be counterproductive to the widely supported goal of promoting home-grown renewable sources of energy," what they are really saying is that lifting the tariff on ethanol "would be counterproductive to the narrowly supported goal of promoting their own reelections on the coattails, dollars, and backs of the domestic farming and agriculture lobbies."

Class dismissed.