tea kettle = trouble

[wyardley]

tea kettle = trouble

by wyardley » Nov 4th, '10, 17:38

Since we seem to be on a "sharing dumb links" roll recently...
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2754

[RaynBeatle]

Re: tea kettle = trouble

by RaynBeatle » Nov 6th, '10, 09:36

That's an odd sign. "Trouble is forbidden" with a tea pot crossed out? It doesn't really make any sense to me...but I sort of want that sign! lol

[Victoria]

Re: tea kettle = trouble

by Victoria » Nov 6th, '10, 11:52

+1

[ABx]

Re: tea kettle = trouble

by ABx » Nov 6th, '10, 14:49

I'm guessing that the Cantonese words for 'kettle' and 'trouble' are very similar or the same?

[wyardley]

Re: tea kettle = trouble

by wyardley » Nov 6th, '10, 15:17

I'm guessing that the Cantonese words for 'kettle' and 'trouble' are very similar or the same?

The article says it directly.
caa4 bou1 is phonetically similar to "trouble" in English.

I actually saw the sign mentioned in this post:
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2619
in Taipei. Sadly, I wasn't able to manage to get one for myself.