Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Useful phrases for Brits in Krakow?

A Polish tabloid is outraged at an Irish publisher including insulting phrases in guidebook mini-dictionary.

The tabloid Super Express is outraged by a phrase book written for British visitors on stag nights to Krakow and other Polish cities.

The tabloid writes:

“On the inside of the cover one can find, among others, such charming phrases as: “Please may I fondle your buttocks”, “I am your slave”, “It’s my liver” and a very rude swearword. According to the publisher, these kind of phrases are what every Brit needs to communicate in Poland.”

“Those people hurt our country in this way. A visit to Kraków can be spent differently than ‘Fondling chicks’ buttocks’”, says Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka (SLD) indignantly. “After reading this someone coming to Kraków may expect that this is a place where one can freely fondle buttocks,” she stresses.

All of the 33 embarrassing phrases are written phonetically, so that Brits visiting Kraków can show off the newly-learned phrases without difficulty: “Yes ty Zah-kon-neet-son?” (“Are you a nun?”), “Pull litr vod-key” (“A large of vodka”).

The man behind the guidebook comes form Ireland. It’s available on the internet, distributed in the UK, but also in Kraków. As yet it is not known who helped to prepare the mini-dictionary.
Link