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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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 Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:39 pm Post subject: Zebra |
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| Yes, dammit, as an (almost) honorary Limey, what exactly DOES Zebra mean? Am I misssing something here? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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Have you noted the first syllable? I can't believe that you have spent a number of years in the gulf and not picked that one up.
I have had 30-40 year old men fall into uncontrollable fits of the giggles because it was in the reading. I shared the response of the adult females in the class... 
VS |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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Zeb?  dmb IS dumb. You'll have to explain it teacher teacher VS |
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Ace Teacher
Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Posts: 31
Location: Riyadh
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:08 pm Post subject: Don't ! |
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Do not attempt to use these words "SOLO" without proper preparation!
Zip, Zebra, Air, Kiss
And in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine... these words will certainly cause an unwanted attention! Nike and Maniac !!
Wonder how far your Arabic knowledge goes VS !!!
Definitely an alert to learn the Surface and Deep culture of the country you are going to be teaching in.
In India, a teacher went to teach there .... the students wanted to know what would he call a very distasteful and bad woman in England? He replied without thinking "a COW" !! Don't ask about the reaction on the faces of his student!! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:41 am Post subject: |
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I hear that 'unique' causes guffaws from those speaking Lebanese dialect.
How far does my knowledge go in Arabic? Not nearly as far as it should but I did spend my first 3 years in Cairo, so you must have a certain level of survival Arabic to get along.
I assume that dmb is playing dumb, but perhaps he really is. So I will include here what was found in my Petra Guide:
... Zibb Farun, which is a free-standing pillar. Use this term with caution as zibb mean phallus, (farun refers to the Pharoah) and it will trigger a fit of giggling from your bedu guide.
VS |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:04 am Post subject: |
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No, when it comes to knowledge of Arabic I really am dumb.
| Quote: |
| I hear that 'unique' causes guffaws from those speaking Lebanese dialect. |
and in Qatar. I know what it means  maybe not so dumb
Students took advantage of my ignorance when I first arrived. They would point to their zips and ask 'what is ths in English' or 'when you meet your g/f what do you do' 'kiss?' Of course this was followed by 15 minutes of uncontrolable laughter.
Newbies to the Gulf. You have been warned. |
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jmsauer
Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 31
Location: Riyadh, Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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The verb naaka/yuneeku means "to f_ck". Unique would be the third person masculine singular in the imperfect tense. I think it's used throughout the arab world. For those of you working on your Arabic, this is a good opportunity to practice your hollow verbs.
My first year Arabic students go out of their way to use the word "only" as often as possible. In fusha its "f_ckot". |
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Mohammad
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 79
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| It's actually ''faqat'' |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| "Fungus" is another one that will reduce them to endless bouts of laughter. |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject: Fungii |
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| In which case, don't tell them the joke about the pregnant fairy. |
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Ace Teacher
Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Posts: 31
Location: Riyadh
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| What pregnant fairy ?? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Is this where the thread gets locked? |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| The thread gets locked only when somebody exposes the pregnant fairy teachers at English Tales. |
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High Plains Drifter
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 127
Location: Way Out There
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| Is this where the thread gets locked? |
It gets locked or disappears entirely because the thought police obviously don�t want Dave�s to be:
interesting Clearly they want Dave�s to be bland and boring. Hysterical and shocking tales of the true awfulness of teaching in KSA are way too entertaining for the thought police.
useful Someone considering taking a job teaching military personnel in KSA might think twice after learning what it�s really like. Hysterical and shocking tales of the true awfulness of teaching in KSA are valuable and informative and therefore cannot be allowed. |
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web fishing
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Posts: 95
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It gets locked or disappears entirely |
For the past couple of days I thought I was hallucinating. I would check and recheck to see if it was a computer glitch. Too bad, there was a lot of good inside information. I just consider myself lucky enough to see it before it disappeared. |
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