Humor Only A Language Geek Can Appreciate!

Believe it or not, Greek geeks (and even geeks from other languages) do occasionally exhibit a sense of humor! Here a are a few select bits of humor that I’ve come across that were worth sharing.

Hebrew – Abbott & Costello style

I came across the video above at www.exegeticaltools.com. If you’ve ever heard “Who’s On First” by Abbot & Costello, then you know how this one is going to go, Hebrew style…. (By the way, that site has some other great resources that I’d like to write about some time!)

Forgot the English Word

Reading in the “Original Greek”

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the site where this comic comes from, but this one is too good not to share.

Reading in the Original
The articles are much shorter, but I assume that’s because this version predates the merger with the Hawaiian text that created the modern Hawaiian-Greek hybrid wiki-pedia. (Source)1

Psychotherapist

“This will forever change my understanding of scribal error.”
(Source: Michael Ballai on FB)

Church Disputes

Q: How do you settle church disputes?
A: With canons. 🙂

Why Learn A New Language?

A Swiss man, looking for directions, pulls up at a bus stop where two Americans are waiting.

“Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?” he asks. The two Americans just stare at him.

“Excusez-moi, parlez vous Francais?” he tries. The two continue to stare.

“Parlare Italiano?” No response.

“Hablan ustedes Espanol?” Still nothing.

The Swiss guy drives off, extremely disgusted. The first American turns to the second and says, “Y’know, maybe we should learn a foreign language.”

“Why?” says the other. “That guy knew four languages, and it didn’t do him any good.”

-Good Clean Funnies

Language in Context

Chick-fil-a

Here’s a gem that my librarian friend and fellow biblical languages geek shared with me.

Chick fil η   Chick fil αι
Chick fil ης Chick fil ων
Chick fil ῃ   Chick fil αις
Chick fil ην  Chick fil ας

I think this is the first time I’ve ever… declined Chick-fil-a!

-shared by Paul Ryan

English as She is Spoke

A hilarious book made by someone who didn’t know English (he used a dictionary to translate it). 🙂 Read it here: English as She is Spoke, by Pedro Carolino. Here’s a little sample to whet your appetite:

The weather.

We shall have a fine weather to day.
There is some foggy.
I fear of the thunderbolt.
The sun rise on.
The sun lie down.
It is light moon’s.

Biblical Philologist

And I’ve saved the best for laughs last. Whoever came up with that song deserves at least an honorary title of “Biblical Philologist”!

  1. Warning! I do not recommend this site (www.xkcd.com) AT ALL! In addition to being a waste of time, the author’s sense of humor can be, to put it mildly, crude. Consider yourself warned. 

Leave a Comment