Amusing Linguistics

I just found this interesting blog post listing a few winning entries from the results of the contest where you “take a well-known expression in a foreign language, change a single letter, and provide a definition for the new expression.”

Here they are…
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PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?
Do you speak French?

HARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS
Can you drive a French motorcycle?
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EX POST FACTO
Having retrospective effect - affecting things past (Latin)

EX POST FUCTO
Lost in the mail
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VENI, VIDI, VICI
I came, I saw, I conquered. (Latin)

VENI, VIPI, VICI
I came, I'm a very important person, I conquered
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RIGOR MORTIS
One of the recognizable signs of death caused by a chemical change in the muscles after death, causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff (Latin)

RIGOR MORRIS
The cat is dead
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RESPONDEZ S'IL VOUS PLAIT
Please reply (RSVP) - French

RESPONDEZ S'IL VOUS PLAID
Honk if you're Scottish
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LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LE ROI!
"The King is Dead, Long Live the King!" (French)

LE ROI EST MORT. JIVE LE ROI
The king is dead. No kidding.
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PRO BONO PUBLICO
For the public good (Latin)

PRO BOZO PUBLICO
Support your local clown
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FELIZ NAVIDAD
Merry Christmas (Spanish)

FELIX NAVIDAD
Our cat has a boat
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E PLURIBUS UNUM
"Out of many, one", or loosely translated as one from many (Latin)

E PLURIBUS ANUM
Out of any group, there's always one asshole
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These are from a blog in which author David Crystal (yet to read his books or know him as a non-blogger) muses on amusing bits of language.
http://david-crystal.blogspot.com/
I just read a couple of his other posts and thought I’d share them.

There is one post on why people use these and many more commonplace remarks stating the obvious such as..
- It's as long as it's long.
- It takes what it takes.
- A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
- I'll be ready when I'm ready [and not before!]

And another one was on using a singular form when used as adjectives of multiple entities which was really interesting..
“A price list” where the list might include a number of prices
“A shoe box” wouldn’t be just for one shoe
“An armchair” - even though the chair has two arms
“A three-year-old child” would be a child of three years

Check ‘em out when you get a chance - amusing and informative!