The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

AS HE FREQUENTLY TELLS ME: WHEN HE SEES A STUPID MISTAKE
OR SOMEONE DO SOMETHING FOOLISH: A SAYING OF WHICH
THE FIRST E IN "ESEL" AND "LESEN" ARE PRONOUNCED {LONG}
A, AND HIGHLY STRESSED.
IST DAS NICHT EIN DUMER ESEL,
WAS ER HADT SCHREIBT ER KANN NICHT LESEN.
(ISN'T HE A DUMB JACKASS,
HE CANNOT READ WHAT HE HAS WRITTEN.)

Submitter comment: HE LIKES TO SAY THIS TO ME ESPECIALLY REFERRING TO A
PERSON WHO CAN'T UNDERSTAND GERMAN--HE'LL POKE ME AND
SAY IT LOUDLY ENOUGH SO ANYONE CAN HEAR, BUT NOT
UNDERSTAND UNLESS THEY SPEAK GERMAN.

Where learned: NOT GIVEN

Date learned: NOT GIVEN