wu :: forums - Print Page


    
      
        wu :: forums
        (http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        riddles >> hard >> French
        
(Message started by: Cicely on Dec 13^th, 2002, 12:28pm)

Title: French
Post by Cicely on Dec 13^th, 2002, 12:28pm

1. What is a letter which the Paris will fall to ennemy if you cross this letter out?

2. While exploring the African jungle, a scientist sent his nanny a picture to let her nanny know about his condition at that time, because his nanny is illiterate. In his pix, he drew 100 and G (inside 100). His nanny was very happy when seeing his pix. She was sure that he was fine. Why?

Title: Re: French
Post by Pietro K.C. on Dec 15^th, 2002, 8:28am

I'm getting the feeling that these riddles work only in French. Is this true? If so, I guess that if you cross out the "a" in "Paris", it becomes "Pris", which means "taken" in French. Is this right? I'm a bit rusty.

The other one I'm still not sure...

Title: Re: French
Post by wowbagger on Jan 10^th, 2003, 7:01am

Since no one else replied for such a long time, I'll have a go at the second one (hidden by colour):

"G dessiné dans 100" -> "J'ai dessiné dansant."
(sorry if the accents aren't displayed correctly on your browser - and for the "wrong" quotation marks ;))
The problem I have with this solution is that it's - in my opinion - flawed: I think it should be "J'ai dessiné en dansant." Maybe some native speaker could comment on this?

Anyway, I'd say that the nanny mustn't be completely illiterate. Otherwise she couldn't understand the drawing, could she?

Title: Re: French
Post by Jeremiah Smith on Jan 10^th, 2003, 11:08am

Not necessarily... illiterate usually implies (as far as I know) that you can't comprehend written words and letters... most illiterate people would still comprehend pictures. If I recall, some fast-food places have picture menus, so that reading-impaired folk can look at the pictures and decide they want a burger.

On another note, what do your French answers mean, wowbagger?

Title: Re: French
Post by wowbagger on Jan 10^th, 2003, 12:15pm

on 01/10/03 at 11:08:38, Jeremiah Smith wrote:

I don't have a problem with the notion that an illiterate person can recognize a burger. However, the nanny would have to recognize the letter "G" and the numeral "100" and know how to pronounce them. I just thought that might be a bit too much, but it's not the point anyway...

Quote:

On another note, what do your French answers mean, wowbagger?

Hopefully my French isn't too rusty, I suggest the following:

"dessiné" means "drawn" (past participle),
"dans" means "in",
"J'ai dessiné (en) dansant." means "I drew while dancing." (maybe also the other way round)

Don't ask me whether that's a reasonable thing to do. ;)

Title: Re: French
Post by Kitty on Mar 29^th, 2003, 12:01pm

I speak french and must say your is not bad. The answer seems to make sence and i found the same one.

And it with the "en" is the correct way of saying it: J'ai dessiné en dansant
but the riddle does not have en. I think it is just to give the gist of things it don t matter if it there or not.

Then again i have just been thought to speak french not write it down so it might be wrong. ;D

Title: Re: French
Post by wowbagger on Mar 31^st, 2003, 2:50am

on 03/29/03 at 12:01:47, Kitty wrote:

I speak french and must say your is not bad. The answer seems to make sence and i found the same one.

Thanks. Well, seeing how much time I invested in studying French, it'd better be quite good. ;)
And thanks for the feedback. I'm glad someone finally comments on this one. :)

Quote:

Then again i have just been thought to speak french not write it down so it might be wrong. ;D

Hope you'll have fun learning it!
Foreign languages broaden your horizons and open up so many possibilities - like whole universes of new riddles! ;D

Title: Re: French
Post by Kitty on Mar 31^st, 2003, 7:37am

wahoo!!! more studying!!!!

I think i ll just stick wiv speaking the language not writing it.

;D