Dandelion Break What Made Mark Twain Laugh?

[Pamela Jo]

How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation

Meet 1883's most absurd language guide.

www.atlasobscura.com

 

[Terry Lowell]

Very funny. I once decided to brush up my schoolboy French and bought a second hand phrase book. It was published in 1947 and had translations for 'were you u boat captain, 'was your house bombed', and 'can you recommend a good Swedish gymnast'.

 

[Vagabond Heart]

'Take out the live coals with the hand of a cat' seems excellent advice to me.