Description

In 1855, when Jose da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino wrote an English phrasebook for Portuguese students, they faced just one problem: they didn’t know any English. Even worse, they didn’t own an English-to-Portuguese dictionary. What they did have, though, was a Portuguese-to-French dictionary, and a French-to-English dictionary. The linguistic train wreck that ensued is a classic of unintentional humor, now revived in the first newly selected edition in a century. Armed with Fonseca and Carolino’s guide, a Portuguese traveler can insult a barber (What news tell me? All hairs dresser are newsmonger), complain about the orchestra (It is a noise which to cleve the head), go hunting (let aim it! let make fire him), and consult a handy selection of truly mystifying Idiotisms and Proverbs.