Lost in translation

SigPig

Active member
Another one I was told second hand: it sounds apocryphal, but teller swears it's true (don't they all?)

Canadian military policeman is posted to CFB Lahr, Germany. He gets the handover from the MP he's replacing, who is getting posted back to Canada.

On the last day of the oldtimer's tour, he shows the new guy the MP jeep -- it has a brand new sign on it that says in bold letters: "MILITARY POLICE - POLICE MILITAIRE - FLEISCHKOPF"

He asked about this, and was told that the latest Routine Orders said that all signage at Lahr had to be trilingual -- Enlish, French, and German. He said, "'Fleischkopf' is German for MP. 'Fleisch' means 'army' and 'kopf' is where we get the word 'cop' in English."

Story goes that new guy bought the story, and tooled blissfully around Lahr in the so-labeled jeep for two weeks before some German local asked him why his jeep said "meathead" on it.

J.
 
I probably should have mentioned that "meathead" is a pejorative slang for MP in Canada. It is generally not used within earshot -- or baton reach -- of the personnel so referred to.

J
 
Back
Top