Topic: Off-topic replies

[Peripatetic Phil]

Trying to explain to one young guy that I wanted to buy a Tawa, I eventually had to tell him I wanted a plain steel chapatti pan.  "Oh" he says. "You mean a Tarva."  Not offensive to me or him. 

I have always called them "ta[r]va"s, and never understood why they are almost always spelled "tawa"s on this forum.  Does anyone really really call them "tawa"s, or is it simply an idiosyncratic spelling ?

** Phil.

[DalPuri]

It's not the "knowing"; it's the "being able to replicate".  Of course he/she will know what "gravy" means, if we are discussing BIR food as opposed to roast beef; but if I insist on pronouncing it "gravy" when I know that he/she is going to have difficulty with replicating that pronunciation, then I am indeed in danger of giving offence, because I am tacitly saying "listen to me, I can say the word properly", whereas if I adapt to his/her pronunciation then I am trying to ease the conversation and make it easier for both of us.

Absolute poppycock! 
That hole's getting so deep, you'll end up in CA's forum soon. 

 It's no different (to my mind) to trying to get the tones right when ordering dim sum in a Chinese restaurant;

And would you also ask for flied lice in your best tone?
I doubt it.

  OK, "garabi" is not a native Bengali word..

Exactly! Gravy is an English word. If it was an Asian word, then there'd be no complaints from anyone.
If you was in kolkata, nobody would have a problem with you asking for extra garaybee. (Although you might get an odd look, with them wondering why you didn't just say gravy)

And one last thing.
How would a Bengali/Indian/Pakistani spell gravy? 

[Peripatetic Phil]

Since we're never going to agree about this, Frank, let us simply agree to differ.  To the best of my knowledge, I have never used the word "garabi" other than in the context of this thread, but if I /were/ to use it, then it would most certainly not be with the intention of causing offence.

** Phil.

[Onions]

[Peripatetic Phil]

Sub-thread :  Muzak overlay on BIR documentary videos

Or.........Phil could google 'how to mute a YouTube video'.....

It would a lot more help if those such as Garp who cannot appreciate a documentary video /without/ a muzak accompaniment could Google how to play a suitably mind-numbing CD on their CD player at the same time as watching a Youtube video so the rest of us (who prefer our documentaries unaccompanied) do not have to suffer the agonies of muzak while watching what might otherwise be a very interesting documentary ...

** Phil.

[mickdabass]

You could just mute the volume of course

[Garp]

What's a CD?

[Onions]

What's a CD?

Oh CD   

[livo]

Over here I say Tawa with a "w" and Gravy with a "v".

[Peripatetic Phil]

Sub-thread :  Muzak overlay on BIR documentary videos

Lovely video again, Bob. Hopefully the music will be more to Phil's liking this time

Thanks Garp apparently not to phils liking he doesn't like music on them! He could mute the volume down and read the titles happen.

It's not so much "don't like" (although I willingly confess that I don't); it is "don't understand why it is there in the first place".  If I want to listen to music, I go to a concert, or turn on Radio 3, or put a CD into the audio system, and sit down and listen.  If I want to learn about BIR cookery, I read this forum.  There is no connection whatsoever between the two activities, and I am completely unable to understand why anyone would seek to conflate the two.

** Phil.