Thursday, February 7, 2013

Story of the Day 1/ 16/ 2013 #2



My daughter has just taught me something, the problem is that I can't use it.

Most of my conversations are in English, spoken English.
If it was only learning how to finger spell it, I might manage, but I have no idea how to pronounce it.
It is a French phrase: L'esprit de l'escalier or l'esprit d'escalier
Literally, it means staircase wit.
What it really means is having a slow to fire brain, and coming up with a good retort, too late.

I explained to my daughter that it is a wonderful phrase, but since I have no idea how to say it, I will not be able to use it.

My daughter looked at me like as if I came in from the Stone Age.
You see, as she explained to me, there is a function on the internet that will teach me how to pronounce it. I can access that and listen until I have it down correctly.
I am, astonished.

Not that they have created this function of application or whatever.
But that my profoundly deaf daughter who neither speaks nor hears knows about it.

1 comment:

Terri Friel said...

Why should it surprise you that your highly intelligent and technologically savvy daughter would know about this? if you look up foreign words, often there are pronunciation guides included. I see the irony but I'm not surprised at all at the adeptness of your daughter in the digital world. :)