I believe it's now time to reveal the meaning behind the title of this Topic. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
It's not as clear as "Englishmen" might think. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Actually, it's a joke, but only understandable for people with knowledge in German AND English. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />
Well, here I go :
The title is "English for Runaways".
You know what a "runaway" is; I don't need to explain that.
"Running away" means "Weglaufen " or "Fortlaufen" in German.
"Weg" has two meanings : "Away" and "way".
"Fort" has also two meanings : "forth" and "away" in a sense, too.
"Laufen" is simply "running". Although it's not as fast as the actual German "rennen". "Running in English has the meaning of both words, also in terms of speed, where we here in Germany have two words for two degrees of speed while "running".
I heard the actual joke for the first time as a joke by the famous Otto Waalkes, a famous "clown" or "joker" here in Germany (kiya, do you have better words describing him ? Or anybody else ?).
Someone advancing in a certain field of knowledge is in German a "Fortgeschrittener", an "advanced one".
Do you notice something ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
SPOILER ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/exclamation.gif" alt="" />
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The word "fort" is in both "fortlaufen" and in "fortgeschritten". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
NON SPOILER :
Well the word "fortgeschritten" CAN be interpretet in a totally different meaning, too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
The word "schreiten" means a special way of walking, spreading the legs wide while walking. It's "to stride" or "to trod" in English, I think.
"Schreiten" is therefore also a way of "going away", but in a "walking speed", so to say. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
So ...
"Fortschreiten" CAN be interpreted in a way (although NEVER used !) as "weglaufen". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Here the circle closes :
"German for Runaways" -> "Deutsch für Fortgeschrittene". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
That's it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
