Alexandra Bogdanovic's Blog: That's life... - Posts Tagged "squash"

A few weeks ago, I mentioned some of the challenges I faced while visiting my European relatives in predominantly non-English speaking countries.
As you know, the experience forced me to choose my words carefully, and renewed my appreciation for the nuances of the English language. It also resulted in some pure comedy.
It happened when the dinner conversation at my cousin's house in Belgrade turned to music. Since my cousin, her husband and daughter are all musicians. But I have to admit, I wasn't fully engaged in the discussion when Ana's husband asked me if I knew the name of an unusual Australian instrument and began describing it.
Oh, do you mean a kazoo? I asked, still distracted.
No, no, no. It's not a kazoo. Wait, I'll go get it, Darco said.
Ohhhh! I said, feeling like a complete idiot when he reappeared with a large, hand-carved wooden instrument a few minute later. It's a didgeridoo!
Then there was the case of the mysterious vegetable that we had at lunch one day.
What do you call this in English? asked my 16-year-old cousin Sophia.
I had no idea, but I ventured a guess. Perhaps it's a squash, but I don't know for sure...
The question was still bothering me the next day.
Maybe it was a cucumber, I said at breakfast.
Sophia quickly nixed that idea.
It is not a cucumber, she said. I know what a cucumber is!
With no other options, we turned to the Internet and punched the Serbian word for the mysterious vegetable into "Google Translate."
It turned out it was a squash.
Until next time, "That's life..."