Friday, February 11, 2005

1980 trivial memory

Back in the summer holidays of 1979-1980, I spent a lot of time at the traffic training centre here in Townsville (holiday activities for kids). One day I met a kid my age (9) that said that he was also from an Italian family. I asked him what his last name was and I heard (Ver - Sayce). I told him that it didn't sound like an Italian name and he told me that in Italian it was pronounced "Ver- sa - Chee", but he didn't know what it meant. Anyhow, when I got home, I asked my father whether "Ver- sa - Chee" meant anything in Italian. He laughed and told me it meant rude noises (True - the word versacci does mean "rude noises uttered orally"). In fact it was only when Gianni Versace the famous clothing label guy died did I realise that most people think the way Versace is pronounced in Italian is "Ver-sa-Chee". It actually should be pronounced closer to "Ver-sa-Chair". Only then did it click that this same person was the same one that eventually was a Groomsman at my wedding.

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