[Lexicog] water-dwelling rodent (capybara) rebaptized as fish

[Fritz Goerling]

How about a participant in the swimming events at the Olympics,
who spends 8 hours per day in the water training and
exercizing,  does that make him a fish or a dolphin?
One German swimmer competing in butterfly style (which is called
"dolphin" style in German, by the way) was even called "The Albatross"
because of the enormous length of his arms and the resulting
wide stretch of his stroke.
Here we have a development from man to fish to bird. :-)

Fritz Goerling



  > There is a story I remember that a rodent in
  Venezuela or somewhere in that part of the world
  spends all its time in the water

  This is a reference to the capybara, a water-dwelling
  rodent which which was declared a fish so that its
  flesh could be eaten during Lent:

  The standard, widely-copied reference is:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara

  A capybara enthusiast provides lots of pictures and
  more details here:
  http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/

  This has given rise to a Spanish joke about a recent
  Catholic convert who is visited by a priest on a
  Friday. Upon being rebuked by a priest for roasting a
  lamb on Friday, the convert replies:

  "No problem, Father. Me put river water on head and
  day: 'Now you name not lamb. You name fish!"

  This joke has been adopted and modified by English
  speakers. One version appears here:
  http://www.jfjonline.org/pub/havurah/02-05Feb99/takingplunge.htm

  Robert MATTHEWS
  [laomaa2001] [yahoo.com] Put an AT in between



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