know from

[Fritz Juengling]

The first time I remember hearing this was in the movie "The gods must be
Crazy."  The scientist, his buddy and the Bushman are going to drive
somewhere and the bushman just runs onto the vehicle without using the door.
The buddy says, "he doesn't know from doors."  So, I had always associated it
with South african english. I did hear it a few days ago on Hogan's Heroes,
though. Marya, the Russian woman, says "What do I know from Rockets?"
However, she is playing a native speaker of Russian.  I don't know why the
writers would have put that phrase into the story, though.  Is it common in
Russian-English?  I have never heard it from any of my Russian students or
contacts.
Fritz

> Now there's a response with a phrase I associate automatically with New York
> (or at least with American Yiddish familiarity): "Knows from X/Y/Z".  As
> in,
> "What would he know from wigs/sherry/lightbulbs."  I love that phrase, and
> would use it myself, if I were not nervous about either being
> misunderstood,
> or seen as affecting a non-native usage.  Thank you, Larry: you helped make
> my day. -- Millie