Taboo replacements

[Dr. John E. McLaughlin and Michelle R. Sutton]

Robert Orr wrote:

> >This is one story.  The four dictionaries in my office give five
> >different stories, though all agree that Spanish or Portuguese is the
> >direct source.  The stories are:

> >(4) from an unspecified Congolese language;

> >You pays your money...

> >(4) is hard to evaluate without specifics, but why a Congolese
> >       language?  Zebras are found on the eastern savannahs, not in
> >       the Congolese rain forests.

Not to mention the problem that there are over a hundred "Congolese" languages.
Which one?

John McLaughlin
Utah State University