Bilingual paronomasia

[Bruce Ingham]

On 22/4/04 6:05 pm, "Koontz John E" <John.Koontz at colorado.edu> wrote:

> On Thu, 22 Apr 2004, Bruce Ingham wrote:
>> I don't know if any of you read the novels of Patrick O'Brian, particularly
>> the Jack Aubrey novels, but in the last one I read the hero Jack Aubrey is
>> captured by the Americans (could it be worse?) I imagine in the war of 1812.
>> And someone in Boston informs another character that the phrase 'it cuts no
>> ice with me' is from the Iroquois (it)katsno aissvizmi meaning 'I am not
>> impressed'.  It seemed amusing. Anyone know if this is true?
>
> My impression when I read it was that O'Brian made it up, and that part of
> the humor, whether for him or for us, was to foist this misinformation
> with, as it were, a straight face.  A principle O'Brian employed to some
> extent in life as well as art.  For example, he wasn't Irish as he claimed
> to be.
>
> I don't think the phonology works for Iroquoian, anyway, though v is
> sometimes used for a nasal vowel.
>
>
>
>
Sounds like a good interpretation.  There are lots of unacknowledged jokes
in his books
Bruce