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epitome of incomprehensibility
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Today at work I booked a class based on availability someone gave me over the phone. I always need to check it by email, as my boss reminded me at length. (He was lecturing C. too, which wasn't fair, since it wasn't her fault.)
Then I almost got run over by a turning car. I was crossing the road, the walk signal was still on, and an SUV barrelled through right in my path. I scurried aside and it honked at me. After I was safely across, I called to the driver in righteous wrath, "The walking signal was on!" but the car had already zoomed past and I looked silly yelling.
I was headed to the Grande Bibliotheque to renew my subscription. There was no line-up. I got out my ID and library card and said to the librarian, "Je veux renouveler mon souscription," which was the wrong word. "Inscription," I corrected. She smiled. Everything went smoothly.
When I got home and told my dad, he said "inscription" wasn't the right word either - what I wanted was "abonnement."
Do I trust him? I will consult Dr. Google. Huh. Okay. "Abonnement" is good, "souscription" does mean "subscription" - just not in a library context - and "inscription" can mean signing up for something, but it also means a public notice or something inscribed, like runes on a rock or graffiti on a wall.
Okay. I wasn't too far off. In the ballpark, but the wrong nuance. You always need the right nuances when you're in a ballpark. That's the name of the game.
But now, the greasy lining to the library cloud: guess who's eating pizza, with pan-fried onions and peppers on the side? Exactly.
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