Re: the can of worms is truly open revisited

[Wolfgang Bechstein bechstein@xxxxxxxx]

"Richard Henderson"  wrote:

> As wonderful as the Internet is, just because a website claims to debunk
> urban legends with the "truth," you can't always believe what you find
> on the WWW.

I didn't get my explanation or my "truth" from the web (which I grant
you can be a many-sided sword). I just pointed to those sites because
I'm tired of arguing the point. I was there when the speech was made
(well, virtually, via radio), and I know first hand what the reaction
was. Not then and not once in many years after that in Germany did I
hear or read a single comment about the jelly donut interpretation
which of course is possible linguistically, as no-one disputes, but
which makes no sense whatsoever. Ambiguity in language being
disambiguated by context is a totally everyday occurrence.

> The "Answers.com" reply starts out on solid ground, but in the
> explanation of the remark starting at "Jelly doughnuts are called
> Berliner outside Berlin (but usually referred to as Pfannkuchen in
> Berlin itself)..." it loses it's way.

Well, the full name for this little delicacy is "Berliner Pfannkuchen"
(as often seen on baker's signs) which is usually shortened to just
"Berliner". Sorry for quoting the web again, but here's a nice recipe:

http://www.kochatelier.de/backwerk/berliner.htm

In any case, the forceful anti-communist rhetoric of JFK's speech is
what really made the people cheer. At the time, I felt quite similar
(having been on both sides of the wall). It was only somewhat later that
I realized the hollowness of some of the positions held by those
defenders of the free world (but I still do enjoy the hollowness filled
by yummy jam inside a Berliner).

I'll really quit now.

Wolfgang Bechstein
bechstein@xxxxxxxx