The Japanese language has a tendency to borrow words from English, and then, like one of those balloon artists, with a little twist here, a turn there, a squeeze at the end and a deft pinch at the top, you end up with something barely resembling the original balloon. Or word. Like how McDonald's becomes Makurodonodaroruadoruso.

And they also sometimes come up with imaginative creations of their own. Take "Ron Paris". This is what the Japanese use to cleverly describe a person who is 'cross-eyed'. It refers to the idea that one eye is looking towards London (Ron), and the other towards Paris. Brilliant!

I've been "Ron Paris" a few times in my life, most memorably during a school cricket match when I forgot to wear a box and a cricket ball smashed into my nether regions. It took my eyes two days to get back into position.

Interestingly, there is also an American blues singer called Ron Paris, though as far as I can tell, his eyes are perfectly aligned.


Ron Paris


Another Ron Paris

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 8:59 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response.