masterwordsmith-unplugged

For such retorts one needs presence of mind. Thanks to Angela who sent me these POINTED REPLIES - hree moments in time when you could have heard a pin drop.

Take 1:

Field Marshal Sam Bahadur Maneckshaw once started addressing a public meeting at Ahmedabad in English.

The crowd started chanting, "Speak in Gujarati. We will hear you only if you speak in Gujarati."

Field Marshal Sam Bahadur Maneckshaw stopped. Swept the audience with a hard stare and replied, "Friends, I have fought many a battle in my long career.

I have learned Punjabi from men of the Sikh Regiment; Marathi from the Maratha Regiment; Tamil from the men of the Madras Sappers; Bengali from the men of the
Bengal Sappers, Hindi from the Bihar Regiment; and even Nepali from the Gurkha Regiment.

Unfortunately there was no soldier from Gujarat from whom I could have learned Gujarati."

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Take 2:

JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when Charles DeGaule, the French
President, decided to pull out of NATO.

DeGaule said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.

Rusk responded "does that include the 180,000 who are buried here?"

DeGaule could not respond.

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Take 3:

Robert Whiting, an elderly US gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.

At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

"You have been to France before, Monsieur ?" the Customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. "Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !" the Customs officer sneered.

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long, hard look.

Then he quietly explained ... " Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach, at 4:40am, on D-Day in 1944, to help liberate your country, I couldn't find a single Frenchman to show a passport to. ... "

Have a nice day!