A Boardman, Ohio, was confused as a child after reading about “guerrilla warfare” and wondering what those big, hairy primates could possibly be fighting about. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Gorilla Warfare”
We talked on an earlier show about childhood misunderstandings of words like bacon seed for vacancy, and that prompted Diane Walsh to write. She’s from Boardman, Ohio, and Diane writes, “In the early 60s, when I was learning to read, I would read the newspaper and guerrilla warfare was in the news often. Well, I thought they were talking about actual gorillas, and I was terrified. It was after a long while that I asked someone, and they reassured me that gorillas were not going to come after me and my family. Bless her heart. That’s kind of sweet.”
It is sweet. I had the same experience, Diane. I was so worried about those gorillas. I unfortunately learned it in print first. I had started some Spanish already, so I didn’t make that, but I could see that.
Oh, that’s hilarious. You never had that misunderstanding of G-U-E and G-O-R? Some other ones, I’m sure, if I think about it, but not that one.
Oh, my gosh. I was thinking, what are those gorillas so angry about? And are they fighting each other? And this is going to spill over into my community? Planet of the Apes will become real.
That’s that thing about language when you’re a little kid and you’re just starting to get the hang of it. And you almost know too much for your own good. You don’t know enough, but you know too much for your own good.
