Famous Austrian joke
by Keisuke Takada
(Katsushika, Tokyo)
"No Kangaroos in Austria" t-shirt
When I went to Austria to study German, I found a funny T-shirt printed with a kangaroo that said "NO KANGAROOS IN AUSTRIA" in a souvenir shop. I like it. Then I understood that English speakers are also likely to be confused by it.
I don't know why Australia is similar to Austria. Austria (Österreich) means just "land of the east" in German. And Australia (terra australis) means "land of the south," coming originally from Latin. Their similarity has nothing to do with their origin. What a wonder it is!
I have never been to Australia, but I want to go and eat a kangaroo's flesh.
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