Before I tell you my story, you need to know that a "crown wheel and pinion" is a piece of equipment from a motor vehicle's engine (see image at left). A "Crown Law opinion" is a legal opinion from the Crown Law Department. I worked at the Traffic Accident Investigation Squad where we often sought crown law opinions about cases.
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So, I was a police officer working with a friend. He said to me, "I want to go and get a crown wheel and pinion from Spinks Auto".
We hopped into the police car and I drove off in the direction of the city (Brisbane, Australia) and he said, "Where are you going, that's the wrong way?"
I said, "Not it's not, the Crown Law Office is in the city."
He said, "I don't want to go to the Crown Law Office, I want to go to Spinks Auto to pick up a crown wheel and pinion I have ordered ... it's the other way."
I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted a crown law opinion."
The lesson: Even when you are a native speaker and very literate, you still have to LISTEN!
Comments
This is such a big advice for inexperienced learners of English. Sincerely, I need to pay more attention to what I listen in English, because a good reply starts with a good understanding of what we listen. Thanks for sharing wonderful story Robinoz!! I hope that come much more stories like that !
Sometimes we just want to hear what we thought we want.