Bella Coola butt of Olympic-sized jokes

[dr. what]

You know you want to touch me....

TURIN, Italy -- Poor Bella Coola, B.C. it gets no respect here. In fact, it's the butt of a joke circulating around B.C.-Canada Place.

It turns out Bella Coola -- a B.C. central coast community named for the original First Nation inhabitants -- translated into Italian, roughly means ``nice butt.''

Bella Coola figures into the Turin 2006 Winter Games because it was the original home of a 240-year-old cedar ``Spirit Tree'' which is supposed to bring good luck to those who touch it. The tree, which is decorated with an aboriginal mask, is the stunning centrepiece in the extravagant log chalet that is B.C.-Canada Place.

The problem is Italians can't hear the words ``Bella Coola'' without giggling because it is very similar to ``bella collo,'' a phrase men here are more apt to say about a woman's figure.

``Everybody we tell the story to about where the log came from starts laughing when we tell them it is from Bella Coola,'' said Cinzia Zotto, a staff member. ``Bella in Italian means nice, or beautiful. Collo means bum or butt, and the two together are seen as a reference to a woman. It raises eyebrows and lots of laughter.''

The log was found in the waters near Bella Coola by Sitka Homes, the 100 Mile House company contracted by the B.C. government to build the two-storey, multi-roomed lodge in the Piazzale Valdo Fusi, a small square in the centre of Turin.

Zotto, who lives in Coquitlam but whose parents are from Trentino region in northeastern Italy, said the tree has become famous in its own right because staff tell visitors that rubbing it brings good luck. With more than 1,000 people visiting BC-Canada Place each day, that's a lot of rubbing. The deep red hue of the trunk has started to take on a polished, oiled look.

``We actually have people coming up and hugging the Spirit Tree,'' Zotta said. ``Everybody wants a bit of good luck from it.''

There's not a lot the staff can do about the translation, but they've pledged not to put up a sign saying where the tree is from.

``It would be lost in the translation,'' Zotta said.

[SylasGaunt]

Never heard of the place, don't suppose it's out in the ass-end of nowhere?

[AK_Jedi]

It's on the coast of B.C. which probably means it is a small community with only 1,104 population in the city. Kind of like Atlin, B.C. Of course, you probably don't know where that is either since the only places people recognize from B.C. are Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Most towns in this area are on this scale.

I'm pretty surprised that a good-luck tree from such a small area is garnering so much attention. You would think that there are better known good luck charms around.

[Hendrake]

The problem is Italians can't hear the words ``Bella Coola'' without giggling because it is very similar to ``bella collo,'' a phrase men here are more apt to say about a woman's figure.

That is incorrect. 'Collo' means neck. However Coola when prononced sounds somewhat like 'Culo' (pronounced Coolo) and THAT means bum.

Nitpick brought to you by the perpetual italian n00b. :D

[wolveraptor]

So...is it true that Italian women all look like Monica Bellucci?

[Admiral Valdemar]

So...is it true that Italian women all look like Monica Bellucci?

Only if you believe all British men look like Prince Charles.

[Joe]

Man, you guys are so behind the times with these jokes. Quit being asses and butt out.

[SylasGaunt]

Man, you guys are so behind the times with these jokes. Quit being asses and butt out.

Ass and Butt have already been used ya dirty bum.

[Edi]

Well, at least they don't have to deal with the confusion that happens when you start mixing Finnish and Italian. When I was in England in 1995, there were a lot of Italian students on the language courses, and when the inevitable exchange of "What's this swearword in your language?" conversations came up, it lead to some really interesting finds.

"Look at the sea" in Finnish is "Katso merta". In Italian, "cazzo" means penis, and "merda" means shit, and the pronunciation differences are so negligible as to be nonexistent...

Edi

[Oni Koneko Damien]

Rectum?! Nearly killed 'em!

...sorry.

[Mr. Coffee]

Stick up the ass much? Sorry, had to get in on the ass jokes...

[Jason von Evil]

So...is it true that Italian women all look like Monica Bellucci?

Only if you believe all British men look like Prince Charles.

So they do? Hot damn, I'm moving to Italy!