musi pi sin ala mute

[janKipo]

sina lukin e seme pi lon nasin?
jan ala.
a! oko sina li pona mute. oko mi li pona lili tan ni: mi lukin ala e jan.

[janMato]

I don't get it.

musi sin:

wan: sina esun e waso tawa jan pi kute ala kepeken nasin seme?
tu: ??
wan: "JAN O! SINA WILE ALA WILE KAMA JO E WASO!"

[janKipo]

Who did you see on the road?
Nobody.
Wow! Your eyes are much better than mine, since I didn't see anybody.
(one recent version - 19th century -- went on "Imagine, being able to see Nobody -- and at this distance, too!).

[janKipo]

The eternal problem with 'esun'. I read this as "How do you buy a duck for a deaf man" and you meant "sell a duck to a deaf man". The joys of tp (and an ambiguity that needs some consideration -- not to be found in pu). See "jan Pili lon tomo mani" at tpnimi.blogspot.com

[jan_Anti]

waso, waso, waso! waso li nimi!

[janKipo]

Yes, but it is always a duck in jokes, except, of course, 'waso li tawa ...nasin tan seme', which you can't tell in tp withtout stepping on the punchline.

[janMato]

waso li tawa lon nasin tan ni: waso li tawa ala la waso li pakala e musi mute. (Destiny!)