August 10th, 2009

I’ll always wonder

[RR is at the cashier at 7-11, paying for soda. A young girl enters, carrying pizza slice in paper bag, looking frazzled but cheerful.]

Girl, to cashier: Do you know where the Dairy Queen is around here?
Cashier: [Mute look of dismay common to non-native speakers of English in exhausting jobs upon being asked an unfamiliar question]
RR: Oh, it used to be next door but it shut down.
Girl [now dismayed, too]: Oh, do you know where there is one around here?
Cashier [only moderately cheered]: Do you want a bag?
RR: No, thanks. There’s one in Union Station, but I don’t know any others. There’s not many.
Girl: Oh, dear.
RR: I know. I love DQ, too.
Girl: It’s just that my something something is broken and really needs Dairy Queen. [girl wanders back out while RR struggles to find exact change in poorly designed wallet]
***
I didn’t catch the words in the something something position, and now I’m driven mad by them. Can you guess what would fit there? The only thing that would made grammatical and logical sense that I’ve come up with so far is “My friend’s heart is broken and [s/he] really needs Dairy Queen.” You got anything better for me?
Through up your arms
RR

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