Monkey Shit on a Bicycle

Hello Monkey Shit On A Bicycle

Somewhere in France

World War I

Around 1917

"Bonjour la merde de singe sur un vélo."

My grandfather loved to tell this story.  He was in France during the war and lo and behold, he runs in to his older brother who is also fighting in the war.  They hadn't seen each other since they both departed to serve.  

The older brother tells my grandfather, "The women here love me. They greet me everyday. They love Americans. Everyday they see me on my bike, they call to meet;"

My grandfather asks, "What do they say?"

"Bonjour la merde de singe sur un vélo," he proudly tells his younger brother.

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I don't know when my grandfather learned the translation of this greeting.  And I don't know if my great uncle ever learned of the translation.  But this story was one that my grandfather loved to tell us again and again. And I always found it to be funny.