The assistant can hardly see me. She waves pointing towards the bread 
          'Did you want the loaf sliced?' I nod, becoming aware of people 
                queuing  behind me, and quickly add 
             'And can I have two of these cakes please?’ 
          ‘These are not cakes, they are gateaux’, she says. 
  	    I shake my head in assent but I dare not point 
                    to the tempting curly pastry 
                      with shiny raisins in it. 

    		        She’ll perhaps say 
                     that it isn’t a snail 
                         but an escargot.  
                         The  next  day 
 	               if I wanted to buy 
                         an umbrella, 
 	   	         would I call it 
                         a parasol or
                         a parapluie?