Preface - Electronic Poetry Center

From: Dodie Bellamy
Subject: Spicer's Martian dialect
... A quote from John Ryan:
Jack Spicer and I were both fluent in Martian. I was North Martian, and he was
South Martian, but we understood what we said perfectly well. We were going
down into the Valley one year, before Christmas, on a train, and Jack had to go
take a leak. Jack and I had been conversing in Martian, being quite full of Red
Cap Ale, and a guy from another table came over and asked me when Jack
went to the head, "Are you fellows Australian?" Jack returned and greeted the
man, "Sit ka vassisi von ka, sta'chi que v’ay qray." ("Salut!".) That’s Southern
Martian. "Eiss! Sa schlein! Ja da lond, nar la loff." (That’s "thank you," in
Northern Martian.)" (from KK’s Spicer bio--I am devouring the manuscript
with great pleasure)