Jamie Oliver (Celebrity Chef) on the David Letterman Show

Hi Sunghan,

I was wondering if this would cause some confusion.

There is a double-meaning here that creates the humor (explaining why David Letterman gets a surprised look and the audience laughs). In addition to the crabs we can eat (as in this segment), "crabs" can also refer to very tiny crabs (called crab lice) that can occupy the genital areas of humans and are usually transmitted through sexual contact (see the link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_louse).

The common expression "to have crabs" could refer to:

- To eat crab

- To have crab lice

Jamie Oliver has used this term deliberately to creat the double-meaning and a sort of joke. A little later he says "I've had them, but never that big..." as a continuation of the joke.

The easiest way to avoid the potential embarrassment of the double meaning in your own communication would be to say:

- "Have you had crab before?"

By using the general term "crab" (not the plural form), it is very clear you are talking about the edible variety of crab and not the parasites transmitted through sexual contact!

Hope this makes it clear!

~ Jason

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