George Ade, with a fellow American, was traveling in the Orient, and his companion one day fell into a heated argument with an old Arab. Ade’s friend complained to him afterward that although he had spent years in studying Arabic in preparation for this trip he could not understand a word that the native said.
“Never mind,” replied Ade consolingly. “You see, the old duffer hasn’t a tooth in his head, and he was only talking gum-Arabic.”