Erfs

Erfs: (French — Oeufs). Eggs. Where pronunciation failed, as it often did, recourse had to be had to pantomime. This is a true story officially recorded in a war diary. The mess-sergeant of a regular battalion of the Queen's, out to buy eggs, was unable to make the village shopkeeper understand. No eggs being visible he picked up a turnip, put it on the floor, and sat on it, clucking like a hen. He got his eggs!