Alison Arellano and her family were naturally taken aback to read this sign next to a dish on the hotel buffet when they holidayed recently in the Costa del Sol, which says "Jewish with ham".

Just in case you think this is something out of a cannibal cookbook, the Spanish judias con jamon refers innocently to haricot beans with ham.

Judia can mean both bean and Jewess. Why I don't know, but I'm sure the etymologists among you can enlighten me.