[John O]

Almost as funny as Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" - literal translation "I'm a jelly donut!"

You, my friend are incorrect...and have swallowed hook, line and sinker an urban legend. The President said it correctly

From what I understand, everywhere else in Germany a berliner IS a jelly donut. So while he may have been correct in Berlin the rest of the country heard "I am a jelly donut"

(But then I could be wrong. It's happend before. I think)

[timsbella]

You've right. It's roughly the equivalent of saying "I'm a Hamburger" rather than "I'm of Hamburg".

[livius]

He used the article (ein); if he had said "Ich bin Berliner," it would have been correct. However, everybody knew perfectly well what he meant, and Germans (particularly Berliners) loved it, error and all.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

I don't speak the language well enough to be in judgement, but I suggest that you google the phrase and review what folks who apparently know say......that's where I got my information...

[Serb5150]

The Germans knew what he meant, mistake and all. I doubt any of them thought he was actually saying "I am a jelly donut", although a Berliner is indeed a pastry.

Lots of places in Germany have food items named after them, depending on where the dish originated. For instance, a Hamburger is both a resident of Hamburg AND something that White Castle serves.