But it has already won Marani, 39, his own column in Belgian and Swiss newspapers, and even got him a respectful mention in the New York Times. It has also incurred the wrath of the champions of Esperanto, who don't see the joke.

Marani's Belgian column this week looks at the United States and President Clinton's liaison with Monica Lewinsky. ``After de Lewinsky affaire'', it begins, ``de USA leadership necessite urgente restaurazione, as de image van die olde mundiale superpower est noch eine bischen tarnished. America must demonstrate que, despite de seine morale decadence, nochdesminder can mucho machosamente dominate der volle mundo.''

The idea, Marani says, is to help peoplewho know English has become the international language but do not have it as their mother tongue. He believes everyone in Europe can understand Europanto. If you don't know a word, substitute one from your own language that foreigners might follow.English is now inescapable in Europe, ``but still very few people are fluent. This helps them express themselves in their own words,'' he said.

Marani speaks English, French, Dutch and Spanish as well as Italian and is brushing up Finnish and learning Slovenian. He started Europanto to amuse his friends. His humorous columns have led to inquiries from all over Europe. The Swiss keep writing to ask whether he has published a dictionary, or where they can go on training courses.

``The Germans are very amused because they see the joke. The French were, you know, a bit stiffy (sic) in the beginning. But now they like it because they see it as a way of destroying English,'' he said. Only the Esperantists have been offended. They write him earnest letterscomplaining that his language has no proper rules.

Nikolas Rasic, secretary of the World Esperanto Association, said: ``I am a professional linguist. What is he? A clerk?'' Marani said: ``The Esperanto people are very tiring. I would never have thought of myself as a threat. These people send me all their publications and the ones who send me the rudest letters are from England.''

Next year a series of books in Europanto will be published in France, including Las Adventuras des Inspector Cabillot, the tale of a bumbling detective from the European Agency of Strange Matters. But there is a problem with Europanto it is difficult to speak. ``Sometimes I speak a few sentences with another enthusiast,'' said Marani, ``but there's always a problem of pronunciation''.