Author Topic: English-to-English translation (Read 30312 times)

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #150 on:** September 25, 2015, 05:04:43 PM »

Quote from: Tante Shvester on September 25, 2015, 02:57:35 PM

In China, you call these phoenix claws.

Ela · « **Reply #151 on:** November 21, 2015, 08:56:14 PM »

That's a truly creepy picture.

rivka · « **Reply #152 on:** May 09, 2016, 10:56:30 PM »

In South Africa (and, says Wikipedia, also Australia and New Zealand), a french press is called a coffee plunger -- or sometimes just a plunger.

At first, I was a bit confused about the enthusiasm for the gift I was being told about.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #153 on:** May 10, 2016, 02:12:29 PM »

I've probably shared this in this thread before, but I was highly amused when my Australian mission companion referred to traffic cones as "witches' hats." Australians just name things better.

rivka · « **Reply #154 on:** May 10, 2016, 06:03:06 PM »

I remain unconvinced that "plunger" is better in any way than "french press". Except possibly amusement level.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #155 on:** May 12, 2016, 12:10:47 PM »

Amusement level for the win!

rivka · « **Reply #156 on:** June 07, 2016, 12:26:42 AM »

South Africans do not cross their fingers for you; they hold thumbs for you instead.

And they aren't the only ones: http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_origin_of_the_idiom_'to_hold_thumbs'

Jonathon · « **Reply #157 on:** June 07, 2016, 07:58:53 AM »

Interesting. I've never heard that expression before.

Ela · « **Reply #158 on:** June 07, 2016, 08:32:48 AM »

I have.

rivka · « **Reply #159 on:** June 07, 2016, 10:18:20 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on June 07, 2016, 07:58:53 AM

Interesting. I've never heard that expression before.

Me either. I learn the most interesting things chatting with our SA team at night (their morning).

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #160 on:** June 13, 2016, 12:55:50 PM »

Quote from: Jonathon on June 07, 2016, 07:58:53 AM

Interesting. I've never heard that expression before.

Me neither, all of the South Africans I know wish me ill.

(Just kidding, I actually know three and they are lovely people)

Ela · « **Reply #161 on:** November 09, 2017, 04:28:08 PM »

So, in a Doctor Who story I just listened to, Peri corrected the Sixth Doctor's use of the word "bumper" (on a car) to the word "fender".

I was very confused by the correction, so I did a little searching around, and as far as I can tell, a bumper on a car means the same thing in American English as it does in British English: "a horizontal bar fixed across the front or back of a motor vehicle to reduce damage in a collision or as a trim." Which is what I thought and why the correction confused me.

A fender is not a bumper in American English, is it? A little more searching around come up with this definition for fender in American English: "the mudguard or area around the wheel well of a vehicle." Apparently, that's also one of the meanings of fender in British English.

Am I missing something here or did the writer of that Doctor Who story make a goof in trying to correct between "American" and "British" English?

rivka · « **Reply #162 on:** February 28, 2018, 05:24:53 PM »

I just learned one. Brits (and their linguistic compatriots) say "odds and sods" in much the same way an American would use "odds and ends".

Jonathon · « **Reply #163 on:** February 28, 2018, 05:35:24 PM »

Ela · « **Reply #164 on:** May 04, 2018, 08:23:06 AM »

Left on Twitter by a British writer I follow:

"Hey luv/darling/soldier, the English As A Foreign Language course left this whiteboard behind about how to talk to ladies etc. Enjoy, mate."

Spoiler: for large image (click to show/hide)

Original tweet: https://twitter.com/gossjam/status/992420136010297344

Jonathon · « **Reply #165 on:** May 04, 2018, 08:44:01 AM »

That's funny.

Also, did you know you can resize images? Just put width=x in the opening tag, where x is the width in pixels. When you click on the image, it should pop out to full size, and it'll shrink when you click on it again.

Ela · « **Reply #166 on:** May 04, 2018, 10:46:53 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on May 04, 2018, 08:44:01 AM

That's funny.

Also, did you know you can resize images? Just put width=x in the opening tag, where x is the width in pixels. When you click on the image, it should pop out to full size, and it'll shrink when you click on it again.

No, I actually didn't know that I could do it that way. Thanks for telling me.

Ela · « **Reply #167 on:** August 03, 2018, 01:36:48 PM »

An expression I see used a lot, mostly by British people, is "I'll get my coat", usually said after making a bad joke. The internet is only partly enlightening on the meaning and origin of that phrase.

Jonathon · « **Reply #168 on:** August 03, 2018, 01:42:18 PM »

I would guess it's something like "I'll show myself out."

Ela · « **Reply #169 on:** August 03, 2018, 02:20:09 PM »

Clear as mud.

(In other words, not sure of the exact meaning and origin of that phrase, either.)

Jonathon · « **Reply #170 on:** August 03, 2018, 02:32:06 PM »

Hmm. I thought that was clear, but maybe not. I think the implication is that the joke was so bad that the person who told it is just going to leave now, so they're going to go get their coat and go without anyone walking them to the door.

Kate Boots · « **Reply #171 on:** August 03, 2018, 02:50:05 PM »

I believe it is from this show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3OM2MA1pic

It was this character's catch phrase.

Ela · « **Reply #172 on:** August 08, 2018, 02:42:53 PM »

Yeah, I've seen that or similar.

rivka · « **Reply #173 on:** January 25, 2019, 12:23:20 AM »

Learned another one from my South African co-workers tonight. What Americans call the living room, they call the lounge. (And as I was just reminded last week, Israelis call the salon. Which isn't really English, although it was borrowed from British English.)

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #174 on:** January 25, 2019, 11:04:11 AM »

We call that "The Parlor".