Author Topic: English-to-English translation (Read 32797 times)

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #125 on:** August 09, 2013, 03:11:52 PM »

Quote from: Annie Subjunctive on August 09, 2013, 03:09:43 PM

Are the following obsolete, or are they still OK in British usage, does anyone know?

Many things in our lives go by contraries.
Give me as much again
I didn't make much of the lecture.

Oh, and, "He crushed the bloom with regardless tread."

Jonathon · « **Reply #126 on:** August 09, 2013, 03:20:52 PM »

I have no idea, but the latter two sound fine to me. The first is unfamiliar, as is the one on this page.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #127 on:** August 10, 2013, 01:43:32 PM »

More along those lines … What I'm trying to do is give examples of rare, obsolete and awkward usage examples from Chinese textbooks. Tell me what you'd think of the following:

   1. "I have been busy all the day."

   2. "They got up early lest they should miss the train"

   3. "He is disappointed that he shouldn't be chosen this time."

   4. "It is I who am right."

   5. "My parents forbid my seeing horrible films."

   6. "There's as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it."

   7. “Son: Why are hen's legs so short?
   Dad: You're a fool. If the hen's legs were too long, wouldn't they drop their eggs into pieces when laying?”

   8. "I had loved you for three years by last year."

BlackBlade · « **Reply #128 on:** August 10, 2013, 02:30:08 PM »

1. "I have been busy all day." I mean if you wanted to be colloquial you could say, "I have been busy all the livelong day."

2. "They got up early lest they miss the train."

3. "He was disappointed that he would not be chosen this time."

4. Depending on context, I might let that one slide.

5. No problem.

6. "There's as good a fish in the sea as ever came out of it."

7. Not really a problem to me.

8. "As of last year, I have loved you three years."

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #129 on:** August 10, 2013, 02:48:35 PM »

My question is less along the lines of "what's the right way to say this?" and more just, "Would you call these usages rare, awkward or obsolete?"

BlackBlade · « **Reply #130 on:** August 10, 2013, 03:06:29 PM »

For the ones I corrected yes. For the ones I did not, no.

Jonathon · « **Reply #131 on:** August 10, 2013, 09:21:27 PM »

They all sound at least a little off to me.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #132 on:** August 10, 2013, 09:37:21 PM »

Makes me wonder if Nephites read our version of the Book of Mormon and think that about every verse.

dkw · « **Reply #133 on:** August 11, 2013, 04:46:11 AM »

2, 4, & 7 sound fine to me. The rest, not so much. Your first three also sounded fine to me, but not the "regardless tread" one.

Ela · « **Reply #134 on:** August 12, 2015, 11:14:28 AM »

I've realized that I'm not sure I understand the British use of the word, "Cheers."

It seems to be used as a sort of acknowledgment of something someone else said. To me it seems as though it should be happy, but I don't think it's always used that way.

Quote

Person 1: That book you were waiting for is coming out next week.
Person 2: Cheers.

Alright, that might be a person being happy about the news, but I'm sure I've seen it used in other ways that didn't strike me as inherently happy. And those sorts of uses were kind of jarring to me and made me think, "Wait. What did he mean by that?"

My daughter thinks it may mean, "Thanks."

I'm just not sure.

Jonathon · « **Reply #135 on:** August 12, 2015, 11:56:42 AM »

I always thought it was just "thanks" too. The OED concurs:

Quote

pl. In British English, = thank you, thanks. colloq.

Ela · « **Reply #136 on:** August 12, 2015, 12:01:51 PM »

Okay, then. Guess my daughter was correct.

rivka · « **Reply #137 on:** August 12, 2015, 01:18:07 PM »

I found out today that the average Brit is unlikely to know the meaning of squaw or pow-wow. I guess that makes sense, if you didn't grow up watching old Westerns.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #138 on:** August 24, 2015, 07:28:45 AM »

Jonathon · « **Reply #139 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:17:06 AM »

Very helpful.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #140 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:20:16 AM »

I'm going to invite some chaps over for tea and bunglespleen parmesan.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #141 on:** August 24, 2015, 01:19:46 PM »

Why is that so funny?

The Batttle of Gridlington. Heh.

Farmgirl · « **Reply #142 on:** August 26, 2015, 05:24:05 PM »

I should post that in our company breakroom*

*while we are primarily a United States company, we took over, via acquisition, a similar company in Britain. I have heard rumors that we have had difficulties at times in meetings with them because of the cultural and methodological differences.

Ela · « **Reply #143 on:** August 27, 2015, 07:42:44 PM »

I think I'll call my postman a postlord from now on. Bet he'd like that!

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #144 on:** August 27, 2015, 09:13:06 PM »

My kid used to call the people who worked at the post office "post officers".

pooka · « **Reply #145 on:** September 22, 2015, 07:56:23 PM »

Now I understand something Annie posted on facebook. I don't remember what it was. I just kind of rolled my eyes and was like "If you don't like it, move to Russia." (which is a line Homer Simpson once said in reply to Kent Brockman saying "Democracy doesn't work.")

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #146 on:** September 23, 2015, 09:53:48 AM »

You understand it but you don't remember what it was?

pooka · « **Reply #147 on:** September 25, 2015, 01:44:04 PM »

Fish fingers. You were saying Americans laugh at British people for saying fish fingers and they shouldn't because we say chicken fingers.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #148 on:** September 25, 2015, 02:57:35 PM »

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #149 on:** September 25, 2015, 05:03:42 PM »

Yeah, that would be another example of me being flippant for humorous effect. I am not personally offended by anyone's preference in meat finger terminology.