Category: English

As flat as …

By Simon

This week in the French conversation group one of the things that came up was the expression “as flat as a pancake” or the slightly ruder version, “as flat as a witch’s tit”. This was being used to describe the flatness of beer. The only equivalent we could find in French was “completement plat” (completely flat), though I’ve since found a couple of others: “plat comme une limande” (‘flat like a dab*’) [source], and “plat comme une lamelle” (‘flat like a sliver/thin slice’) [source].

Other variations of the English phrases I’ve found include “as flat as a board”, “as flat as an ironing board” and “as flat as a trencher”.

What other flat things might appear in this expression?

Are there interesting equivalents of this phrase in other languages?

*Dab = a species of small flat-fish, Pleuronectes limanda, similar to a flounder [source]

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
les chaussures (f) de marche walking boots esgidiau cerdded; esgidiau cryfion boteier kerzh
passer à côté de la question to miss the point camddeall; methu’r pwynt/ergyd
rater/louper to miss (train/bus/target) colli c’hwitañ
completement plat flat as a pancake mor wastad â thalcen iâr; mor llyfn â charreg y drws; llyfn fel bwrdd
éventée flat (beer) fflat; diflas; merfaidd; marw avelet
bémol flat (note) meddalnod bouc’h
dièse sharp (note) llonnod lemm
en moyen on average ar gyfartaledd

Aw, Snap!

By Simon

Aw, Snap!

I noticed recently that when a webpage crashes in the Google Chrome browser, you get an error message beginning with “Aw, Snap!”, which always amuses me. It’s not an expression I’ve ever used, and seeing it got me wondering whether it is in common use in other English-speaking countries. If you don’t use this expression, what others might you use in similar circumstances?

I’d probably say something like “Oops!” or “Oh dear!”.

What are equivalents of these expressions in other languages?

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
diriger to run (a business; department; country) rhedeg dirijañ; sturiadañ
tenir to run (a shop; hotel; house) rhedeg; cadw tiegiñ
la piste runway rhedfa riboul
le vestiaire changing room; cloakroom ystafell newid gwiskva
la cape cloak mantell; clogyn; clog kap
l’accordeur de piano(s) piano tuner dyn tiwnio pianos songeider piano
accorder to tune (an instrument) tiwnio; cyweirio; tonyddu toniañ

Taking the fly

By Simon

I discovered an interesting French idiom today – prendre la mouche – which means literally ‘to take the fly’ and is the equivalent of ‘to go off in a huff’. Huff refers to ‘a passing mood of anger or pique’ A French equivalent of ‘to be in a huff’ is être vexé. Are there similar expressions in other languages?

La mouche means fly, button or patch comes from the Latin mŭsca (fly)

Here are some other expressions featuring this word:

– bateau-mouche = pleasure boat (on the Seine)
– fine mouche = sharp customer
– oiseau-mouche = hummingbird (‘fly bird’)
– pattes de mouche = spidery scrawl (‘fly paws’)
– poids mouche = flyweight
– papier tue-mouche = flypaper
– mouche du coche = back-seat driver (‘coach fly’)
– mouche à miel = honey bee (‘honey fly’)
– faire mouche = bull’s-eye

Source: http://dictionary.reverso.net/

Multicultural London English (MLE)

By Simon

According to reports I have read this week a form of English is emerging in London. It combines elements from Cockney, Jamaican and other Caribbean Englishes, and from South Asian varieties of English. It is known as Jafaican (pseudo-Jamaican) by some, but researchers from Lancaster University believe that it is not white kids trying to sound like black kids, but rather young people who are exposed to different varieties of English as they grow up and who incorporate different influences into their speech.

Linguists call it Multicultural London English (MLE) and have found that it is used increasingly in southern England and is replacing Cockney and other dialects. Apparently multicultural Englishes with similar characteristics are emerging in other large UK cities.

Some phonetic characteristics of MLE include a shift of some vowels towards the back of the mouth, the pronunciation of /h/, which isn’t pronounced in Cockney, and th fronting (/θ/ becomes /f/).

Inevitably some reports attract negative and ignorant comments like:

“It’s a ridiculous accent, so fake. All the kids are speaking in it now, I think it sounds so stupid, makes them sound thick along with their non-words like peak and peng. It’s only used by kids who are trying to be gangsters.”

and

“Personally I think the folk that talk in that faux caribbean patois sound like they’re thick. And I’m a Geordie!!! :-)”

and even

“This accent also comes with the lack of understanding of the use of the words your, you’re, there, their and they’re.”

A lack of understanding of the difference between written and spoken language there, perhaps :).

Some reports are more sensible and balanced though:

Thumbs and inches

By Simon

I discovered today that the French word for thumb, pouce, also means inch, which makes sense as the length of the inch is apparently based on the width of a man’s thumb.

Related expressions include:

– se tourner les pouces, se rouler les pouces = to twiddle one’s thumbs
– manger sur le pouce = to grab a quick bite to eat (“to eat on the thumb”)
– déjeuner/dîner sur le pouce = to have a quick lunch/dinner (“to lunch/dine on the thumb”)
– donner un coup de pouce à quelqu’un = to help someone out (“to give a blow of the thumb to sb”)
– mettre les pouces = to throw in the towel; to give in; to give up (“to put the thumbs”)

The word inch comes from the Latin word uncia (a twelfth; ouce; inch), as does the word ounce, which is a twelfth of a troy pound [source]

The word for inch is the same as the word for thumb in Italian (pollice), Dutch and Afrikaans (duim), and Czech and Slovak (palec). How about in other languages?

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
la pastille pour la toux cough lozenge/sweet losin at y frest; losin peswch; da-da annwyd pastilh an paz (?)
le pastille pour le mal de gorge throat lozenge/sweet losin gwddwg; da-da dolur gwddw pastilh an lo(v)rniet ma goûg (?)
la puce flea chwannen c’hwenn
le pouce thumb bawd meud
le gros orteil big toe bawd troed meud an troad
le deuil mourning galarus kañv
pleurer to mourn galaru gouelañ; garmat; leñvañ
prendre le deuill to go into mourning dechrau/cychwyn galaru ober e gañvoù; (g)ober begin
bruyant; chahuteur rowdy; noisy swnllyd; stwrllyd; terfysglyd; tyrfus trouzus
les nuisances sonores (fpl) noise pollution llygredd sŵn noazadurioù e-keñver trouz
délier la langue à qn to loosen sb’s tongue llacio tafod rhywun distagellañ
diversifier to diversify amrywio; amrywiaethu liesaat; dizunvaniñ
la forge smithy gefail gof govel
le forgeron blacksmith gof gov
ériger/dresser des barricades to set up a barricade codi baricêd savelladenniñ stoc’hoù
tenir des barricades to man the barricades gweithio baricadau
le feuilleton (TV/radio) serial cyfres romant -kazetenn

Droug gouzoug

By Simon

Droug gouzoug am eus, ha ne c’hallan ket kanañ evit c’hoazh, met gallout a gomz c’hoazh. N’am eus ket kanañ d’ar kor skleroz strewek (SKLES) dec’h. Gwelet am eus ur film, Tasmant d’an Opera, e skol-veur dec’h da nos.

I have a sore throat, and can’t sing at the moment, but can still speak. I didn’t go to the MS choir yesterday. Last night I saw the film Phantom of the Opera at the university.

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
(porter) déguisement (to wear) fancy dress (gwisgo) gwisg ffansi (gwiskañ) abilhamant
déguisé(e) in fancy dress mewn gwisg ffansi e dic’hize
se déguiser to go in fancy dress gwisgo gwisg ffansi dic’hizañ; abilhañ; livañ
la fête costumé fancy dress party parti gwisg ffansi fest gwisket
le bal masqué/costumé fancy dress ball dawns gwisg ffansi bal masklet
sépulchre sepulchre beddrod
une farce ou une gâterie
bonbons ou bâton		 trick or treat cast ynteu ceiniog
la réunion des étudiants anciens alumni reunion aduniad cynfyfyrwyr
nul; vraiment trash; tocarde trashy (film, book) diwerth; sothachlyd; da i ddim neb; tamm
renvoyer qn; metter qn à la porte to give sb the sack rhoi’r hwi; rhoi ei droed; rhoi gardiau diskouviañ; kas en e roud; war e giz
être mis à la porte; être renvoyer to get the sack cael yr hwu / y sac / y droed