| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] > | Poll: How was your 2020? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Nothing much | Dec 30, 2020 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
My 2020 was "not too bad."
The Basques laugh at that expression
It took me years to realise that when people in the Welsh Valleys say they “wouldn’t mind” they actually mean “yes please”.
As Debbie Harry sings in verse three of this song, "All I want is 20/20 vision"
Deborah (not Debbie, never Debbie, goodness me what a spanking she’d give me for that every time in my teenage dreams, what a very, very bad boy you are, Christopher) goes on to say:
Picture this, a day in December
Picture this, freezing cold weather
This might not mean much down in Bilbo’s burrow, or indeed Brazil (talking of very, very bad), but up here the brass monkeys all have their thermal jock-straps on.
Altogether a rather pointless post, but a few loose ends tied up anyway.
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X) 
Spain
Local time: 11:47
Spanish to English
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| Thermal j-straps | Dec 30, 2020 |
Oh, I think it was a worthy post, especially for that bit. And Ms Harry, well, how many teenage bedsheets she ruined in her time is anybody's guess, but I like to think I made a respectable contribution.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Presbyterianism | Dec 30, 2020 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
My 2020 was "not too bad."
The Basques laugh at that expression, which I use for a lot of situations. I'm sure it will strike a chord with Tom, too. I get it from my mum, I think, but it's typical of the morose attitude of where Tom and I come from.
It probably comes from a deep-rooted Presbyterian horror that something might actually be good.
Q. What is a Presbyterian's worst nightmare?
A. The fear that somebody, somewhere, might be having a good time.
On the subject of Basques - you have reminded me of a shaggy dog story involving a terrible overcrowding situation at a venue in northern Spain. The punchline is "you shouldn't put all your Basques in one exit".
[Edited at 2020-12-30 19:40 GMT]
| | | | | A Timely Question | Dec 30, 2020 |
With all the negativity and negative events that were caused by the virus, I forgot, for quite a while, and until just a couple of days ago, that I have actually had a good year, work-wise. Four book projects, and Zoom made it possible for me to continue to work on another language-related degree, without any disruption.
[Edited at 2020-12-30 18:31 GMT]
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 11:47
Spanish to English
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Very good, Tom! How the first one takes me back. If you're enjoying it, it's got to be sinful! Some sins are so enjoyable.
[Edited at 2020-12-30 18:55 GMT]
[Edited at 2020-12-30 19:57 GMT]
| | | | Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:47
French to English
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| Bad - I failed to listen to my son and I got ripped off...again...... | Dec 30, 2020 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
"not too bad."
I don't think it's necessarily NI speak, just English, but the way it's said can vary the meaning a lot, the intonation and so on.
| | | | matt robinson
Spain
Local time: 11:47
Member (2010)
Spanish to English
| The hustle and bustle of the offfice... | Dec 31, 2020 |
I only occasionally missed the constant interruptions, noise, interminable meetings, etc. that constitute the typical office environment. Perhaps that is because it was 28 years since I had worked in one.
For large parts of this year though, due to various restrictions imposed in response to the virus, my family and friends have done a fine job of recreating that very environment within my normally peaceful, almost stress-free working life and home!
| | | | Lincoln Hui
Hong Kong
Local time: 17:47
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
I don't know if it was better than last year, but my main client still fed me a consistent stream of work. I also managed to get a concert through in November before things started shutting down again.
On the whole, could be a lot worse.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| For emphasis---- | Dec 31, 2020 |
Rachel Fell wrote: Mervyn Henderson wrote:
"not too bad."
I don't think it's necessarily NI speak, just English, but the way it's said can vary the meaning a lot, the intonation and so on.
For emphasis you can say "it's not too bad so it's not. In fact it's stickin' out"
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 11:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
I didn't know you were a musician too, Lincoln. Good for you!!
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 11:47
Spanish to English
+ ...
Thanks for that one too, Tom. Although, with all due respect, and especially bearing in mind a kid on Erasmus, for example, trying to fathom what the hell they're on about, I think there should at least be a comma there, i.e. "it's not too bad, so it's not."
For those of you who still don't see it, "so" doesn't mean "so" there. What it means is nothing. In the as yet linguistically uncharted wilds of certain parts of Ireland they say things like "it's raining, so it is", or "he wen... See more Thanks for that one too, Tom. Although, with all due respect, and especially bearing in mind a kid on Erasmus, for example, trying to fathom what the hell they're on about, I think there should at least be a comma there, i.e. "it's not too bad, so it's not."
For those of you who still don't see it, "so" doesn't mean "so" there. What it means is nothing. In the as yet linguistically uncharted wilds of certain parts of Ireland they say things like "it's raining, so it is", or "he went there, so he did". Merely for emphasis.
But it's not just the expressions sometimes. It's the impossible accent. My Basque nephew did a year at school in my home town some years ago, 1st form or 2nd form. He told me he'd got on a bus and the bus driver said, "Antrim, is it?", and, rather bewildered because he wasn't going anywhere within fifty miles of Antrim, my nephew said "No, not Antrim, Portstewart", whereupon the driver said, "No, no, is it interim?" (which was some kind of ticket mode at the time). Doh. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
bearing in mind a kid on Erasmus
The UK has left Erasmus because the Brits have only just realised that it not only enabled British students to study anywhere else in the EU; it also allowed Johnny Foreigner to come to the UK and study. That has now been stopped. Keeps those filthy Europeans out of the Greatest Country in the World and the Best at Absolutely Everything. We don't need foreigners coming here to sully our cultural purity with their strange languages and disgusting food, and touching each other all the time. Pass the boiled cabbage!
Anyone feel like starting a "Triumph of Brexit" thread?
[Edited at 2021-01-01 12:32 GMT]
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 11:47
Spanish to English
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| Wool over eyes | Jan 1, 2021 |
I'm beginning to understand the Leavers now. What a jolly cheek. Too true - they were just going over there in droves and helping themselves to all that boiled cabbage, not to mention tripe and onions and Yorkshire pud. I mean, really. Why don't they go to Russia and Poland? With the added incentive of beetroot.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:47
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| British "cuisine" | Jan 1, 2021 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
I'm beginning to understand the Leavers now. What a jolly cheek. Too true - they were just going over there in droves and helping themselves to all that boiled cabbage, not to mention tripe and onions and Yorkshire pud. I mean, really. Why don't they go to Russia and Poland? With the added incentive of beetroot.
You forgot to mention Scotch Eggs. We know the French, Spanish, and Italians were only over here for those and Eccles Cakes. And Shepherd's Pie. And Cauliflower Cheese.
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Tom, I’m curious, what makes you choose to live in Britain with its repressed emotions, arsonists, dodgy cuisine, useless government, etc?
Is it the weather?
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