21/04/2007 – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

A tiro limpio, by Augusto Vivero

I’d rather like to buy or borrow a copy. Talk to me.

Touch wood/iron

Re a reference@Amando de Miguel: that the expressions are interchangeable (“Capulino frotó suavemente el respaldo de una silla; acarició después el metal de un llavero, por expresa recomendación de Juana. Y sonrió.”, or here for the English) suggests that Frazer was wrong to point to iron’s novelty as the source of its taboo status. Intriguingly,…

Of trousersnakes

Did the serpent deflower Eve or merely provide professional consulting services, thus relegating humans to a subsidiary role in creation?

Future of Galician

Cool cartoon, translated by Carlos, who has unfortunately decided that there is no future for him as a professional translator.

Triumph of English

Fabio Montermini’s excellent granny, who says in dialect (no army or navy in sight), “I can’t speak dialect and never have,” reminded me of a hilarious moment the other night during a meet-the-people TV show featuring the not so excellent Mariano Rajoy, struggling leader of the allegedly non-nationalist Partido Popular. Why, asked some poor mum…