2016 – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

One more liberal cosmopolitan for Brexit

I agree with Jeremy and TSE that the problem’s not going to go away either way. But, apart from the anti-democratic nature of the project, I’m voting out because, while the EU has lowered costs and raised revenues for the Guardian-reading, property-owning classes (I’m particularly thinking of free movement of people in the form of…

Thomas More endorses the siesta

Of the twenty-four equal hours into which they divide the day and the night, the Utopians devote only six to work. They work three hours before noon, when they go to lunch. After lunch, they rest for two hours, then go to work for another three hours. Then they have supper, and about eight o’clock…

EU interpreter kicked senseless by admin colleague during Commission charity footie match

Politico: The Schuman Trophy has been a fixture on the Commission’s calendar for 20 years, with teams from each department playing each other and raising money for children’s charities. But this year’s event — held on May 21 and sponsored by the likes of Volvo and Belgian financial services firm Easyvest — ended in chaos…

Filho/a da puta

I fear a British employment tribunal is about to give undue weight to an exceptionally everyday Portuguese curse. But José “translator” Mourinho should be able to wriggle his way out of that, and if he can’t then he can probably afford it.

The curiousness of Colin

I mean, why’s he always walking back to a place NEAR where he lives? It’s like being the serial seducer of someone you don’t really fancy. He’s right about the Dutch, though. Absolute barstards – just look how they kill pigeons: Duif vast met kop tussen brug en wegdek; duif is niet dood. https://t.co/t2KHPBmcU7 pic.twitter.com/sN7tduMdfH…

Tweets for May 2016

Sog = Singing Organ-Grinder

Acronym of constant sorrow.

German organ grinder spots London rival.

Degerundisation in Furrin

In Spanish etc., campsite > camping, carpark > parking, etc., but then in German happy ending > happy End. Who cares? End is a genital euphemism in English, so a happy ending in a London massage parlour loses nothing in translation. The Happy End of Georg Anton Benda’s version of Romeo and Juliet is more…

The Royal Spanish Academy: patronising lardy-arsed suits pigging your tax euro?

The local branch of the Canute Society is campaigning against the (incorrect and correct) use of English in advertising: The RAE “no es una startup.” Confirmation in this video. ¡Numancia romana! Buenos días. pic.twitter.com/gIJ3hr1TqN — Maestro Ciruela (@Master_Plum) May 19, 2016 Tralala.

Untranslatability

To the extent that she is not merely chucking us clickbait, Elena Horrillo’s piece on supposedly untranslatable Spanish expressions suggests she hasn’t read the English Wikipedia article, some of which has been translated into Spanish. Translating difficult expressions, sayings and proverbs like those cited was already a minor industry in the late Middle Ages (anyone…