Brian Harris, via his blog, on events 74 years ago tomorrow: Gross is said to have been incompetent. As they parted, Franco, who was worried by Hitler’s attitude, decided to emphasise his esteem for him in a typically Spanish manner. He stood up and pressed Hitler’s hand between both of his, and declared, “In spite…
This is Stronzo Bestiale, the fictitious Italian physicist, author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers. However, stronzo bestiale surely isn’t total asshole – that’s stronzo totale, which I think entered the Italian language via translations of American airport lit – but rather bestial arsehole, or monstrous arsehole, concepts much less sanitised and more evocative of our…
The great Jeremiad-caravan against the BBC’s raison d’être and the licence fee has been to Patagonia. That the Daily Mail managed to locate, but not Google Translate: [Malvinas-related provocation: incidents and the BBC team has left the country] Thanks to S, who suggests that the differences between the Mail and the Guardian are two: the…
Lenox here and here and here writes: Well, here’s a race you won’t want to miss – it’s the prize-winning ‘Stupidest Titled Activity 2014’ which this year goes to the World Capital of Plastic Farming: ‘1st Trail Where Is Limit El Ejido’. Yes, they are all very excited, especially the chap who had the honour…
“Year1a”, by mail: Dear ladies and gentleman, We are Fisheries Ltd. Company in kunming Yunnan China. We need import some fishmeal. If you have this products, please you contact with us.We expect that cooperation with you. Thanks! Telephone ，13759557137 Sincerely, Mr.Xu Oh, George: Why would China need to import fishmeal? Is West African fish waste…
The Venerable Bede said that whoever talks in church talks not with his own voice but with that of the devil within him, says Jerónimo de Alcalá in Alonso, mozo de muchos amos (1624). Judging by David Jackson’s tale (taxes wasted on the signs alone: €37,752), and on past experience, ragamoffyn has a rich furrow…
Possible evidence of the Spanish Conquest of England, seen on a neighbourhood barbecue (“BQ”) notice on Wick Road, Hackney. Though perhaps, given the character of some of the dogs round there, the adjective was simply intimidated into agreeing. Adjectives have feelings, known as adverbs.
Transblawg picks up again on an Economist thing suggesting translation as an outlet for under-billing associates, and quotes one of the comments: I am also a US qualified lawyer working in document review in Spanish and Portuguese. I have been steadily employeed in these temporary projects for quite some time, but inoalls is correct, these…
The other day in the London City out of scientific interest I ate from a hipster stall a portion of /pʌɪˈɛlə/. It wasn’t paella – it looked and tasted like sewage sludge, black, oily, foul – but I couldn’t work out (and didn’t dare ask) what method had led to this madness. A couple of…
None of the immediate context enables one to say whether the South Tangier refugee relief committee was anxious to grasp Helena Maleno’s breasts à la Egyptienne because they read her as a Spanish prostitute (adjective española classifies noun puta (restrictive)), or as a fucking Spaniard (adjective puta describes more fully the noun española (non-restrictive)): Agredida…