The Spanish don’t have “one last drink” – for them, it’s always “la penúltima”.
But the gatitos in the picture appear to have sucked all the colour from their mother and are now almost as large as she is. I’ve just seen her reject one of them despite his plaintive mewling, so maybe she’s finally decided to call last orders.
(No, it’s not a very good photo, but you wouldn’t have wanted me to disturb them, would you?)
In the post Sound Reasoning, I talked about how in Spanish each letter corresponds to a single sound. This must make it hard for a Spaniard to visualise the spelling of a word when he hears it spoken in English, and therefore must make comprehension more difficult.
It does, however, add to the pleasure of watching films in English with amateur Spanish subtitles. I admire the guys who attempt what is clearly a task beyond their capabilities. They gather up their inadequate grammar and try and create meaning from sound alone.
Continue reading “sound and sense”
Yesterday, I signed off an email to a colleague with the Spanish phrase que te sea leve. It seemed appropriate, knowing that the summer is upon us, compañeros de trabajo are off on holiday and teams that are stretched at the best of times are now at snapping point.
I like the phrase, but had no idea of its derivation.
Fortunately, despite the absence of colleagues, there is usually time for an exchange of ideas and information, and he pointed out that this is more or less what the Romans put on the tombstones of loved ones:
Sic tibi terra levis. ~ Let the earth lie light upon you.
What a lovely phrase.
Still, that’s all rather incidental to this post, which was prompted by the actual physical act of typing que te sea leve, rather than by its meaning.
Continue reading “automatic writing”
I have had plenty of trouble with my own surname over the years, so I don’t have a lot to say about this.
But I guess it does make me think of the (mostly apocryphal) stories of brand names that don’t travel between languages and cultures.
I wonder if “Mr Perdedor” drives a Chevrolet Nova when he isn’t driving his truck. (They say they didn’t sell well in países hispanohablantes as no one wanted un coche que no va.)
The local piscina natural is now active for the summer and new signs have been painted and displayed. This is one that has escaped the graffiti artists so far:
Some of my pedantic readers will realise quickly enough why I am not impressed.
Continue reading “the leisure business”
don't confuse the narrator 