March 2005
A can of worms
March 30, 2005
Journalist: "Well yes, but one thing is obvious: this might open a real can of beans." Eminent pundit: "Err, yes, a can of beans, indeed..." [Pause] Suddenly not so stern-sounding journalist: "Oh dear, did I say can of beans? I...
Guest blogger: Pakis and Queers
March 28, 2005
By Charlotte Hinge As every school child will testify, the phrase 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never harm me' isn't always true. It can be very difficult to ignore verbal abuse that is accompanied by...
I'm back
March 26, 2005
I'm back! One major server breakdown and a holiday meant that I haven't been able to post in the last couple of weeks. Normal service will be resumed on Monday, with this month's guest blogger entry....
Links
March 14, 2005
Too much work means that I haven't got time to blog at length at the moment. Outrageous. I'll just give you a few links that have been brought to my attention lately. I've finally updated my links page by the...
Bug
March 11, 2005
The word bug has many meanings, but it's the one linked to machines and faults that interests me today. As you'd expect from something as troublesome, the origins are not straightforward, and its translation into French has not been easy...
Interpreters beware!
March 9, 2005
This morning I received the following email: Myself, my wife and my son are visiting the UK for 15 days and we are jus shopping / sightseeing. This is why we will need a translator service of someone we can...
Faire les quatre cents coups
March 7, 2005
I was reading about the French film festival in Brighton when I saw that they were showing The 400 Blows, by François Truffaut. Tut, tut, I said to myself. This is a literal translation of the original title "Les 400...
Il est tombé dedans quand il était petit
March 4, 2005
"L'écologie? Il est tombé dedans quand il était petit!" (Ecology? He fell in it when he was small!) Those of you who are familiar with Astérix and Obélix will know that this is a reference to Obélix the Gaul. Obélix...
Ha-ha
March 2, 2005
It's a word, believe it or not, and it comes from the French exclamation of surprise : Ha ha! (according to all the dictionaries I consulted). It designates a ditch that serves as a boundary without obstructing the view. Presumably,...