Dear Log,
Today I almost scrapped as unfeasable a big and generally promising project, then told a pal about the situation, and he let me in on some additional and encouraging information (half of which was right in front of me, if only I'd seen in) that led me to see that not only shouldn't it be scrapped, but that it'll be great, and how to make it great. I can't talk about the project yet -- it'll be secret for another few months.
Thought for the day: When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
In other happy news, I found, in a used bookstore, a book written in the early 1950s by an Englishman and a Spaniard, explaining some of the common usage pitfalls in Spanish which a well-taught English-speaker might not be aware of. Lots of little things like, yes, you knew pan is bread, but un pan is a loaf of bread. Lists of jargon terms involved in playing cards, and in music. And then it starts to get odd -- lists of "office appurtenances", including terms for "Indian ink", "addressograph"; "domestic appurtenances" including "chloride of lime" and "flap-duster".
And lots of explanations that take a totally obvious (to me) word in Spanish, explaining them in English that is to me, at a century and a hemisphere away, as shockingly strange as something out Marco Polo. For example, a paella is explained (!) as "a sort of kedgeree [?!], rice being the main constituent. The other matter is not merely little bits of fish but large lumps of fish, chicken, shellfish, or what you will; you frequently get clams, crawfish, etc., in their shells and are then obliged to get them out, so it is no use hoping to keep your fingers clean".
A garbanzo is explained (!!) as "a bean of the haricot type (i.e. the seed) but rather more round. It is a common ingredient of a stew and, being cheap, is widely eaten but does not seem popular with more refined palates."
The entry for "hola" is like something from 1920 at the latest, explaining that when Spaniards say "Hola, Roberto!", this is best put into good English as "What cheer, Bob!". One expects chaps named "Biggles" or "Major" to appear at any moment, and to indicate some things as "ripping" and others as "ghahstly".
Re:Tunny fish
vsergu on 2002-10-02T23:57:24
Really only one match for the phrase. You need to use quotes.Re:Tunny fish
jmcnamara on 2002-10-03T11:43:51
I was aware that there was only one exact match.:-)
I posted the unquoted search because there are several other close matches such as "slaughter of tunny-fish" and "tunny-fish slaughter".
