Bulletin Board

Language > English
Category > Slang/Expressions

Click on a message title to view all messages in the discussion.

Total found: 4644 !
  1   446   465    
Most Recent Messages of Each Discussion Created by
Problemas en Skype
Hola Mary,

Favor de buscar mi mensaje en Internet Technology. Allí sera de más ayuda si otros tienen el mismo problema....

Mark

Language pair: Spanish; English
Mark S.
March 26, 2005

# Msgs: 3
Latest: March 26, 2005
Re:Comment to Newlife-Wang on expression
Hi Mark

Soy Mary Aponte, de Venezuela. Cuando puedas vuelve a registrarte en Slype...No se porque has desaparecido de mis contactos, parece que me hubiese bloqueado. Hasta luego,

Mary (americamary)

Language pair: English; All
maryjaponte l.
March 25, 2005

# Msgs: 3
Latest: March 26, 2005
Comment to Newlife-Wang on expression
Hi,

I'm not familiar with the expression, "Greenhand," and I was wondering if you meant "greenhorn," an expression which means inexperienced, or just learning.

According to the Word Detective, an internet resource I find to be wonderfully helpful for trying to understand a lot of our strange expressions, "Greenhorn" is a real mixed metaphor. "Green" is often used in botany to refer to fruit that is not yet ripe, and therefore immature or young. Somehow, this expression came to be applied by analogy to describe young cattle whose horns were green, not literally, but figuratively. So that, I guess, is why a greenhorn is "a newbie" or a "tyro". My favorite expression for this is "still wet behind the ears" suggesting that the person was born earlier today and hasn't yet had time for all of the amniotic fluid to dry off in the less exposed parts of their body. Sometimes, when we want to emphasize that we're NOT greenhorns, we say things like, "I wasn't born yesterday," or "I didn't just fall off the cabbage truck, you know."

That cabbage truck expression is also pretty strange if you're not familiar with our tradition of explaining reproduction to young children. Many of us are very uncomfortable talking about this topic with children, and so we make up myths about it until we think they're old enough to tell them the truth. In the old days, we used to wait until their wedding day, but since we’ve finally figured out that their friends will tell them if we don’t do it first, and since most of us want to have some control over what our children learn about sex, we try to tell them around the time some of their friends are going to start developing an interest, somewhere between 11 and 14, I think. Others may want to correct me if I’m wrong, since I’ve never been a parent. One of our best-known myths is that babies are found under cabbage leaves. That should explain the expression about falling off the cabbage truck. It’s like saying, “I wasn’t just born a moment ago.”

I found a very cute joke about this, the second of three jokes posted in message 42499. French isn’t one of my stronger languages, but I’ll try to post a reasonable translation into the English over in the Vocabulary/Translations area, in case you’re interested and don’t speak French.

Good luck on your search for a partner. In the mean time, please feel free to post anywhere on this site if you have any questions about English that I might help with.

Zhu4 ni3 hao3!

Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA USA


Language pair: English; All
Mark S.
March 24, 2005

# Msgs: 3
Latest: March 26, 2005
Newlife-Wang re Greenhand/Greenhorn
Hi,

I'm not familiar with the expression, "Greenhand," and I was wondering if you meant "greenhorn," an expression which means inexperienced, or just learning.

According to the Word Detective, a resource I find to be wonderfully helpful for trying to understand a lot of our strange expressions, "Greenhorn" is a real mixed metaphor. "Green" is often used in botany to refer to fruit that is not yet ripe, and therefore immature or young. Somehow, this expression came to be applied by analogy to describe young cattle whose horns were green, not literally, but figuratively. So that, I guess, is why a greenhorn is "a newbie" or a "tyro". My favorite expression for this is "still wet behind the ears" suggesting that the person was born earlier today and hasn't yet had time for all of the amniotic fluid to dry off in the less exposed parts of their body. Sometimes, when we want to emphasize that we're NOT greenhorns, we say things like, "I wasn't born yesterday," or "I didn't just fall off the cabbage truck, you know."

That cabbage truck expression is also pretty strange if you're not familiar with our tradition of explaining reproduction to young children. Many of us are very uncomfortable talking about this topic with children, and so we make up myths about it until we think they're old enough for us to tell them the truth. In the old days, we used to wait until their wedding day, but since we’ve finally figured out that their friends will tell them if we don’t do it first, and since most of us want to have come control over what our children learn about sex, we try to tell them around the time some of their friends are going to start developing an interest, somewhere between 11 and 14, I think. Others may want to correct me if I’m wrong, since I’ve never been a parent. One of our most well-known myths is that babies are found under cabbage leaves. That should explain the expression about falling off the cabbage truck. It’s the same thing as saying, “I wasn’t just born a moment ago.”

I found a very cute joke about this, the second of three jokes posted in message 42499. French isn’t one of my stronger languages, but I’ll try to post a reasonable translation into the English over in the Vocabulary/Translations area, in case you’re interested and don’t speak French.

Good luck on your search for a partner. In the mean time, please feel free to post anywhere on this site if you have any questions about English that I might help with.

Zhu4 ni3 hao3!

Mark Springer
Sacramento, CA USA


Language pair: English; All
Mark S.
March 24, 2005

# Msgs: 1

Re:Hey People!
I live in america, so I could help you a bit with the slang, what kind of slang do you want to know? What is your native language?

Language pair: English; All
Jonathon S.
March 22, 2005

# Msgs: 2
Latest: March 27, 2005
Great expression for "From bad to Worse" in Spanish
It was recently brought to my attention that Spanish Speakers may say, "Salir de Guatemala y meterse en Guatapeor," meaning, "From bad to worse,"

It's a great punny expression, because it takes advantage of the fact that the word "bad" "mala" is part of the word "Guatamala." and you make a fun play on words by subustituting the word, "peor", "worse" for "Mala", "bad." If you had to translate it, it would be, Leaving Guata- "bad" to go to Guata- "Worse".

Of course, some expreessions just don't translate well, and must just be left in their own languages.

:-)

Language pair: Spanish; English
Mark S.
March 6, 2005

# Msgs: 1

Re:How to say god night in Catalan?
Hello Borge,
good night is in catalan BONA NIT
sleep thight -I don't Know what means thight only sleep is in catalan DORMIR
sweet dreams = DOLÇOS SOMNIS

My name is Ana and I am from Catalonia, exactly I live near Barcelona. I can help you, if you want.


Language pair: Catalan; English
Ana Maria R.
March 2, 2005

# Msgs: 1

Re:Anyone know Dutch and want to practice Chinese or English , please contact me ,Thank you !! Not GOLD MEMBER
I would like to help you, being Dutch and wanting to learn Mandarin, but I'm not a gold member. If I were you I'd use google to find me...

Language pair: Chinese, Mandarin; English
Andre V.
March 2, 2005

# Msgs: 1

Learn Khmer
Hi I would like to learn Khmer, the slangs and the basic conversation stuffs In exchange I can teach English or Bahasa Malaysia. Anyone interested pls contact me. Thanks

Language pair: Cambodian (Khmer); English
Leona L.
February 27, 2005

# Msgs: 1

Re:Spanish Practice
Hey Julio!!

I'm really really interested to join you..I'm practicing my Spanish and i really hope i can help with your English too,anyhow..i'm not a gold member as well...so......

what will we do now?? !!!! :D

Language pair: Spanish; English
ammrer
February 27, 2005

# Msgs: 2
Latest: February 27, 2005
Total found: 4644 !
  1   446   465    

Bulletin Board Home Add New Message



close Make this an App. Tap more_vert or and 'Add to Home Screen'