CHOKE A HORSE

English has invented the humorous expression enough to choke a horse to express the idea of an excessive quantity.  Spanish has para parar un tren to express the idea that the amount is so excessive that it could stop a train in its tracks: tiene dinero para parar un tren.

Enough and to spare, enough to sink a ship, plenty and then more are English variations. Para dar y tomar, para dar, vender y regalar are Spanish alternatives.

Enough to choke a horse Para parar un tren

I have a lot of work, enough to choke a horse Tengo mucho trabajo, para parar un tren

— “Here’s a fine idea, much better than killing you, he said with venom enough to choke a horse.” Ian Irvine, A Shadow on he Glass, 2009. US. 

Para parar un tren (carro) Enough to choke a horse (to sink a ship), plenty and then more

Tengo trabajo para parar un tren I have enough work to choke a horse

— “Hay pruebas como para parar un tren.” Víctor Chamorro, El muerto resucitado, 1984. Esp.

TO COME / TO GO

 

To come, venir. To go, ir. Pero su uso no es parecido. Veamos:

Si estamos con alguien le diremos: I will go to London. I am going to London.

Si telefoneamos a una persona que está en Londres y nosotros en Barcelona, por ejemplo, diremos: I will come to London. I am coming to London.

Y si estamos en el cuarto de estar y nos llaman desde la cocina, gritaremos en inglés: I am coming. O simplemente Coming!

Todo esto es así porque en lengua inglesa pensamos en la persona que nos escucha. Para la persona en la cocina que nos llama “venimos”, y por eso le decimos I am coming.

En castellanos tomamos nuestro punto de vista, somos los que vamos, y cuando nos llaman desde la cocina decimos ¡Voy!

PD. Ojo con I am coming y Are you coming? que tienen un significado picarón también. 

AI AND PHRASEOLOGY

 

In my previous post, I dealt with the Spanish idiomatic expression caerse de un guindo, and gave to fall off a turnip truck as its equivalent in English. Today I consulted my AI version and asked it to translate caerse de un guindo into English:

"The Spanish phrase "Caerse de un guindo" translates literally as "to fall from a cherry tree." However, it's an idiomatic expression meaning someone is naive, gullible, or unaware of something obvious, as if they had just realized something for the first time.

A more natural translation in context might be:

• "To be clueless."
• "To be naive."
• "To have just woken up to reality."
• "Have you been living under a rock?"

As far as bilingual phraseology is concerned, AI is still wet behind the ears. Please, tread carefully when using it.

• (Have you been living under a rock?)4o

TURNIPS AND/Y GUINDOS

 Doña María Moliner nos dice en su diccionario que caerse de un guindo es una expresión con que se da a entender que una persona es muy ingenua y no se da cuenta de lo que sucede. Noticias de Álava nos dice que la expresión proviene del mundo rural cuando se le pedía a alguien que subiera a un guindo a por fruta y al ser las ramas endebles, la persona se caía. Se caía de un guindo por ingenua. La expresión inglesa equivalente es to fall off a turnip truck y se refiere a los pueblerinos que se subían a un turnip truck para llegar a la ciudad y significa to be naive, uninformed or unsophisticated in the manner of a rustic person. Las dos expresiones tienen mucho en común.   

Caerse de un guindo Fall off a turnip truck

Ese tonto se ha caído de un guindo That goof-off is still wet behind the ears / Marta no se ha caído de un guindo Martha has not fallen off a turnip truck

— “Parece usted caído de un guindo.” Luis María Anson, Don Juan, 1994. Esp.  

Fall off a turnip truck Caerse de un guindo

Mary acts in a very naïve way, as if she had fallen off a turnip truck María es muy ingenua, como si se hubiese caído de un guindo

— “Piers, did you just fall off the turnip truck?” BPR Business / Politics, February 15, 2023. UK. || “She’s no pushover, she did not fall off the turnip truck.” Washington Post, 06/09/2021. US.

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION FAKE NEWS

 Some anonymous wit said (not H.L. Mencken) that "nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." I would delete the word American to make the old saw extensive to all and sundry. The Internet is flooded with decoys that promise to teach languages quickly and easily. There are no magic tricks to language learning except the old and time-tested method of daily study and hard work. Please, do not be deceived, do not take any wooden nickles, or be led up the garden path because there is no magic to it. Daily study, and a teacher to correct and direct you, are the only true and proven methods. Do not be misled by false promises.       

SUFIJO -ABLE EN INGLÉS

Este sufijo, como en castellano, ayuda a formar adjetivos, e indica capacidad o aptitud para recibir la acción del verbo:

Abominable                     abominable     Abominable acts

Adaptable                        adaptable        Flexible and adaptable

Adorable                         adorable          An adorable pet

Believable                       creíble             A believable theory

Capable                           capaz              A capable employee

Comfortable                    confortable     A comfortable chair

Eatable                            comestible      This is not eatable

Enjoyable                        agradable        An enjoyable day

Implacable                      implacable      Implacable enemy

Improbable                      improbable     Improbable event

Laughable                       risible              A laughable attitude

Liveable                          habitable         A liveable house

Regrettable                     lamentable      A regrettable mistake

Tolerable                         tolerable         A tolerable price

Se pronuncia [ábol] 

THE ORIGIN OF "NICE" AND "NECIO"

Etymology is a fascinating field that deals with the evolution of words over time and their history and origin. Words are, of course, sounds with meaning but the first or original meaning may change with usage. The Latin word nescius, "ignorant", "unaware", turned into the English "nice", via French as "simple", "stupid", "silly". It's development is fascinating: to "timid", "fussy", "delicate" (c.1400); "precise", "careful", "agreeable" (1769); "kind", "thoughtful" (1830) and, finally, "pleasing, agreeable, delightful, kind" (Random House). From ignorant, simple, stupid, and careful, to what we know now as nice. Spanish has retained the original meaning of nescius in "necio": "Bobo, tonto, majadero".  Check Etymonline for further information on the origin of English words.