LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  Para explicar la determinación, inteligencia y sabe hacer de una persona, echamos mano de la frase hecha "donde pone el ojo, pone la bala," que explica lo profesional y buen tirador que es. Es una frase corriente que se refrenda en:  — “Ha tenido que intervenir con colt de plata el mismísimo don Camilo José Cela, el del premio, que donde pone el ojo, pone la bala.” El Mundo, 16/13/1994. Esp. || “Así como nuestra nietecita querida donde pone el ojo pone la bala.” Virgilio Piñera, Niñita querida , 1992. Cuba. Y rebuscando, que es lo mío, he encontrado la expresión inglesa adecuada que dice lo mismo: "He shoots, he scores," y que se atestigua en: — “He is on fire. Whenever he shoots, he is going to score.” Yahoo News, February 28, 2017. US. || “… is a strong player because when he shoots, he scores.” Tribal Football, 5 November, 2024. UK. || “He shoots, he scores by Canadian broadcaster Foster Hewitt, in 1933.” Generative AI, 2025. US.

Does anyone care, for that matter? I know for a fact that people at large, especially language learners, do not give a hoot about my writings.  I suspect they do not give a damn, a rap, two shakes, shit, a darn, a flying fuck about my opinions on language. And I do not blame them at all because su opinión no me importa un pito, un comino, un higo, un rábano, un pimiento, un pepino, un cuerno, tres cojones, un ardite, un carajo, un bledo, una mierda, tres puñetas, tres pelotas... Hold it! I am just trying to explain some of the many possibilities to express the idea that we do not care, or are not interested, in Spanish. I am interested in what my readers think, of course, and I thank them for following me. Notice that most of the Spanish similes are taken from a grocery store.   — “… mis acciones y mis secretos le importan un comino.” Fernando Aramburu, Los vencejos , 2021. || “Entonces llegué a la conclusión de que yo le importo un pimiento.” Fernando Aramburu, Los venc...

 " L a originalidad, que es lo más alto de la vida, la más alta manifestación de la vida, es lo que más difícilmente perdona el vulgo, que recela, desconfía –y con razón- de todo lo que escapa a su previsión, de todo lo que se sale de la línea recta, de todo lo que puede suscitar en la vida situaciones nuevas…”   José Martínez Ruiz, Azorín, La voluntad , 1903. (Delfín Carbonell,  Diccionario panhispánico de citas , 2008. Prólogo de Enrique Vila-Matas, "El lujo de las citas.") NB. José Martínez Ruiz, 1873-1967, Spanish writer, known as "Azorín" and now almost forgotten, belonged to the Generation of 98, and wrote exquisite prose in Spanish. 

  “Aleja de ti la crispación. Procura estar siempre sereno. Haz tu trabajo sin odio.”  Cristóbal Zaragoza, Y Dios en la última playa , 1981. (Delfín Carbonell,  Diccionario panhispánico de citas , 2008. Prólogo de Enrique Vila-Matas, "El lujo de las citas.") NB. Cristóbal Zaragoza, 1923-1999, won the Premio Planeta.

  I read the classics mostly, in English and Spanish, because I still have a long way to go to cover the extent of my unread literature. I do not at all scoff at current, young, and new writers. I am just being practical. I have little time left, and the day still has twenty-four hours. With Enrique Vila-Matas I make an exception. Why? I find his writings different, new, and I can relate to his way of seeing reality, or fiction, or whatever. I just simply like him. He fits the definition of literature Jorge Santayana gifted us with in his Three Philosophical Poets: "The sole purpose in possessing great works of literature lies in what they can help us to become." Vila-Matas does that: reading him, we become more, more reflective, more meditative, more insightful, more ourselves. And I was lucky to meet him yesterday, at the presentation of his new book "Canon de cámara oscura" at the Rafael Alberti bookstore, in Madrid. (Do visit when you come.) He is an affable, se...

  Katie (Katy), bar the door es una expresión inglesa relativamente reciente que no aparece en diccionarios, excepto en el mío de fraseología.  Lo traduzco por estas posibles frases castellanas:  Ojo al Cristo (que es de plata), oído al parche, Dios nos coja confesados. Como ejemplo:  If he is reelected, it’s Katie, bar the door Si es reelegido, que Dios nos coja confesados.  — “If you showed any weakness or a lack of knowledge, Katie, bar the door.” Magazine Salon (COCA), 2018. US. || “If we start industrializing the coastline on the shores of Lake Superior, Katy, bar the door…” The Washington Post, August 27, 2024. US. || "That's a great thing when women get together for a bachelorette party, ooh, Katie, bar the bar." NBC News, 04/27/2018. US.