"LAST" Y SUS ENIGMAS

Last: Último, pasado. Last week, la semana pasada. The last page of the book, la última página del libro. He is the last person I would ask for money, es la última persona a quien pediría dinero. No confundir con latest, que es el último, con la idea del más reciente: His latest book is a mystery novel, su libro más reciente es una novela de misterio. His last book was a mystery novel, su último libro (ya no va a haber más) fue una novela de misterio. Last but not least es un cliché estúpido que todos aprenden, aun cuando ignoran cosas fundamentales de la gramática inglesa, que debemos rechazar por cursi, bobo. “Last but not least, Keith is an historian who has frequently visited Mexico and it doesn’t faze him that I, as a Mexican, should come to his country to write about its artists.” So very English. (London: Serpent’s Tail, 1990). Terry and David Fredman nos comentan algo interesante: “The final person or item mentioned is certainly not the least important just because of their place in the list. Research in the twentieth century seems to hint that there may be a real need to stress this point, as there is evidence that, for example, children whose names are towards the end of class registers receive less attention and do less well.” The last straw es el colmo, la gota que colma el vaso: When she said she didn’t love me, that was the last straw. La frase completa es The last straw that broke the camel’s back. “The sermon that evening was the last straw.” George Carey, I believe. (London: SPCK, 1991). Por cierto que el verbo to last, como sabemos, significa durar: How long will it last? ¿Cuánto durará? A lasting friendship es una amistad duradera. The day before last es anteayer. ¿Fácil, eh? ¿Y cómo diríamos zapatero a tus zapatos? Pues, shoemaker, stick to your last. ¿Por qué? Porque last es horma, horma de zapato.