CONTENTO

 

Hoy está lloviendo en Madrid, es el último día de agosto y tengo dolor de cabeza, pero estoy contento, no me pregunten por qué. Reseñemos, pues, un par de frases sobre el contento:

Más contento que unas pascuas (castañuelas) Pleased as punch, like a dog with two tails, tickled pink

Está más contento que unas pascuas con su nuevo coche He’s pleased as punch with his new car

— “¡Estoy más contenta que unas castañuelas!” María, 9/10/2003. Internet. Esp.

No caber en sí de contento Happy as a lark, be overwhelmed with happiness, be tickled to death (pieces)

Pedro no cabe en sí de contento Peter is overwhelmed with happiness

— “… no cabía en sí de contenta.” Jorge Andrade, Un solo Dios verdadero, 1993. Arg.

JAMES BOSWELL

Yesterday I was browsing through what is left of my private library and I came across James Boswell (1740-1794) and the monumental Life of Dr. Samuel Johnson, which made the Scottish man of letters famous forever. I bought this book in Madrid, of all places, over thirty years ago and it has been standing on a shelf all this time. Since college, I have been interested in Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) and his Dictionary of the English Language (1755). The time has come to read this book. It's now or never. Let us see whether it is as good as it is cracked up to be.     

HE AHÍ - BEHOLD

He ahí, en lengua castellana, es un pequeño intríngulis porque ese "he" parece ser parte del verbo haber. En la Murray State University me costó 20 dólares por joven y alocado. Ya lo explica Corominas en su Diccionario etimológico que es expresión, o frase, que proviene del árabe y nada tiene que ver con el verbo haber, por mucho que se empeñe WordReference. 

He ahí la cuestión - there's the rub
He aquí el problema - this is the problem
He allí el busilis - there's the gist

He ahí la dificultad - there lies the difficulty

He aquí el hombre - this is (behold) the man (Ecce Homo)

Así que ojo al Cristo que es de plata. 

  

DRESS AND IDIOMS / VESTIR Y MODISMOS

We all like to look our best and dress up in the latest fashion. Language has mirrored the idea of dressing well in several peculiar idiomatic ways:

Put on the dog Ponerse de tiros largos, como un pincel, ponerse uno guapo

There’s no need to put on the dog to go to that restaurant No es necesario ponerse de tiros largos para ir a ese restaurante

— “Put on the dog: get dressed up.” Etymonline, 2022. US.

Dressed (up) to the nines (to kill, to advantage, to the teeth) Hecho un pincel (un brazo de mar, de tiros largos, cromo), ponerse guapo, ir muy puesto

Jack se ha ido a la fiesta hecho un pincel Jack’s gone to the party dressed to the nines

— “... she says. James is much happier with her recent publicity photos, which show her dressed to kill on a leopard-skin sofa.” Portland Tribune, OR - 4 Jul 2003. US.

Palo compuesto no parece palo Dress up a stick and it does not appear to be a stick

Susana cuando se apaña está más guapa porque palo compuesto no parece palo When Susan dresses up, she looks pretty because dress up a stick and it does not appear to be a stick

— “Vístete bien, que un palo compuesto no parece palo.” Miguel de Cervantes, El ingenioso caballero don Quijote de la Mancha, 1615. Esp. 

 

WEATHER IDIOMS / MODISMOS DEL TIEMPO

El tiempo es tema de importancia para la humanidad que, a través de los siglos, ha inventado dichos, refranes y modismos en todos los idiomas. Veamos:

Never cast a clout till May be out Hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo

It’s still cold. Remember never cast a clout till may be out Sigue haciendo frío. Recuerda que hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo.

— “I still wear four petticoats... Ne’er cast a clout till may be out.” N. Streatfeild, Thursday’s Child, 1970, in JS. UK.

Hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo Stick to your flannels until your flannels stick to you, never cast a clout till May be outNo guardes el abrigo todavía, recuerda que hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo Stick to your flannels until your flannels stick to you, never cast a clout till May be out

— “Hasta el cuarenta de mayo no te quites el sayo.” I. Amestoy Egiguren, Gernika, un grito. 1937, 1995. Esp.

En abril, aguas mil April showers bring (forth) May flowers

Ya sabes el refrán: en abril, aguas mil You know the proverb, April showers bring (forth) May flowers
— “Son de abril, las aguas mil…” Francisco Melgares, Anselmo B, 1985. Esp. 

March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers Marzo ventoso y abril lluvioso sacan a mayo florido y hermoso

— “April showers may or may not have brought May flowers. In case they haven’t, why not plant a few yourself?” Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, 9 Jan 2004. US. 

Tomado de mi todavía en ciernes Diccionario fraseológico, inglés-castellano.

 

JOE CORRIOLS AND LANGUAGE MIXING

My aversion to language mixing may stem from listening to my across-the-way neighbor on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joseph (Joe) Corriols was very kind to me and was always ready to show me the historical sites of Pittsburgh and its environs. He was a chatterbox and explained all in minute detail but in some sort of hybrid language that threw me into a spin. "This is Old Economy Village que tiene 17 buildings located en el pueblo de Ambridge, que quiere decir American Bridge, que es una acerería very important en esta parte de Pennsylvania. Se fundó the village in 1824, as a sort of commune by a grupo religiosos protestante y ahora I'm going to take you para que veas the Cathedral of Learning, de la University of Pittsburgh, que se contruyó, in 1928 and which looks like a medieval catedral."  This way of speaking exhausted me and I never knew what language to use in my questions or comments. Joe was born in the US to Spanish parents and studied in Madrid for a while. His way of speaking to me was very confusing and tiring. To this day, many years later, I still dislike language mixing. His father, José Corriols Sala (1877-1971), never approved.

MODISMOS Y SALUD / IDIOMS AND HEALTH

Abundan los dichos, refranes, modismos sobre la salud tanto en inglés como en español. He elegido unos pocos:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away Una manzana al día, de médico te ahorraría, a diario una manzana es cosa sana

I eat apples because they say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away Como manzanas porque dicen que una manzana al día del médico te ahorraría

— “A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play: The sing-song slogan, so similar to an apple a day keeps the doctor away, was discarded by Mars after 40 years...” Independent, Aug 2, 2004. UK.

La comida reposada y la cena paseada After dinner sit (sleep) a while, after supper walk a mile

Siempre tomo la siesta porque la comida reposada y la cena paseada I always take a nap because after dinner sleep a while, after supper walk a mile

Hunger is the best sauce La mejor salsa es el hambre, a buen hambre no hay pan duro

This is so good. I guess hunger is the best sauce and I’m very hungry Esto está tan bueno. Supongo que la mejor salsa es el hambre y yo tengo mucho

— “The best of all sauces is hunger...” J. Green, Consuming Passions, 1985. UK. 

 

SUPERSTICIONES - SUPERSTITIONS

 

Few admit to being superstitious -¡toco madera!- but no matter how spiders are dreaded, they will be let go because:

Quien rompe una tela de araña, a ella y a sí mismo se daña If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive

Soy muy supersticioso y quien rompe una tela de araña, a ella y así mismo se daña I am very superstitious and if you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive

THREE SPANISH IDIOMS WITH A NAME

 Phraseology comes in many guises, as we all know, and today I shall mention three Spanish idioms with proper names, nombres propios, taken from my bilingual phraseological dictionary still on the stocks:

Venir el tío Paco con la rebaja Come down to earth with a bump, take a bite of the reality sandwich

Se creen muy felices, pero ya vendrá el tío Paco con la rebaja They believe themselves happy, but they’ll come down to earth with a bump

— “… muchas de esas parejas son las que luego lo pasan peor cuando viene el Tío Paco con la rebaja. Que viene siempre, ¿eh?” Fernando Quiñones, Las mil noches de Hortensia Romero, 1979. Esp.

La carabina de Ambrosio Be useless, be worse than useless, a dead loss, good for nothing

Tener vacaciones en enero es como la carabina de Ambrosio porque no sé dónde ir con tanto frío To have a vacation in January is useless because I don’t know where to go in such cold weather

— “Aquello era la debacle, el sanseacabó, la locura de palmira, la carabina de Ambrosio, el fin de toda esperanza, la muerte de las ilusiones, el exterminio de la paz, el reinado de toda la tristeza de la tierra junta.” Ramón Ayerra, La lucha inútil, 1984. Esp.

Tiempo de Maricastaña Horse-and-buggy days

Eso solía pasar en tiempos de Maricastaña That used to happen in the horse-and-buggy days

— “Con una estufa de carbón vegetal de tiempos de Maricastaña.” Fernando Sánchez Dragó, Anábasis, 1985 || “Me contaba Andersen que allá en tiempos de Maricastaña, existía un reino…” Tomás Mojarro, Yo, el valedor, 1985. Méx.

3 MODISMOS INGLESES CON NOMBRE PROPIO

Tres modismos curiosos de la lengua inglesa con nombre propio: 

Katie (Katy), bar the door Ojo al Cristo (que es de plata), oído al parche, Dios nos coja confesados

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.

Before (faster, quicker than) you can say Jack Robinson En un santiamén, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, en un pis pas

I’ll fry a couple of eggs before you can say Jack Robinson Freiré un par de huevos en un santiamén

— “… introduced herself this afternoon and before you could say Jack Robinson|, Marjory has asked her to dinner…” Marthe Woodroof, Small Blessings, 2014. US. || “Then, before you could say Jack Robinson, he’d looked up and found…” Jan Karon, Shepherds Abiding, 2004. US. 

Live the life of Riley Vivir como Dios, darse uno la vida padre (la gran vida), estar uno como quiere

Now that I’m retired, I live the life of Riley Ahora que estoy jubilado vivo como Dios

— “I’ve seen too many convicted murderers living the life of Riley…” Denver Post (COCA), 20013. US. || “He was living the life of Riley with our money…” Washington Post, (COCA), 1998. US. 

 

PASTA / CLAY In idioms/en modismos

 

Hay gente que, por su manera de ser y actuar, parece estar hecha de otro material que el común de los mortales. Decimos en castellano que esas personas están hechas de otra "pasta." Y en inglés, claro, no iban a ser menos y se refieren a los que parecen superiores como hechos de diferente "clay."

Estar uno hecho de otra pasta Be (seem, made) of a different clay, march to a different beat, be a different ball of wax

David todo lo hace de manera diferente a los demás; está hecho de otra pasta David does things different from others; he seems of a different clay

— “Yo no. Yo estoy hecho de otra pasta…” Fernando Aramburu, Los vencejos, 2021. Esp. || “… Goizueta, simplemente, estaba hecho de otra pasta.” Diario de Yucatán, 11/11/1997. Méx.

Be (seem, made) of a different clay Estar hecho de otra pasta

David is an extraordinary person and seems of a different clay David es una persona extraordinaria y parece hecho de otra pasta

— “The saints and heroes seem of a different clay from most of us.” RH. || “We speak a different language – we are made of a different clay.” Henry James, Roderick Hudson, 2006. US. || “It is seldom in life that you come across such people. Indeed, he was made of a different clay.” Prem Budhvar, A Diplomat Reveals, 2007. US.

 

HOOPS & AROS - IDIOMS/MODISMOS

 

Circuses are on the wane, but not that long ago they attracted large audiences in search of laughs, entertainment, and exotic animals. Lions, dogs, and tigers performed all kinds of tricks to the surprise and awe of the public. In one act, animals had to jump through hoops (aros) on fire which was no small feat because animals dread the fire. Circuses and such acts are the origin of the expression: 

Jump through hoops Pasar por el aro, aguantar (pasar por) carros y carretas

They made us jump through hoops to get the contract Nos hicieron pasar por el aro para conseguir el contrato

— “… why do they have to jump through hoops for every single accommodation?” Arizona State Press, March 22, 2021. US. || “… owners should have to jump through hoops to get building permits.” The London Free Press, February 5, 2021. UK.

En castellano tenemos:

Pasar (entrar) por el aro Jump through hoops, give in grudgingly, do someone’s bidding

Traté de convencerle pero se negó a pasar por el aro I tried to convince her but she refused to jump through the hoops

—  “Cuando el general se dio cuenta de que con buenas razones el gallego no entraba por el aro, de que se negaba a colaborar, llamó a los muchachos...” Jorge Andrade, Un solo dios verdadero, 1993. Arg. || “Otras deportistas se han negado a pasar por el aro…” Alicia Giménez Bartlett, La deuda de Eva, 2002. Esp.

COMPARATIVE PHRASEOLOGY

 

In The Anatomist, Bill Hayes defines comparative anatomy as "the study of the similarities and differences in the structure of living things." Comparative literature is the study of two or more different literatures. Comparative phraseology is the vetting of the structures of idiomatic expressions in two languages and their meaning. "Sell a bill of goods" is to deceive, swindle, or take unfair advantage of someone. "Dar gato por liebre" is defined in Spanish as engañar, hacer pasar una cosa mala por mejor, similar to "darla con queso",  engañar o estafar a alguien. Comparative phraseology finds that the idiomatic expressions in both languages have the same meaning although the words may differ in structure and literal meaning.  

NOT HAVE A PRAYER

 

The English-language expression "not have a prayer" means not having a chance of success, the impossibility of success in what someone is trying to do. "It didn't have a prayer against Georgia two years ago"  (AL. com., January 1, 2024.) for example. The inference is that not even divine intervention would help and change things. "... he did not even bother campaigning there because he didn't have a prayer of winning the state." (Politico, 01/11/2024.) In Spanish, we would say: "No tener la más mínima (remota, menor) posibilidad" as in "... aunque España hubiera querido, no habría tenido la más remota posibilidad." (El País, 02/02/1987.) I don´t believe I have a prayer in interesting anyone in this blog post, or "no creo que tenga la más remota posibilidad de interesar a alguien en esta entrada de mi Blog." But today I am in a brown study.  

MIXING LANGUAGES

We often watch monolingual speakers stop, stutter, and look puzzled when they are unable to find the right word to express their thoughts. Bilingual speakers, however, have the advantage of falling back on their other language when they are at a loss for words in the language they are using. While this might seem like a convenience, I argue that it is, unfortunately, a habit that can lead to confusion and even be considered impolite.

For monolingual listeners, a foreign word or phrase can be completely unintelligible, forcing them to either interrupt the flow of conversation to ask for clarification or silently grapple with their linguistic limitations. This situation can feel exclusionary and unfair, as it places an undue burden on the listener to navigate a conversation happening in multiple languages. In this sense, language mixing can be seen as inconsiderate to those who do not share the same linguistic abilities.

If someone is bilingual in English and Spanish, I suggest they speak either language as if they did not know the other. The goal should be to communicate as clearly and inclusively as possible, without giving the listener any indication that another language is available to fall back on. If the speaker cannot find the exact word they are seeking, they should make do with the resources available in the language they are using or find another way to express their thoughts. By sticking to one language at a time, we can ensure that all participants in a conversation feel respected and included.

So, the next time you are tempted to slip into another language mid-sentence, consider the potential impact on your listener. Let's aim for communication that bridges gaps, rather than creates them.

---

AS OLD AS...

Speaking of age:

As old as the hills (Adam, Mathuselah, dirt, the earth, mountains, time, Pyramids) Más viejo que Matusalén, que andar a pie, la tos, andar a gatas, Carracuca, Altamira, la sarna, el anuncio de la Casera, del año de la nana (de la polca, de Mariacastaña)

His girlfriend is as old as the hills Su novia es más vieja que Matusalén 

 

COLLINS ONLINE DICTIONARIES

I am the type of person who "reads" dictionaries. I check up on a word or expression and, before I know it, one thing leads to another, and two hours have passed! Today I was checking the word "bill" in the online version of Collins Dictionary. I came across the cute expression "sell a bill of goods", to deceive, swindle, or take unfair advantage of someone, which gives the Spanish equivalent of "dar a alguien gato por liebre." Curious as I am, I went straight to "gato" only to find that now "dar a alguien gato por liebre" was not "to sell someone a bill of goods", but "to con someone" or "to have been done." Students of English will never get to the phrase "sell a bill of goods" in Spanish. I am not daunted by the idiosyncrasies of workbooks, so I tried another idiom: "Dársela a alguien con queso" which is similar in meaning. What did I get? "To take someone in." There! I am sure the compilers did not bat an eye! 

The worst part is that I checked the word "albis", which is part of the Latin phrase "in albis" much used in Spanish. Horrors, Collins Dictionary gives us "en albis" as "not to know a thing, not have a clue." And yet, the "example sentences from the Collins Corpus" do write it right" "in albis." Indeed, it is in albis and not en albis as Collins lexicographers (?) would have us think.       

MARTES Y 13

 No soy supersticioso pero me he dado cuenta de que hoy es martes y...13. Ya conocemos el dicho de que "el martes, ni te cases ni te embarques" porque el martes tiene mala fama en la cultura hispánica (y en otras, supongo). El venezolano Guillermo Morón nos dice en su El gallo de las espuelas de oro: "... el martes ni te cases ni te embarques" y añade más "ni de tu casa te apartes." Y a pesar de lo escrito arriba, quizá tenga algún poso de superstición, aunque estoy a salvo porque para mí el día aciago es el Friday the 13th. No olvidemos que Judas Iscariote fue el invitado número 13 a la última cena. En muchos hoteles no tienen piso 13, ni habitaciones número 13. Yo me casé un Friday the 13th y la cosa salió mal, pero no creo que fuese por la fecha. Lo importante es que en castellano decimos martes y trece y en inglés Friday the 13th. 

A LEXICOGRAPHER'S DOUBTS

As you know, I am a simple run-of-the-mill compiler of dictionaries, a bookworm, a "ratón de biblioteca" as we are described in Spanish. Still, despite this disclaimer, I must confess that we also suffer from writer's block, low spirits, a dearth of interest, and a lack of internal oomph, just like anybody else. I often feel I waste my time and that my efforts are for naught. I sometimes wonder why a good phraseological English-Spanish dictionary has not been written. Aside from the worthless booklets about the "Best One Hundred Spanish Phrases" or "500 modismos ingleses" and such, nothing truly serious has been written.

I had a wakeful night yesterday and turned to Bill Hayes's Sweat: A History of Exercise, and I stumbled on the answer to my question above, when a certain Mercuriale asks himself why no one else had taken this on, De humani corporis fabrica? And he gives the answer: "I dare not say: I know only that this is a task of both maximum utility and enormous labor." And yes, let's throw modesty to the wind now that I am nearing the end: my Phraseological Dictionary, Spanish, and English is a work of enormous labor and maximum utility.  But time will tell. 

     

CADAVERS

 

Reading Bill Hayes's immensely entertaining The Anatomist, I have thought about how labels (words) change depending on thin lines of being, and attitudes. As soon as I die, the minute I stop breathing, I will become a cadaver, in a question of seconds. The name for a dead person or body is cadaver. My Random House Dictionary defines the term as: "A dead body, esp. a human body to be dissected, corpse." Webster gives these synonyms for cadaver: "bones, carcass, corpse, corpus, relics, remains, stiff." Of all of them, I prefer stiff. Somehow I think that before decomposition sets in, I will be just about the same, except that instead of being a person I will be a cadaver, a corpse, and people will probably look at me with apprehension or even disgust. Friends -few- will probably come to pay "respects", not to me, but to my cadaver, my corpse. I prefer stiff because this is what happens when rigor mortis sets in. "Delfín cuts a good-looking stiff" I hope they will say. In Spanish, I will probably be labeled a "fiambre". Despite these apparently gloomy thoughts prompted by The Anatomist, the book is a good read.

AI AND TRANSLATIONS

 

I am very skeptical about AI as far as translations are concerned, which may come as good news to professional translators all over the world. AI translations are introducing artificial changes into languages, and making up new ways of expression alien to languages. Language evolution has its own laws and peculiarities that can be studied in the evolution of Romance Languages from Latin, for example.  In the change or evolution of language, a new tool has been invented that is totally artificial. The Spanish phrase "qué Dios te oíga" expresses that the wish just said may come true. The English equivalent is "from your lips to God's ears". AI gives me, "May God hear you" and "I hope God hears you." Of course, I may be mistaken but I think not. When using artificial translations, please check the result with a knowledgeable human. Be cautious, especially when it comes to preserving the subtleties and cultural nuances of language.