Off topic: I want your personal weird words Автор темы: Ricki Farn
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Ricki Farn
Германия
Local time: 08:35
английский => немецкий
Do translators have stronger tendencies towards developing an idiolect than your average Joe and Jill?
I keep making up new terms such as
- white flyflakes: the things that make poplar trees so un-poplar
- squirrel alzheimer's: the act of putting something away in a safe place and never finding it again
- six-sided holes on a stick: a set of wrenches/spanners
What is your very own made-up terminology?
| | | | | It's just you :-) | Jun 23, 2017 |
Well in our family we sometimes call cats nuzzies and padded shirts are barnies and my grandad insisted on calling a menu a meenu, but we're not all translators...
I suspect we're actually less likely to, because we're used to finding out and using the correct words for things!
| | | | Jack Doughty 
Великобритания
Local time: 07:35
русский => английский
+ ...
Памяти | From other languages too | Jun 23, 2017 |
Since I had to do physiotherapy for a broken arm in Sweden in 1973, physiotherapy (sjukgimnastik in Swedish) has always been "sick gymnastics" in our family.
| | | | Ricki Farn
Германия
Local time: 08:35
английский => немецкий
Автор темы | Import-export | Jun 23, 2017 |
Oooh yes, import-export is fun! Just say "biting off more than you can chew" in any other language but English and watch the reactions.
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| *Sjukgymnastik (for the record) | Jun 23, 2017 |
We also talk about having a cow in the ditch. Apparently it's Finnish for having a vested interest.
| | | | | Geschäftschaftheitkeitung | Jun 23, 2017 |
I wonder if a monstrosity in the title would fit the demand, hihi.
A quadruple feminine Frankenstein monster I once invented during my German studies for the sake of mnemonics, which I now use as a kind of a tongue twister to prepare my speech apparatus for German (because the other option is saying 55, and I really have no idea how Germans manage to pronounce that).
I also use the Geschäftschaftheitkeitung as a standard reply to "Oh, you learn German? Say something!"
... See more I wonder if a monstrosity in the title would fit the demand, hihi.
A quadruple feminine Frankenstein monster I once invented during my German studies for the sake of mnemonics, which I now use as a kind of a tongue twister to prepare my speech apparatus for German (because the other option is saying 55, and I really have no idea how Germans manage to pronounce that).
I also use the Geschäftschaftheitkeitung as a standard reply to "Oh, you learn German? Say something!"
[Edited at 2017-06-23 19:38 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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We are not taking words/sentences seriously enough. We should be banned as linguists! The world is making a big mistake by relying on us for all the serious text material out there.
Just joking, of course! I hope, however, that it is OK that I do not add my examples here. They are so absolutely fantastic that I want to keep them just for my own secret enjoyment!
| | | | Robert Rietvelt
Local time: 08:35
Член ProZ.com c 2006
испанский => голландский
+ ...
| In which language? | Jun 24, 2017 |
Ricki Farn wrote:
Do translators have stronger tendencies towards developing an idiolect than your average Joe and Jill?
I keep making up new terms such as
- white flyflakes: the things that make poplar trees so un-poplar
- squirrel alzheimer's: the act of putting something away in a safe place and never finding it again
- six-sided holes on a stick: a set of wrenches/spanners
What is your very own made-up terminology?
You forgot to mention that, although I already see a German and a Swedish/Finnish entry.
[Edited at 2017-06-24 00:13 GMT]
[Edited at 2017-06-24 00:15 GMT]
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I like to say "Schnackfug" which is a mixture of Schnickschnack and Unfug.
I also enjoy using unusual combinations... for example, when I don't know where to put a cup or a plate in someone else's home, I like to ask "Where does the cup/plate live?"
| | | | Ricki Farn
Германия
Local time: 08:35
английский => немецкий
Автор темы
In whatever language you're thinking in at the time.
For this thread, an English version or explanation is friendly, but the question whether translators are more (or less, Chris S?!) inclined to use words as play dough isn't language specific.
| | | | Jan Truper
Германия
Local time: 08:35
английский => немецкий
| similar afflictions | Jun 24, 2017 |
I have started to use names of real persons as expressions.
For example, when I play tennis and hit a ball out, I'll say "Garefrekes!" (which is the name of a female German soccer player and does not make any sense), or when something mysterious happens, I'll say "Kurt Waldheim!".
On a related note, I like to translate silly German sayings literally into French (which I learned in school for about three years only and don't really speak at all) and then loudly profess t... See more I have started to use names of real persons as expressions.
For example, when I play tennis and hit a ball out, I'll say "Garefrekes!" (which is the name of a female German soccer player and does not make any sense), or when something mysterious happens, I'll say "Kurt Waldheim!".
On a related note, I like to translate silly German sayings literally into French (which I learned in school for about three years only and don't really speak at all) and then loudly profess them in weird fake french tonalities.
Example:
"On se peut fait avec nous oui!" ("Mit uns kann man's ja machen.") ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jack Doughty
Великобритания
Local time: 07:35
русский => английский
+ ...
Памяти
When I first learned Russian, I used all sorts of weird images to help me remember words. For example, the Russian for direction finder is пеленгатор (pelengator), which I thought of as a pellingator - a cross between a penguin and an alligator:
For some reason this helped me remember what a пеленгатор is.
[Edited at 2017-06-24 09:30 GMT]
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Matthias Brombach
Германия
Local time: 08:35
Член ProZ.com c 2007
голландский => немецкий
+ ...
My friend teaches French at school and I tried to convince her that the English long time ago have adopted from the French the word "bequilles" for crutches, but it would now sound like "beckies". There was some hesitation before she finally told me she wouldn´t believe me ... since then we have a new word, or ... perhaps I was right???
[Edited at 2017-06-24 14:25 GMT]
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