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I guess basic is too basic.
You have to love how slang evolves. In my day, insulting someone was dissing someone from the word disrespect. Now it is throwing shade, especially when it is subtle. A person who does it is shady. A new has also come on the scene to describe someone or something out of date or old-fashioned cheugy. A confused tiktoker mentioned it, which inspired ( Read more... ) -
The Australian Vernacular... Mate
Here's an article about Australian slang words, tacked onto a story about an ex-pat USA citizen grappling with what looks & sounds to be the base 'ocker' accent - the one we really wish people wouldn't try to imitate, as listening to the kind of Australians who genuinely have that accent is painful enough for the rest of us. Hello to any ( Read more... ) -
translations of the Bhagavad Gita
An old friend was talking with C and me lately, and she expressed an interest in learning more about the ideas behind yoga, and particularly about the Bhagavad Gita. I'd like to give her a copy, but I'm looking for a good translation. What I think would suit her is one that takes advantage of modern scholarship to be faithful to the original text, ( Read more... ) -
Why say Sunday Blues?
When you can use a German-derived term that Germans speakers themselves probably don't use
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Tibetan names
I've been reading about this subject, growing out of a campaign I'm running, and I'm curious about a topic that falls within it. As I understand it, Tibetans often have multiple names that amount to short phrases, but with no element that exactly corresponds to the Western concept of a surname. But when they enter the US, and perhaps other Western ( Read more... ) -
Say you're a language nerd without saying it
When bilingual friends have kids, I wonder if they are going to teach the kid their native language.
Random language facts interest me even if I have never studied those languages.
I know what agglutinative and ergative mean.
I know diphthongs are not underwear.
I enjoy translation
My mom calls me a linguist
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My #1 Foreign Language Communication Tip
Don't say I don't understand when you speak a foreign language. A concrete thinker like me may find it too vague. Instead, be specific or try to get clarification from the other person. Learn phrases in the target language to solicit clarification. In case you are uncertain of the meaning, explain what you think it means and get it confirmed ( Read more... )
