Foreign phrases
Foreign phrases
(OP)
Given that the English language is a polyglot, what are some of the foreign phrases that you commonly use in writing or speaking?
Some of my favorites include:
[i]
affaire de coeur
c’est la vie
c’est la guerre
du jour
gesundheit
n’est-ce pas?
moolah
mañana
[/i]
Some of my favorites include:
[i]
affaire de coeur
c’est la vie
c’est la guerre
du jour
gesundheit
n’est-ce pas?
moolah
mañana
[/i]





RE: Foreign phrases
RE: Foreign phrases
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
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RE: Foreign phrases
ad extremum
apropos
comme ci, comme ça
laissez faire
lapsus linguae
par avion
quod erat demonstrandum
verbatim
wunderbar
RE: Foreign phrases
Macho is also commonly used and is also portuguese, or maybe spanish.
corus
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et al
per se
modus operandi
viva voce
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In situ
Deja vous
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In English a "skosh" is slang for a little bit.
In Japanese one of the words for "small" is pronounced "skoshi".
RE: Foreign phrases
Bukhura
It's a bit similar to manana, but without the same sense of urgency
Me: Will this job be finished today?
Answer: Bukhura, Inshallah
Literal: Tomorrow, God willing
Idiomatic: Not a hope!
Good Luck
johnwm
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RE: Foreign phrases
Cool. I had no idea.
Hg
RE: Foreign phrases
I am going to Egypt for a short job next week. I have been told about those words too. But with this explanation: They have "IBM time". I for Inshallah (if God so wishes), B for Bukra (tomorrow, or within a week or two, perhaps), M for Maalesh (don't worry, forget it). Very much mañana, I think. Mañana can also be extended forever since there's another mañana mañana.
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Johnmw,
Stars don't count in this forum, but you're getting one for cracking me up on an otherwise dull Sunday.
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It's [i]deja vu [/i] not [i]deja vous[/i]!
To do it properly, there's an acute accent on the 'e' and a grave accent on the 'a' (don't know how to do it in HTML).
Literally means 'already seen' but is used in English when an unexplained feeling of 'I've been in this situation before, but I can't remember how or when' Happens to me more and more frequently as the years pile on.
John
RE: Foreign phrases
is done with the following TGML
[b]d[é]j[à] vu[/b]
Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
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Feeling like you've never done this before.
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No day is without gain .....
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RE: Foreign phrases
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I must say that the guys that I worked with were very little "bukra". Knowledgeable people and what they did not know, they found out. Worked late hours if necessary. So I am sorry about that IBM time mentioned before. It is something that simply isn't true - at least not in Egypt - and absolutely not in paper manufacturing.
RE: Foreign phrases
Hasta Mañana,
Rerig
RE: Foreign phrases
RE: Foreign phrases
CODE
Cehck for TGML Special Characters in Process TGML link below the message box.
Regards,
RE: Foreign phrases
This word has several meanings sometimes depending on the context: morning, tomorrow, later on, in the future, early in the day, etc.
RE: Foreign phrases
a deux
ad infinitum
ad libitum
aide-de-camp
aide-memoire
á la carte
amour propre
au courant
avant-garde
RE: Foreign phrases
Can't help but think that when someone describes a design as a "horror show."
RE: Foreign phrases
However, a few are. 'Aide-memoire' is commonly used in military technical publications (in UK anyway) for a small format booklet that the operator / driver / pilot etc can use as a real-time reference document.
'In situ' and 'verbatim' are good because they convey in a short phrase somrthing that is more clumsy to express in normal English.
Another one is 'reductio ad absurdam' which I like because it sounds like a Harry Potter curse - I'm sure we all recall it as a useful technique for understanding and formulating mathematical and scientific proofs.
There are lots of other foreign phrases which are useful in technical English but I personally deplore them unless the equivalent meaning is unclear or cumbersome when expressed in normal Anglo-Saxon. To me they tend to sound very pompous and contrived.
It's a case of chacun à son goût !
John
RE: Foreign phrases
RE: Foreign phrases
And what about Italian phrases in English? Can anyone mention some ones [apart from food names...
Bye (Ciao!), 'NGL
RE: Foreign phrases
belle époque
bête noire
carte blanche
cause célèbre
cordon sanitaire
coupe de grâce
coup d'état
crime passionel
de rigueur
dernier cri
éminence grise
enfant terrible
en passant
entre nous
haute couture
haute cuisine
idée fixe
je ne sais quoi
joie de vivre
laissez-faire
laissez-passer
mot juste
noblesse oblige
nouveau riche
par excellence
pièce de résistance
plat du jour
raison d'être
sang-froid
tête-à-tête
tour de force
vis-à-vis
poste restante
From Italian, in music:
cantabile
con brio
con spirito
crescendo
grazioso
largo
legato
maestoso
molto vivace
non troppo
obbligato
piano
presto
ritardando
rubato
sforzando
tempo
tutti
vigoroso
RE: Foreign phrases
"legato" = tied,
"rubato" = stolen
or played
"sforzando" = making effort?
To harrisj:
May an "Aide-Memoire" (French) be the same as a "Vademecum" (Latin, used in Italian)?
Is the second used in English too?
Thanks, 'NGL
RE: Foreign phrases
To anegri:
legato smoothly and evenly
rubato to be played with a varying tempo
sforzando strogly accented
some more:
acciaccatura
adagio
agitato
allegretto
andante
animato
appassionato
arpeggio
cantata
capriccio
concerto
divertimento
lento
partita
scherzo
sonata
toccata
Some more Italian terms:
al fresco
che sarà sarà
ciao
dolce far niente
dolce vita
opera buffa
prima donna
sotto voce
By the way, I think French terms are quite predominant, when compared with other foreign languages, in various human activities: mode, clothes, sports and games, dances, food (menus, soups, wines, etc.), heraldry, literature, music, and others.
a votre santé!
RE: Foreign phrases
I have also heard capisce.
RE: Foreign phrases
french: menàge-à-trois
latin: fellatio
spanish: señorita
other...
survival:
otra cerveza, por favor (spanish)
noch ein bier, bitte (german)
nog ein bier, alstublieft (dutch)
politics:
you are so naïve (you are so gullible)
socially accepted derogatory expressions...
what a putz (yiddish)
he's a schmuck (yiddish)
kiss my tuchas (yiddish)
just a schlomazel (yiddish)
i'm a schlemiyel (yiddish)
glossary:
putz = schmuck = male sexual organ
tuchas = tushy = buttocks
schlomazel = a guy that carries a tray full of gefilte-fish and drops it.
shlemiyel = the guy that the schlomazel drops the tray on.
disgust:
vaffanculo!(italian) er... mmmhhh... i really don't give a damn?
other expressions:
mano-a-mano (which is hand-to-hand and not man-to-man, means "we are even"
hombre-a-hombre: man-to-man
solo : by himself
nada : nothingness, the absence of all matter
this man has cojones: er... mmmhhh... this man has guts, although the spanish word hangs some inches below the guts...
some other thoughts about mañana...
mañana in a work context, like a request at 3:30 pm means: don't bust my cojones right now whith this...
in latin america, there is also a related word: ahora
ahora means literally: now
the urgency of the now depends where the word was uttered:
ahora means now in most spanish speaking countries...
althoug curiously the diminutive:
ahorita
means: may be, later... don't bother me now in most caribbean countries
in the southern countries: specially argentina, uruguay
ahorita (usually used as: ahorita mismo!) means: right now!
enjoy.
saludos.
a.
RE: Foreign phrases
I think the interpretations of the yiddish words shlemazel (unlucky,unsuccesful) and shlumiel (good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, his fingers are all thumbs) were reversed.
Question: are the interesting examples you mentioned, actually expressions commonly used in written or spoken English ?
Hasta la próxima.
RE: Foreign phrases
that is the version i have for shlemazel and shlumiel. i repeat what i learned... you may be right though...
the examples i mentioned are actually expressions in spoken english.
you may have heard in movies, tv those expressions.
e.g. in beverly hills cop they use the word putz
mano-a-mano is used in another movie that skips my mind now.
same as cojones...
nos vemos.
saludos.
a.
RE: Foreign phrases
Hydrae
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I'm not sure why those became the standard spellings; "schlumiel" and "schlumazel" would be better.
Hg
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To abeltio, "mano a mano" is a famous song by Carlos Gardel (I hope you've heard of him), and I know he did some films in the States in the early 1930's. Are you sure this expression penetrated American english ?
Chau
RE: Foreign phrases
RE: Foreign phrases
mano a mano is one of my favorite tangos (not tangoes!!) ever.
was one of the first tangos with lyrics, written in 1918 and recorded by carlitos in 1933.
mano a mano has many "common places" which penetrated the argentine everyday speech. so much that it surprises people that grew up in argentina and listen to the lyrics for the first time.
i marked with " " the most famous lines.
with """ """" the most famous lines of them all
Rechiflao en mi tristeza, hoy te evoco y veo que has sido
en "mi pobre vida paria" sólo una buena mujer.
Tu presencia de bacana puso calor en mi nido,
fuiste buena, consecuente, y yo sé que me has querido
como no quisiste a nadie, como no podrás querer.
Se dio el juego de remanye cuando vos, pobre percanta,
gambeteabas la pobreza en la casa de pensión.
Hoy sos toda una bacana, "la vida te ríe y canta",
"los morlacos del otario los tirás a la marchanta"
"""como juega el gato maula con el mísero ratón"""
Hoy tenés el mate lleno de infelices ilusiones,
te engrupieron los otarios, las amigas y el gavión;
la milonga, entre magnates, con sus locas tentaciones,
donde triunfan y claudican milongueras pretensiones,
se te han entrado muy adentro en el pobre corazón.
Nada debo agradecerte, "mano a mano hemos quedado";
no me importa lo que has hecho, lo que hacés ni lo que harás...
"Los favores recibidos creo habértelos pagado"
y, si alguna deuda chica sin querer se me ha olvidado,
"en la cuenta del otario que tenés se la cargás"
Mientras tanto, que tus triunfos, pobres triunfos pasajeros,
sean una larga fila de riquezas y placer;
que el bacán que te acamala tenga peso duradero,
que te abrace de las paradas con cafishos milongueros
y que digan los muchachos: Es una buena mujer.
Y mañana, "cuando seas descolado mueble viejo"
y no tengas esperanzas en el pobre corazón,
si precisás una ayuda, si te hace falta un consejo,
acordáte de este amigo que ha de jugarse el pellejo
"pa'ayudarte en lo que pueda cuando llegue la ocasión."
great tango...
gardel is an icon... his memory is revered by millions in argentina and... most curiously in medellín, colombia where he got killed in an aircraft accident.
as all those famous people who died young, he became a legend bigger than life...
in argentina he is called "carlitos" or "el mudo" (the mute)
is a reverse logic entendre (excuse my french)...
and it is said that: "el mudo... cada día canta mejor" (the mute, every day sings a bit better).
cheers.
saludos.
a.
RE: Foreign phrases
it is "ad nauseam" and not "ad nauseum"... ad requires acusative declination in latin.
therefore nauseam, from nausea, nauseae
cheers.
saludos.
a.
RE: Foreign phrases
I grew up surrounded by people who worshiped Carlitos; Buenos Aires has now, even a subway station named after him.
Besides "Mano A Mano" among his famous songs, I can easily recall La Cumparsita, Sus Ojos Se Cerraron, Caminito, Melodía De Arrabal, La Canción de Buenos Aires, Volver, Adiós Muchachos, Esta Noche Me Emborracho, Caminito, Amores De Estudiante, El Día Que Me Quieras, Guitarra Mía, Tomo Y Obligo, Silencio, Cuesta Abajo, Yira Yira, Madreselva, Por Una Cabeza, Bandoneón Arrabalero, Leguisamo Solo, and many more.
Whenever I hear him singing, I cannot stop shedding a tear missing those "far away and long ago" childhood and youth days and places que no volverán...
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i was born and raised in buenos aires.
saludos.
a.
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I am chaqueño.
Chau
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And i thought you hate us lol
Cyril Guichard
Mechanical Engineer Consultant
France
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RE: Foreign phrases
Cyril Guichard
Mechanical Engineer Consultant
France
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hate the french?
i never discriminate!!! i hate everybody the same...
:oþ
saludos.
a.
RE: Foreign phrases
RE: Foreign phrases
French fries - I've heard, too, that they originated in Belgium, but I know nothing of the veracity of that story.
I'm of French descent, but fairly distant now. My ancestors left France in the 1630s and came to Acadia (what is now Nova Scotia), so I'm related to the Cajuns, too (an Anglicized version of the word "Acadians"). So I like to tease people by explaining that my French ancestors didn't like the French either and knew when to get out! I read a book a few years ago in which each chapter was about the people of a different European country. Fascinating explanation for why French are different from Germans, who are different from Italians, who are different from Spaniards, etc. Whether we Americans (or anyone else) like or dislike the French, they are the way they are for a complex variety of reasons.
I do American Civil War reenacting, and it is interesting (when you do a bit of research) to note that in English-speaking armies of the 18th and 19th Centuries, commands and names for many military things are from the French. Most of the structures built by the military engineers have French names or are derived from French (fraise, chevaux-de-frise, abatis, pontoon or ponton, gabion, etc.). The meanings of these words in military use often are not related to their French meanings - for example, "fraise" is French for "strawberry," but to the military engineers, it means a line of pointed sticks fixed in rows in the ground as a passive defense against infantry.
In addition, the commands for the drill for use of the bayonet are all in French.
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Then last week I saw this trivia question:
Answer anyone?. . .
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MElam, the New Orleans side of my family always called it 'pain perdue'. We didn't call it French toast. Don't know any other names.
DwattedWabbit, if you can remember the name of the book, it sounds like something my brother would love. Post here if you come up with the title. Several of my relatives also like to do Civil War re-enactments and all of them are real history buffs.
And for some additonal military French, how about terreplein, bastion, glacis, palisade, and salle porte.
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allemande
beguine
bolero
bossa nova
cha-cha
chaconne
cotillon
czardas
fandango
farandula
flamenco
galopade
gavotte
gigue
habanera
horah
hula
jive
kazatzka
limbo
malagueña
mambo
mazurka
merengue
minuet
paso doble
passacaglia
polonaise
rigadoon
rumba
samba
sarabande
tango
tarantella
waltz
zapateado
and others that I forgot ?
Abeltio, Carlitos was also called "el morocho" and "el zorzal criollo".
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German toast?
i dunno... b4 WWI, which was with germany...
saludos.
a.
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http://ww
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We are so fickle.
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RE: Foreign phrases
epoisses here's a start, I'm sure there's more (especially in psycology)
rucksack (backpack)
schadenfreude (taking pleasure in another's misery)
gesundheit (to your health)
nabelschaubetreiben (to contemplate your navel)
My favorite idiomatic German expression (which I will ask for forgivness ahead of time for misspellings),
"Hast du bauchnabel saucen und Arsch verklemmung?" Which roughly translates to "do you have navel fizzing and ass-blockage?"
It's said to someone who is not feeling right or uncharacteristically clumsy. My German ex used to say it to me occasionally and I'm going by his explanation. If there are any native German speakers, I'd love to know if this is close to the truth. My ex said it to try to embarrass me, but the translation is too funny. First time I heard it and figured out all the words I fell out of my chair laughing.
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saludos.
a.
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Hey 25362,
You know so much about dance and music. Are you secretly a dancer or musician or both?
And yes there are many additional dance terms, but I won't list them here. I love this website, though. It has common ballet terms and you can watch a quicktime clip of the step.
http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms.html
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I used to play violin in my youth. Now I don't even have a violin, but have good reading material.
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cheers
saludos.
a.
RE: Foreign phrases
matador
señor
amigo
si
padre (as in priest)
saludos.
a.
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sorry, wasn't paying attention I guess.
To make it up, how about some additional German phrases you might hear around the office;
Gestalt "hey Fred, didn't you say you were in Gestalt therapy in the 70's?"
angst (worry, fear) "the current government milage reimbursement of $0.37 per mile and the rising gasoline prices is causing me a lot of angst.
Zeitgeist (the mood of the times) "Company-sponsored luncheons and social events was the Zeitgeist of the 80's. NO, we're not having a cruise of the Bay this year!"
verboten (forbidden) "buying a client lunch, even if it's Denny's, is strictly verboten."
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JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Foreign phrases
RE: Foreign phrases
a fortiori, a priori, ad hoc, ad nauseam, alma mater, alumnus, annus mirabilis, bona fide, casus belli, caveat emptor, cum laude, curriculum vitae, de facto, de jure, deus ex machina, ex gratia, in toto, inter alia, ipso facto, mea culpa, modus operandi, mutatis mutandis, ne plus ultra, non sequitur, per capita, per se, persona non grata, prima facie, pro rata, quid pro quo, rara avis, sine qua non, status quo, sub rosa, sui generis, vox populi.
Some more Spanish terms appearing in English:
alcalde, bodega, caballero, cantina, caudillo, fiesta, hacienda, hidalgo, plaza, posada, siesta.
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htt
For lovers of Latin language [not for... Latin-lovers
http://www.discipulus.it/
http://www.radiobremen.de/nachrichten/latein/
VALETE, 'NGL
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I guess I just like the rhythm better than Danger, and it is much stronger (danger to life).
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It almost seems like you guys use more foreign words than foreigers use English words. Or maybe you're more aware of it... this morning one of my French colleagues asked me the English translation of "routing", and was pleasantly surprised when I told him that as far as I know the word is already English.
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RE: Foreign phrases