You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means

[t2andreo]

No, I was not conflating Italian and Spanish. But, we are both saying that, whatever gets the point across and does not produce an insult, is effective...

 

[Anemone del Camino]

No, I was not conflating Italian and Spanish. But, we are both saying that, whatever gets the point across and does not produce an insult, is effective...

Can you find a me a source that uses caldo as a synonym for "being warm"?

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I think the list Damien has provided us with is not only a regionalism (North America) but proper yo a younger genration, mostly Ys/Milleniums.

Well, I am GenXr myself. My guess is that Ys or Milleniums might laugh at my suggestions... Still tho, I attempt to keep in touch...

Right... Whatever.

Well done.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Seriously. Both of you should just chill. It's a bad ass discussion.

 

[AlwynWellington]

Still true, Alwyn, which is why we have RP (received pronunciation)/BBC English as a lingua Franca in the UK so as to be understood countrywide !

Not only is RP understood in the UK, it is taught and spoken to many born and educated in other, mainly Nordic countries as the second language. (My background is being born and educated in Wellington, New Zealand)

I first came upon this phenomena in 1995. I was to gather in Bath, Somerset, to register for a summer course. I knew there would be no one from the British Isles on this course. So was quite confused when talking to a male who spoke RP. When I queried him he replied he was from Sweden and that is how he was taught to speak English there. A few years later I was having breakfast in Geelong, a major town 70 miles south of Melbourne, Australia. The waitress enquired, in best RP, what I wanted from the menu. Based on her pronunciation I asked my usual question: you must come from north of here hoping to place her home English county. Her response: "Ya". Yes, she was also Swedish.

 

[Al the optimist]

Thank goodness for that. Whilst I enjoy watching sport as much as the next man I didn't really want
to spend the weekend talking to a lot of rugby players.

Love the double entendre! As so timely with the 6 Nations about to start.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Regional accents!! To understand the joke following you need to know that in Yorkshire the word for you is often 'thee' or 'tha'
New teacher from the south has a load of rubbish to put out at the end of the day. She stops various people to ask 'Where's the bin?'
First child gives a scared look and runs off, second child says 'Nowhere'. The next person is a fellow teacher who replies ' Mind tha own business, it's nowt to thee where ah've bin'
I tell this as a southerner who had some interesting early conversations with children in Yorkshire, but not about the bin.

 

[t2andreo]

Can you find a me a source that uses caldo as a synonym for "being warm"?

I just checked and discovered that I have been consistently dropping a vowel, the letter "i" from the word. I was asserting an incorrect word.

The correct word is "calido" NOT "caldo." Silly, what a simple, single vowel can do, or fail to do. Perhaps I heard it wrong.

I am still trying to learn basic Spanish, on my own. Like the Camino, learning another language once you are older is a journey not a destination.

I was wrong. Thank you for prompting me to double-check. I learn something everyday and today is no different.

 

[kerrychick]

Me too! Don't like!!!
(Here in CR, they are called Canguro (kangaroo).

My first exercise class in America
was pretty shocking
when the instructer said

"lets work those fannys "
ladies!
they meant backside of course
in Ireland its a different part of the anatomy .....

 

[Albertagirl]

Love the double entendre! As so timely with the 6 Nations about to start.

Al, your remark about the 6 Nations meant only one thing to me: the Iroquois Confederacy that allied with the British during the American War of Independence. I concluded that it must refer to an upcoming international political meeting. Wikipedia tells me that the Six Nations refers both to the Iroquois Confederacy and an approaching international rugby meet. I guess that meaning depends on context.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

that works with Spanish, too. I am American, but have lived in deepest Castile for 10 years. My grammar is still not great, but my accent is pretty good -- and Castilian Spanish is considered the standard.
When I go back home to visit, I try keeping my Spanish skills sharp by speaking with everyone I meet who's a native Spanish speaker -- usually cab drivers and waitresses and other immigrant workers. One guy in Boston, born in Guatemala, told me "you're not from here, are you? You have that accent!"
I told him "yes, I'm from here, I'm from Pittsburgh. That accent's just American."
"No maam," he said. "That's not American. Your professors taught you pijo!" (Pijo means "posh," or "uppity.")
"My professors are my neighbors. Farmers and grandmas," I told him.
"Castilians, then."
"Yep."
"Pijos."

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Americans speak slowly!!!

Didn't say that! Just that we speak slower than the machine gun tempo of some Spanish-speaking areas.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Still true, Alwyn, which is why we have RP (received pronunciation)/BBC English as a lingua Franca in the UK so as to be understood countrywide ! Though it can be thought of as "posh" to speak it and in some rough parts i.e. North of the Thames E-W corridor (only teasing) can provoke, as I have discovered on occasion, an adverse reaction -"000, la-di-dah"

Interestingly there was a discussion on BBC Radio 4 recently about a move to produce Shakespearse's plays in OP (original pronunciation) if only they can figure out what it was . . .

 

[Jeff Crawley]

"That's no plonk," was actually complementary of the vino tinto?!

Apparently Australian WW1 slang and originally white not red wine - try saying "vin blanc" with an Aussie accent

 

[koilife]

"That's no plonk," was actually complementary of the vino tinto?!

Apparently Australian WW1 slang and originally white not red wine - try saying "vin blanc" with an Aussie accent

When I looked up plonk after my camino, I found it to be reference to very cheap wine (red or white). We were mostly drinking red, everything from table wine to 10 euro bottles, hence my reference to vino tinto. I recall a couple times where the table wine wasn't particularly good, and it was roundly condemned as "plonk". In looking the term up just now before responding, I found reference to its origins as Australian for "blanc" as you state, and later on it was generalized by the British for any wine of inferior quality.

 

[plainlost]

How the meanings change . In australia 'seriously' is often used with a rising tone 'question' inflection and generally means.......I think your talking complete BS

How about "Home-Slice" meaning a friend from home. Used by my college kid to refer to his "bestie" Wazzzzzzzzzzzzzuuuuuuuuuuppppppp home slice? Cracks me up!

 

[Al the optimist]

I have this pet theory that because spoken Spanish is influenced by the need to involve with every letter in a word and by the additional requirements caused by gender. So if people need to say something similar to that spoken in English in the same time they have to adopt what sometimes becomes machine gun speed! Opinions?

 

[Al the optimist]

Al, your remark about the 6 Nations meant only one thing to me: the Iroquois Confederacy that allied with the British during the American War of Independence. I concluded that it must refer to an upcoming international political meeting. Wikipedia tells me that the Six Nations refers both to the Iroquois Confederacy and an approaching international rugby meet. I guess that meaning depends on context.

If you saw the way some fans paint their faces you would wonder which of the two I was referring to! Talking of wars this Saturday sees the wars between Scotland and the Sassenachs recommencing at Twickenham. Long may the Union (Rugby Union not the Union between England and Scotland) continue to be an example of good natured fellowship. For those who have never been to a game of rugger - "It is a game of hooligans played by gentlemen". Rival supports can sit next to each other and compliment good play by both teams. In some ways it reflects some of the Camino spirit. (Well that's just my take on things).

 

[koilife]

For those who have never been to a game of rugger - "It is a game of hooligans played by gentlemen". Rival supports can sit next to each other and compliment good play by both teams. In some ways it reflects some of the Camino spirit. (Well that's just my take on things).

Is that because you rugger fans have to get off the trolley to go to the match, and a pilgrim has to get off the trolley to walk 500 miles?

I have to say, English is a far more interesting language than American! My kiwi friend says that all the time, to which I now know to say, "Roger that!"

 

[t2andreo]

Curiously, I believe that officially, American English is considered a dialect of the mother tongue, High-English or the "Queen's English," as taught in UK schools.

Be that as it may. IMHO, think English, any discernible dialect (such as Mid-Atlantic, East-Coast American), is "optimal" because it draws words and usage from all the world's languages and always has a very descriptive ( and sometimes humorous) way of explaining or describing anything in the human condition. Yes, we also have regional dialects or alternative words that sometimes give us pause. But, in general we all understand each other.

For a quick example, a carbonated beverage is called alternatively: soda, pop, soda pop, and even generically "coke." But all words mean precisely the same thing.

Also, a well stuffed sandwich, served on a long piece of bread with a top and bottom half (the bread loaf) could be correctly called: a sub-sandwich (shaped like a submarine), a hero (got to be a hero to eat one) a grinder (the sound your stomach makes after eating the whole thing), or curiously a hoagie (pronounce ho-gee). I grew up in metropolitan New York - New Jersey and used all these terms interchangeably. It made for interesting conversations.

Look at word origins in English, most of it comes from other languages. Only a small "core" of words are uniquely Anglo-Saxon originating English, or old English. Most all our other words or phrases come from another language. Historically, as new groups immigrate, to the United States portions of their languages get tossed into ye olde "melting pot" and added to the stew we call "American English."

We have a humorous saying locally, that any American can read a Spanish or Italian menu because the restaurants and food are ubiquitous and we are accustomed to frequenting them. So when we get to Europe, we manage. This is also true to a lesser extent in France and Germany or Austria, precisely because of the restaurant menu and food connection. Then I encountered my first "tortilla..."

I hope this adds positively to the dialog...

 

[DeadFred]

You can imagine the look on my face when a British acquaintance told me that he would "knock me up the next morning at 8:00"!!! (American=impregnate).

A knocker-up (sometimes known as a knocker-upper) was a professionin Britain and Ireland that started during and lasted well into the Industrial Revolution and at least as late as the 1920s before alarm clocks were affordable or reliable. A knocker-up's job was to rouse sleeping people so they could get to work on time. Heres a pick of an early 20th century Knocker Upper shooting peas at the window

 

[Rob the Slob]

Talking of wars this Saturday sees the wars between Scotland and the Sassenachs recommencing at Twickenham.

Surely we're travelling up to Murrayfield this weekend? I certainly hope so, because even as a diehard Englishman I love to hear the home rendition of "Flower of Scotland" -- the crowd, the pipes, the big guns.

 

[Pelegrin]

How funny, Kurt. I also grew up in South Florida and I find Mexicans far easier to understand than Cubans and many South Americans, since they tend to speak at a much slower pace, more akin to the speed of American English.

I agree, Mexicans speak much slower than Cubans.
Also Colombians should be easier to understand.
Difficult: especially people from Buenos Aires (Arg.)

 

[dougfitz]

But, in general we all understand each other.

That's not been my experience. Regional variations, colloquialisms and slang are all unknown on first contact, and all render full communication impossible. It is one thing to know in an intellectual sense about these things, another to be listening for them so that one can clarify the meaning of anything unfamiliar, but I have never been able to master getting the full sense of dialectical variations merely from the context. Unless an explanation is provided, understanding is absent. If you have ever wondered what teenagers are talking about, even when they appear to be using English, you will quickly realize how true this is.

 

[t2andreo]

Communication clarity, like a Camino is a journey, not alway a destination.

All I can do is strive to be understood.

 

[C clearly]

I believe that officially, American English is considered a dialect of the mother tongue, High-English or the "Queen's English," as taught in UK schools.

There is no "officially" for English, since there is no office or academy that makes rulings on what is correct or not. English grew as a language of the lower classes, always borrowing from other languages, and no one decrees what is correct or not. I am a great proponent of what I consider to be correct English (that should be clear from my writing), but I also accept that the strength of English lies in its flexibility and adaptability. It is a very forgiving language in that people can speak it very badly but still be understood - although @dougfitz would seem to disagree, based on his post just above. I think it is amazing how well we all understand people speaking English around the world.

 

[Al the optimist]

Surely we're travelling up to Murrayfield this weekend?

Oops. Just need to switch on brain before typing? Still, I am glad we get the away game against the Scots first as a warm up as I fear we will struggle to a 3rd place this year.
However, in an attempt to stay on thread, I would say that a nation's main national sports and the terminology that creeps into every day life as a consequence does result in some significant variations in language.

 

[t2andreo]

Dougfitz's default setting is to be a contrarian. He provides "spice" to the Forum and I very much appreciate his alternative views, in most every respect.

We frequently "cross swords," metaphorically speaking. How's that for convoluted English?

But, when Doug intervenes, he usually does so in a very high-comedy manner. Do not take his disagreements personally. I no longer do...

TO ALL!

 

[C clearly]

O

Dougfitz's default setting is to be a contrarian. He provides "spice" to the Forum and I very much appreciate his alternative views, in most every respect.

We frequently "cross swords," metaphorically speaking. How's that for convoluted English?

But, when Doug intervenes, he usually does so in a very high-comedy manner. Do not take his disagreements personally. I no longer do...

TO ALL!

Oh yes, I know that and enjoy it. I'm a bit of a contrarian myself, I've been told more than once.

 

[dougfitz]

Dougfitz's default setting is to be a contrarian.

No it's not!!

 

[Marc Hamel]

You can imagine the look on my face when a British acquaintance told me that he would "knock me up the next morning at 8:00"!!! (American=impregnate).

I had a very similar experience. I was for years a Trappist monk. And one year I was serving as the american secretary for a meeting of monks from all over the world being held here in Massachusetts. One day the British secretary asked me first if I could find him some 'rubbers' and would I knock him up later in the afternoon! I was at first a bit shocked until I found out that he was looking for some erasers and would I please wake him after his noon time nap.

 

[Fritz]

To add one more story to those who have read this far (and a huge thanks to all, this thread made my week, great reading!)

I met a woman on a bus ride in Viet Nam who was an Australian executive and was telling me the story of her first visit to the United States. She did some shopping in a famous department store.

She began the story by asking me if I knew of the store S-A-K-S Fifth Avenue. I said yes. So she went on...
(use your Australian accent as you read)

"The next morning we were in the board room with a group of executives, all men. And someone asked me what I did the night before, and I said,

'Oh it was so wonderful, I discovered Saks!!!!"

The men in the board room gave her a horrified look.

"Well, why not?" she replied, "I've got a credit card like everyone else!"

 

[kelleymac]

So here we go with some "The Black Country" (West Midlands UK) expressions:- Best of British with them folks!
Bostin is a well-known word meaning amazing, brilliant or excellent.
Our kid is a term for a younger brother or sister. It is also used to refer to any sibling (whether older or younger), or for any younger relative and sometimes also to address an unrelated friend or colleague who may be younger. 'Come on our kid, let's get the bus into town.'
Babby is a local variation of baby, and the shortened form bab is often used as an affectionate term for 'love or dear', as in 'How are you, bab?
Wench is an affectionate term for a girl or young woman.
Fittle is a local word for food, and therefore 'bostin' fittle' is a way of saying great food
Going round the Wrekin is a popular local phrase. It means taking a long and rambling route to a destination or taking a long time to get to the point of a story. The Wrekin is a hill in Shropshire.
It’s a bit black over Bill’s mother’s means that the sky is dark with rain. It's been claimed that Bill is a reference to William Shakespeare, with his mother being Mary Arden of Stratford and the rainstorm usually approaching from the south-westerly direction (one of the main directions for incoming winds and storms to sweep into the UK from the Atlantic).
Yampy is a well-known Midlands word and it is used to describe someone who is daft, mad or losing the plot.
A piece is a local word for a slice of bread and butter, and sometimes also for a sandwich.
A cob is the local word for a bread roll, supposedly because the small round loaves look like street cobbles.
To bawl is to cry loudly, such as the noisy wailing and sobbing of an upset child.
Pop means any fizzy soft drink such as lemonade.
Lamp means to hit or beat up as 'I'm going to lamp you if you carry on', 'He gave him a right lamping.'
Snap is a word for food or a meal - "I'm off to get my snap" is what someone might say when they are going to get their dinner.

Great post! Thanks,
-- Here in this part of the US (western NYS/Ohio) we say pop for "soda", but lemonade is not fizzy.
--A cob is a corncob (originally from cobble stone?). A cob is also a small horse.
- Bawl means what you said, isn't that standard english?

 

[tpmchugh]

How about this one. When we had to take a detour due to road works (or in a pilgrim scenario, going to Sarria via Samos), my Mum would say 'its a long way round for a near cut'

 

[t2andreo]

When I lived in the Flanders region of Belgium from 2006 - 2008, I learned that dialects of Vlaams (itself a dialect of Dutch) did vary from across a river, and even from village to village.

One evening, I was having dinner with a lady friend in a brasserie about 5 Km (3 miles) from her home village. Even she, a native Dutch/Vlaams speaker, had difficulty understanding the waiter. We both had a chuckle over that.

The written word seemed to be more or less standard, so reading the menu was more or less standard. but ordering was another story. The spoken words frequently took on a different pattern lilt, and varied work pronunciation.

It was a memorable evening...

 

[smj6]

Working in Ghana, my team would tell me that they'd 'flash' me when necessary. It didn't mean that they were going to get my attention by suddenly opening their raincoats , instead it meant that they'd use their personal mobiles to call me but I was not to answer (because they paid the bills). Instead I should call them back from my mobile which was supplied & paid for by our organisation.
[after an unavoidable long absence, trying to get back into the Camino flow....]

 

[Lynda t]

Sorry if I repeat this but in England we put preservatives in bread mix. A preservative in France is a condom!!!!!

 

[BrianForbesColgate]

Of course we all understand that 'pants' are something a gentleman wears under his trousers!

Here in Canada, pants are trousers.

 

[LindaH]

My first week at work in an Aussie office a colleague asked me to pass her the durex. She wanted sticky tape, not a condom. After lunch, another colleague said she was 'as full as a goog'. When I asked what a goog was, she was amazed I had never eaten a googy with soldiers - a boiled egg with toast fingers for dipping!

 

[Inbar]

I'm not a native English speaker, and though I don't think I'm very bad at it, I enjoyed some funny moments thanks to this fact...
I settled in a small albergue in a tiny village just after crossing into Castille and Leon and found some people I knew there - two lovely British ladies, and a few more nice familiar faces. We all hanged our clothes out to dry and I was outside when it started raining. I took all my clothes and hurried into the room and said: "it's raining, take your clothes off!". I did burst out laughing the next moment when I realized what I'd said. It became a joke between me and the British ladies from there on...

Not to mention my broken Spanish and the silly things I'd said to locals and travelling Spaniards.

 

[JillGat]

I am an American who lived in Trinidad and Tobago for a couple of years (in the Caribbean). US vs Trinidad English:

To pick somebody up in your car and give them a ride:
U =: give a lift
Trinidad = give a drop

US: Just now = recent past
Trinidad : Just now = near future
So when I asked when the bus would come and the answer was "Just now," I thought I'd missed it.

US: Good night = Goodbye
Trinidad: Good night = hello

US: New Year's eve
Trinidad: Old Year's night

Etc.

 

[koilife]

I'm going to give a nod on this thread to my fellow townsmen in Denver, Colorado, because last night our Denver Broncos became world champions in football, whereas everyone else outside the US believes that it's Germany who is the "world champion in football" because they won the 2014 the FIFA World Cup!

Now, how "world champions" applies when all the teams that play are in the USA is a mystery, but it probably lies in our view that we are the world! And our meaning of "football" must therefore apply to the world.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Warm, or tepid, in Castellano, at least in Castilla y Leon, is "calido." Close to caldo, but not quite.

 

[Icacos]

I am an American who lived in Trinidad and Tobago for a couple of years (in the Caribbean). US vs Trinidad English:

To pick somebody up in your car and give them a ride:
U =: give a lift
Trinidad = give a drop

US: Just now = recent past
Trinidad : Just now = near future
So when I asked when the bus would come and the answer was "Just now," I thought I'd missed it.

US: Good night = Goodbye
Trinidad: Good night = hello

US: New Year's eve
Trinidad: Old Year's night

Etc.

Actually, "just now" can mean both the near future or the recent past, as in "I'm going to do it just now," or "I did it just now."
Other Trini peculiarities:
Bake = a type of bread
Fry Bake = bake that's fried
Doubles = delicious street food (especially popular for Saturday breakfast). It's perfectly acceptable to order 'one doubles.'

 

[JillGat]

Actually, "just now" can mean both the near future or the recent past, as in "I'm going to do it just now," or "I did it just now."
Other Trini peculiarities:
Bake = a type of bread
Fry Bake = bake that's fried
Doubles = delicious street food (especially popular for Saturday breakfast). It's perfectly acceptable to order 'one doubles.'

Yu Trini?
"Bake" alone can also mean fried (i.e. Bake and Shark). Mmmmm, I wish I had a doubles right now!
Let's not even get started on Jamaican (where I also lived). In Jamaica, the word for hurricane is "the breeze." As in, "We lost our roof in the breeze." and "c'yan" means "can" and "c'yaaan" means can't. 'im means he, she, him, or her. And then there are all the patois rules that incorporate grammar and terms from the African Twi tribal language.

 

[domigee]

Perhaps, but, I can find at least two, online Castilian dictionaries that offer "warm" or "hot" as one definition.

I should mention that this term "caldo" has several listed alternative definitions and uses. It is usually used with another word to form a descriptive phrase, as in "It is a hot day...'caldo dia'..."

Mmm...I wouldn't necessarily trust the on-line dictionaries...
Hot in castellano is : caliente as in Agua caliente
To say it's a hot day: hace calor is simplest

Caldo is a soup/broth as in Caldo Gallego.

 

[domigee]

Here in the South, when you say "give me some sugar" (pronounced shugah), you're asking
for a kiss, not the sweetener.

Oh that brings lovely memories, a friend from Louisiana asking my little daughter 'give me sugar'.... The look of utter puzzlement on my daughter's face, and mine!

She also used to say 'we'll stop at the comfort station'... I had NO idea what she meant

 

[Icacos]

Yu Trini?
"Bake" alone can also mean fried (i.e. Bake and Shark). Mmmmm, I wish I had a doubles right now!
Let's not even get started on Jamaican (where I also lived). In Jamaica, the word for hurricane is "the breeze." As in, "We lost our roof in the breeze." and "c'yan" means "can" and "c'yaaan" means can't. 'im means he, she, him, or her. And then there are all the patois rules that incorporate grammar and terms from the African Twi tribal language.

You're absolutely right. It's "a doubles" if you want just one. I've been away for so long that I forgot! Actually I was visiting T'dad for the first time in very many years during the entire course of this thread and only just discovered it. It's been a wonderful read.

 

[SusieQ2]

Very amusing thread. But nothing could possibly as confusing as our English in America. One of my husband's co-workers from Japan (although he was Chinese), was very fluent with English and several other languages and told us at dinner one night how confused he was when he got off of the plane and someone told him it was time to "hit the road".

My Vietnamese friend was late for work one day because she forgot to turn on (wind) her watch.

But I'm from the Deep South and married a Mid-Westerner. We had a misunderstanding over meal terms. His dinner was supper to me. Dinner was a big meal after Sunday church for me. But the funniest was when he called from out of town and asked how our son was doing and I said he was "rather ill today". He thought I meant sick. Ill, fussy. And I no longer call a grocery cart a "buggy" after my friends here in the mid-Atlantic had a burst of hysterical laughter.

And bar tending taught me that a "diaper" goes under a glass.

 

[Icacos]

Where I come from, and back then, a potluck dinner meant that the hosts would serve whatever happened to be at hand, and it was almost frowned upon for a guest to bring anything. Imagine my surprise and embarrassment when I came to this country and learned that a potluck dinner meant something entirely different.

 

[JillGat]

Mmm...I wouldn't necessarily trust the on-line dictionaries...
Hot in castellano is : caliente as in Agua caliente
To say it's a hot day: hace calor is simplest

Caldo is a soup/broth as in Caldo Gallego.

Hace calor and caldo = soup
Also true in Mexican Spanish

 

[Jeff Crawley]

When we returned from the CF in 2014, the ladies at church wondered if I'd learned any new Spanish words. I told them, not really, but I learned new meanings for the ones I already had: Menu isn't menu (ask for the carta), tortilla isn't tortilla, esta bueno isn't OK (use vale vale) but it was all very educational for me. I'm becoming bilingual in measurements! 3 Km=2 miles, 3 m=10 feet...the temps I'm hopelessly lost.
Thanks to all y'all for a fascinating collection of observations.[/QUOTE]

Tex.
Temperature is easy. When the Canadians (for the most part) abandoned the width of the king's thumb as a primary unit of measurement they came up with the following:

zero is cold
10 is not
20 is warm
30 is HOT!

Oh Canada, best dammed country in the world - on account of all them beaver - and you don't want to know what THATs Canadian slang for!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@koilife BRILLIANT title! Hilarious thread.

 

[trecile]

On the subject of tortilla -Last year I took a two week Spanish course in Barcelona, and stayed with a Spanish host family there. I happen to love tortilla de patatas (potato tortilla), so one evening for dinner when my hostess, Rosa told me that she was preparing tortilla, I was very excited. My excitement quickly turned to disappointment when she served me tortilla de champiñones (mushroom omelet). Though it was delicious, I was definitely happier a few days later when she made tortilla de patatas.

 

[Keith Hearn]

There is no "officially" for English, since there is no office or academy that makes rulings on what is correct or not. English grew as a language of the lower classes, always borrowing from other languages, and no one decrees what is correct or not.

To quote James Nicoll: "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

 

[ParistoCapeCod]

Aside from an homage to one of the (arguably) great comedic movies of all times, "The Princess Bride," I thought the topic might make for some fun.


So, what other words or phrases do people use on the Camino (or "in the real world") that doesn't mean what they think it means, or that we think it should mean . . .

This is a really fun thread! One of my favorite faux amis (words that sound alike but have entirely different meanings): preservatives/preservatifs
Those white boxes hanging outside French drugstores are vending condoms, not food preservatives! However, in a pinch...
If you need medicine, you need médicament not médecin, as a doctor will show up. More fun ones http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/vocabulary-lesson-faux-amis.php
And @Al the optimist of course "Boston" means amazing! ;-) I speak Sprenglish on the camino.

 

[ParistoCapeCod]

Maybe useful, or may be not, but in Costa Rica, we use the word CHUNCHE when we don't know, or can't remember the name of something. However, I don't know if this is valid in Castilliano (Spain)!

Ha chunche might be mistaken for chinche which is bedbugs!

 

[ParistoCapeCod]

I'll add (les) culottes= womens' underpants and coulottes= gaucho-type split skirt. You can hike in either, but may need both!

 

[Rod Murray]

Just a few. Here is one map of the dialect variations across north America -->> http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/AmericanEnglishDialects.gif.

Fascinating! Thanks for this!

 

[Silvester]

Based on Duolingo Spanish I thought an empanada was a kind of filled roll. I also read that ham had several different names and would appear in the most vegetarian of places. So we walked into a bakery for breakfast one day and the empanadas looked more like Cornish pasties. I read the labels carefully and figured out that the only guaranteed vegetarian option would be the cuatro quesos and ordered two of those in Spanish. They were sold out and the shopkeeper lost patience with me trying to ask in Spanish if there were any other vegetarian options - to me they all had something hammy in the name - York, jamon etc. So she asked a retired schoolteacher to translate and that lady chose queso con jamon for us and insisted that jamon was NOT meat, it was Jam. To a Kiwi jam is fruit jelly/conserve/confiture and so we figured that although it sounded a very strange combination, we'd give it a go. I had misgivings that it would contain ham but thought the schoolteacher might lose face if I contradicted her. Sure enough it was a substantial roll of ham and cheese which my vegetarian companion decided was better than no breakfast. By the way mermelada was the word we encountered most for jam. Back home marmalade is only made traditionally with citrus fruit. The quince membrillo became a firm favourite though. We commented to a young Spaniard that the best membrillo in delicatessens at home was a rich garnet colour but Spanish membrillo was very pale. He said his mum made a dark variety - by cooking it too long. Nothing like home cooking...

 

[trecile]

Based on Duolingo Spanish I thought an empanada was a kind of filled roll. I also read that ham had several different names and would appear in the most vegetarian of places. So we walked into a bakery for breakfast one day and the empanadas looked more like Cornish pasties. I read the labels carefully and figured out that the only guaranteed vegetarian option would be the cuatro quesos and ordered two of those in Spanish. They were sold out and the shopkeeper lost patience with me trying to ask in Spanish if there were any other vegetarian options - to me they all had something hammy in the name - York, jamon etc. So she asked a retired schoolteacher to translate and that lady chose queso con jamon for us and insisted that jamon was NOT meat, it was Jam. To a Kiwi jam is fruit jelly/conserve/confiture and so we figured that although it sounded a very strange combination, we'd give it a go. I had misgivings that it would contain ham but thought the schoolteacher might lose face if I contradicted her. Sure enough it was a substantial roll of ham and cheese which my vegetarian companion decided was better than no breakfast. By the way mermelada was the word we encountered most for jam. Back home marmalade is only made traditionally with citrus fruit. The quince membrillo became a firm favourite though. We commented to a young Spaniard that the best membrillo in delicatessens at home was a rich garnet colour but Spanish membrillo was very pale. He said his mum made a dark variety - by cooking it too long. Nothing like home cooking...

Empanadas and Cornish Pastys do look very similar

 

[bunnymac]

Here when we say "I will yea" it actually means "I won't"

Right up there with 'Good Luck with that' = destined to fail