 Return to the ENGLISH Archive | Forward to the Current ENGLISH discuss |
| Mery | Thursday 17th of March 2005 11:12:30 PM |
| Need help to define 46 expressions - Hi everyone,
As you probably know, each Admin has to translate 3000 (?)sentences from English into their native language. My Phrases are almost completed (99%). I'm looking for English native speakers who would agree to explain to me the expressions I can't translate (there are 46 sentences). I'd really appreciate any help I can get. If you think you can define some expressions I'm going to write (even if it's only 1 or 2), please post a message here. I guess I'll be in trouble if I don't complete my Phrases soon :( So, please help me! I really need it. The expressions I need help with are written in bold. The words written in capital letters indicate the category where each expression is located. ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. BODY > RUDE > cankles (fat ankles + calf ankles) 2. DESCRIPTIONS > SITUATIONS > bubble economy 3. > bubble burst 4. > THINGS > SLANG > rank 5. EXLETIVES > RUDE > eat shit and die 6. FILLER > BUSINESS > from this point moving forward 7. INSULTS > SLANG > your make-up is caked on 8. PARTYING > SLANG > I'm hanging like a bitch 9. > I was fucked up - hammered - shit faced - wasted 10. THINGS > print club 11. ANIMALS > WATER > yellowtail 12. CLOSURES > WRITTEN > love always 13. CONFLICT > SLANG > what's your damage? 14. > you're gonna get your ass kicked 15. > RUDE > bite me 16. > come on fucker bring it on 17. EXPRESSIONS > CASUAL > that's what you get 18. > SLANG > it's all good 19. FRIENDS > MALE > what's up bro? what's happening bro? 20. > SLANG > you da man 21. VERBS > he isn't being happy 22. they are being happy 23. I have a hard time hearing 24. it makes for good listening 25. stand right there 26. BAR > let's get the fuck out of here 27. FACE > SLANG > butt chin 28. OFFICE > consensus building 29. SAYINGS > that's the way the story goes 30. BODULY FUNCTIONS > YOUNG > did you cut the cheese? 31. > CASUAL > did you just drift one? 32. > SLANG > I blew chips 33. > I have a turtle head poking out 34. > I have to break the seal. 35. > I was pitching a tent 36. I have to deficate 37. she must be on the rag 38. what the fuck crawled up your ass and died 39. EXCLAMATIONS > SLANG > break a leg - knock them dead 40. FOOD > SEAFOOD > bonito 41. > yellowtail 42. INQUIRIES > WHEN > near term 43. > when you heading out 44. SEX TALK > fuck me harder 45. > to hump like a warrior 46. TYPE OF PERSON: low class nervous knee shaker ------------------------------------------------------------ I'll erase all the rude expressions when I know what they mean. Thanks in advance for your help! :) | |
| Ulven | Friday 18th of March 2005 01:36:09 AM |
| My interpretation of these - 1. BODY > RUDE > cankles (fat ankles + calf ankles)= men generally say this about overweight women. It suggests that the persons calves (les mollets) have sunken down to their ankles (les chevilles). Their ankles are as fat as calves.
2. DESCRIPTIONS > SITUATIONS > bubble economy 3. > bubble burst- To 'burst someone's bubble' is to bring them back down to reality, or to destroy someone's high hopes. "I'd hate to busrt you bubble, but... your French isn't as good as you think it is, Ulven";)lol 5. EXLETIVES > RUDE > eat shit and die- 'sh*t' is a swear word (merde). This saying merely says "get lost" or "stuff you". You would say this if someone has just insulted you, or told you you aren't any good. 6. FILLER > BUSINESS > from this point moving forward- This is not merely for business, but in everyday situations. The most common way to say it is "from now on...". It means you're focusing on the future and present, and leaving the past in the past. 7. INSULTS > SLANG > your make-up is caked on- "You're wearing way too much make-up" 8. PARTYING > SLANG > I'm hanging like a bitch 9. > I was fucked up - hammered - shit faced - wasted- these are all ways of saying "I'm drunk". With the first one, yes 'f*ck' is a swear word. THE WORST swear word in English:)lol. It's literal meaning means having sex. To f*ck someone is to have sex with them. But, it's rarely used in proper context. Even if used in proper context, it will still make many feel offended. 10. THINGS > print club 12. CLOSURES > WRITTEN > love always- This simply means, you'll always be around and always be thinking of the person. "I will always love you". It is literal with no hidden meaning. 13. CONFLICT > SLANG > what's your damage?= "What's your problem?" , but not in the context of asking someone's well being. No, it's a response to when someone is displaying a bad attitude toward you. If they are being argumentative for no reason, you may reply "What's your damage?" It's not a common phrase. Only youths in certain regions in the USA would use this. 14. > you're gonna get your ass kicked- "you're going to get beaten up" Someone is going to fight with you, and they're going to win! Physically, usually. 15. > RUDE > bite me- a response to when someone insults you.Person 1: "You're ugly". Person 2 responds: "Bite me!" 16. > come on fucker bring it on- If someone has challenged you to a contest, you may say "Bring it on!" The "come on" =allons-y!/on-y-va! And again, f*ck is to have sex (but almost always used offensively, and nothing at all to do with sex) and a 'f*ckER' is the PERSON who is doing this action. 17. EXPRESSIONS > CASUAL > that's what you get- "You got what you deserved" . It means that you recieved the consequences of your actions. Negative consequences. 18. > SLANG > it's all good - Like "Everything's fine" as a response to you asking "Would it be better if I did it this way, or that way?" or "I did it this way, instead of that way". It's an expression that suggests that the person would have been happy which ever choice you made about something. 19. FRIENDS > MALE > what's up bro? what's happening bro? 'bro' is simply slang for 'brother'. So, "qu'est qui se passe, mon ami?" "ca va, mon amis?" (or whatever French people use instead of 'man' or 'bro'. But, bro is culturally specific to youth. 20. > SLANG > you da man lit. You are THE man (da=the). Street-talk. This comment is praising. That person is thought to be amazing. That person knows the right moves, the right things to say. The man with the plan etc. Most people wouldn't use this saying though, except in jest. It is very culturally specific to the Hip-Hop music culture. But, now gets used by other people too. 24. it makes for good listening- This means that a story that is being told, even if a tragic topic, is an interesting topic to think about or hear about. Or, if someone is a good story teller, especially if they are humourous, one might say "He makes for good listening" 25. stand right there- I think this is just literal. "Don't move a muscle" is another way to say such a thing. A parent may say this to a child. "Stand right there, young man. Don't move a muscle or you'll be in alot of trouble". It's possible it can replace "Wait right there (I'll be with you shortly)" by a businessman, but it would sound too forceful. 'Stand' would be a bad choice of word. 26. BAR > let's get the fuck out of here- "on sort"(maybe? in French). You say this when the place you're about to leave is either boring you, or is looking to become dangerous. "Oh my god, there's guard dogs! Let's get (the f*ck) outa here!" (outa=slang for 'out of') 27. FACE > SLANG > butt chin- Someone who's face is fat and their chin is very fleshy. An insult suggesting their face looks like their arse/buttocks. It refers directly to the flesh drooping down below the chin, usually as a person gets older or is overweight. 29. SAYINGS > that's the way the story goes -"At least, that's how I heard it". It suggests that the person who says "that's how the story goes" is just relaying what they'd heard, but isn't claiming that the story is true or not. 36. I have to deficate- I have to go to the toilet. 'deficate' is the technical word for sh*t (merde). Not to pee/piss, but to crap/sh*t, (faire du merde) 37. she must be on the rag- she must be having her periods. A reference to a woman's behaviour when she is menstruating. It's insulting, and not commonly an innocent observation. 39. EXCLAMATIONS > SLANG > break a leg - knock them dead- "Have a good show/game" This is what you say to someone when they're about to attempt to achieve something. It originally began in the theatre, but can be used elsewhere. It's a positive thing to say to someone. The wording of "break a leg" is sarcastic. You want the OPPOSITE to happen. You want them to achieve. "Knock 'em (them) dead" is a good thing to say to a comedian before they perform, because the word 'dead' refers to the audience being knocked into a state of laughter, or enjoyment or awe. 40. FOOD > SEAFOOD > bonito - Italian for 'good' in relation to food.(?) It's not an English word, anyway. 42. INQUIRIES > WHEN > near term 43. > when you heading out- "when are you leaving?". Depending on context, it can be said to someone who's due to go on holiday, or leaving in the immediate sense eg. If a friend has been sitting on the couch all morning, but has said he's going to take some rubbish to the dump, you may say "when (are) you heading out?" 44. SEX TALK > fuck me harder- literal. When having sex, if you want the other person to get more rough and strong, you may say this. Specifically to do with genital penatration. 45. > to hump like a warrior- To be a rough person in sex. To be very rigorous and strong. The opposite of gentle love making. 'Hump' literally means your back is arched so that it looks like a camel hump. So, in this context, it simply refers to the body position during sex. | |
| Mery | Friday 18th of March 2005 02:32:32 AM |
| - Merci infiniment Ulven! Je viens de t'envoyer un PM. Mais que ferais-je sans toi? ;)
Can anyone please help me with the remaining expressions like 'print club'? Thank you! | |
| Peter fra LA | Friday 18th of March 2005 03:04:05 AM |
| - [quote][i]Originally posted by Mery[/i]
2. DESCRIPTIONS > SITUATIONS > bubble economy 3. > bubble burst [/quote] When a country's stock and real estate markets have risen far and fast to unsustainable 'bubble' levels that cannot be justified on the basis of fundamental values. Bubbles are driven by investors' belief in the 'greater fool' theory: that even though they may be fools for buying stocks and bonds at overvalued prices, somewhere out there there is a greater fool who will soon buy the securities from them at even higher prices. At some point, however, the greater fool theory turns out to be false, the markets turn, and values on the stock and real estate markets crash (the bubble bursts from expanding to much to quickly). [quote] 4. > THINGS > SLANG > rank [/quote] Foul, disgusting. [quote] 10. THINGS > print club [/quote] I think this is a Jeff Japanism ;) Beyond being just gathering of people who like to print, it's a trippy little photo booth that came around maybe 10 years ago in Japan. Over the past ten years, print club technology has gotten better (Again, Japan is the magnificent country of strange priorities (i.e. they have telephones that can show television and search the internet, but they still use kerosene heaters in winter.)). After you take your turn with the camera, you run around to the back of the booth, where they have a screen and some pens. You use the pens to scribble a little message or, if the booth is really cool, add some hearts or stars or any array of shiny bits to your photos. Then you run around to the side where your sublimely tacky stickers are spit out. [quote] 11. ANIMALS > WATER > yellowtail [/quote] Name of a fish. Generic in my mind because I have heard of Yellowtail Flounder, Yellowtail Snapper etc. If it is a fish reference then it depends on the local area as to what exact fish it is defining. [quote] 21. VERBS > he isn't being happy 22. they are being happy [/quote] I take this to mean the literal when you comment to somoene else about the mood of another person/group of people you may have talked to or interacted with prior to making this comment to the new person who just arrived. 21-he is in a bad mood, 22-they are in a good mood [quote] 23. I have a hard time hearing [/quote] You cannot hear the other person or the music or something to do with audio/sounds. This instructs the other person to speak louder or also could tell them to speak slower or in a more clear voice. If it was music then the person may turn up to volume. [quote] 25. stand right there [/quote] Literal a direction to stand in a specific area. I assume that it is so that you can take their photograph or perhaps you are lining people up on a stage while going through a rehersal of where the actors will be standing during a performance. [quote] 28. OFFICE > consensus building [/quote] This is not a real physical building but the verb building as in "building a consensus"; Collaborative problem solving or collaboration in the mediation of a conflict which involves many parties. [quote] 30. BODULY FUNCTIONS > YOUNG > did you cut the cheese? 31. > CASUAL > did you just drift one? [/quote] Colorful ways of asking if a person farted. I havn't used "drift one" so I am not 100% if its fart or deficate as below. [quote] 32. > SLANG > I blew chips [/quote] Colorful way of saying you vomitted. [quote] 33. > I have a turtle head poking out [/quote] Turtle's head has been used to reference the top of the male penis. However it also has been used to reference needing to deficate. When I came to America I learned their slang with another turtle refernce warning you "not to play peek-a-boo [baby's game] with the mud turtle" - mud here alludes to the defication reference. In light of all this, I would go with the meaning that one needs to deficate. [quote] 34. > I have to break the seal. [/quote] Colorful way to say you have to urinate (break the seal of your bladder). [quote] 35. > I was pitching a tent [/quote] Colorful way of saying you got an erection. [quote] 38. what the fuck crawled up your ass and died [/quote] A vulgar way of saying that someone has "a chip on their shoulder", in other words that they are giving you a major attitude against what you have just said or have just done. [quote] 41. > yellowtail [/quote] That infamous fish reference again. Seeing as Jeff is doing a lot of interaction with Japan, lets assume this is Yellowtail Tuna. [quote] 46. TYPE OF PERSON: low class nervous knee shaker [/quote] Where does this slang come from! :) I don't use this however: Low Class = Someone of lower social standing Nervous = Nervous Knee Shaker = When people are said to be frightened or scared their knees will shake or knock together. Obviously this slang is commenting on a person and how the appear to be acting. | |
| chelle73 | Friday 18th of March 2005 03:06:40 AM |
| - 4. rank- when used in slang it ususally refers to smell. example: the garbage is getting rank, it needs to be taken out.
11. yellowtail- a type of fish (yellowtail kingfish) 23. i have a hard time hearing- i don't hear very well | |
| stjerne | Friday 18th of March 2005 09:43:11 AM |
| - [quote]Quote:
30. BODILY FUNCTIONS > YOUNG > did you cut the cheese? 31. > CASUAL > did you just drift one? Colorful ways of asking if a person farted. I haven't used "drift one" so I am not 100% if its fart or deficate as below.[/quote] "did you just drift one?" is another colorful way of asking if one has farted. [quote]Quote: 38. what the fuck crawled up your ass and died?[/quote] After a person has farted, and it has a really disgusting odor, or there is a vulgar odor after you have gone to the toilet... one will ask "what the f*ck crawled up there and died?". It's a vulgar way of asking why it smells so bad. | |
| Ulven | Friday 18th of March 2005 02:36:49 PM |
| - Just a comment on the spelling of the word 'ass';
I don't know about American dictionaries, but at least in English dictionaries outside of the USA the true definition of ass, is donkey(l'ane, en francais). The spelling 'a-s-s' for the buttocks is slang, and more common than the original (and correct) spelling- arse= buttocks. But, I'd need an American with a dictionary to say whether 'ass' has now become a correct dictionary spelling in the USA. So, don't be shocked if you see the word 'ass' in a formal and/or conservative piece of writing. There is a common saying "Don't make an ass (donkey) of yourself", which means don't make a 'fool' of yourself. So, the dictionary does recognize that 'ass' does also mean 'fool', as a secondary definition. *A note on my definition given to the word 'deficate'. This word is a verb, not a noun. Defecate= the [i]act of[/i] defecation. 'Faeces' is the technical noun for 'sh*t' (merde). *[i]I'm sure you'll find these words very useful in everyday conversation, Mery.lol. I can't believe the Belgian education system wasted your time with words like 'hello' and 'goodbye'.lol[/i] | |
| stjerne | Friday 18th of March 2005 11:43:00 PM |
| - I have an American dictionary and it doesn't quote ass as being in reference to the buttocks. It only has the two meanings posted by Ulven. | |
| Peter fra LA | Saturday 19th of March 2005 11:39:31 AM |
| - [quote][i]Originally posted by DustBunny[/i]
After a person has farted, and it has a really disgusting odor, or there is a vulgar odor after you have gone to the toilet... one will ask "what the f*ck crawled up there and died?". It's a vulgar way of asking why it smells so bad. [/quote] Sweet, well not sweet in a way! but this makes more sense than mine. | |
| Caramelicious | Thursday 24th of March 2005 06:18:13 PM |
| - If anyone ever needs any help with explaining to someone or understanding themselves expression or slang from the hip-hop or urban culture I am here ! 100% Hip-Hop, Urban, and Rap lol | |
| gabrieljp | Saturday 26th of March 2005 06:38:00 AM |
| Sugoi! - Guys you are good!:-O
I'd like to speak english like you... Could u help me? Thanks.... | |
| Mery | Tuesday 29th of March 2005 12:43:07 AM |
| - Thanks to all of you for your help! I can finally complete my Phrases thanks to you!
Just in case people still visit this thread, I have three more expressions I don't understand: 1. I'm hanging like a bitch 2. that's fucked up 3. waddle (Face => Slang) Does anyone know what they mean? Thank you! :) PS: gabrieljp, you should start another thread to ask for help ;) | |
| majorshake | Wednesday 30th of March 2005 03:49:37 AM |
| - When something is "fucked up," it isn't as it should be. If something is damaged or broken, it's fucked up. When a person is in an altered state of mind, such as from alcohol or drugs, that person is fucked up. Also, if a person has a physical impairment, such as breaking an arm, he can say, "Man, my arm is fucked up."
Can also be used in nontraditional or unacceptable social situations: "Dude, I got drunk and kissed your sister." "Oh, no way, man. That's fucked up." If you still need help with that one, I can think of other examples. Just let me know. As for the others, I'm not sure about them. | |
| yesdakeh | Sunday 03rd of April 2005 10:12:43 AM |
| in refernce to the word "ass" - hey,
im from america and the word ass does mean butt. When you say what crawled up you ass and died is what you say to someone who is being a bitch or really mody/cranky. If someone is looking for someone a rude kid could say "it's up my ass and around the corner" haa just a lil extra info for you alissa | |
| Ashlee | Tuesday 05th of April 2005 01:13:05 PM |
| - "What crawled up your ass and died?"
I've never heard this phrase used in reference to a bad smell, but only used as a rude way of asking why a person has such a bad attitude/why they are moody. For example, if someone is acting particularly tense, you might rudely ask "what's up [i]your[/i] ass?" Asking "what crawled up your ass and died?" is an even stronger way of asking them what is wrong with them. I believe 'ass' is commonly used to mean 'buttocks' in American slang. Here it is correctly written 'arse', but it doesn't make a difference in spoken language, because 'ass' and 'arse' are pronounced the same. Butt chin A rude term for chin which has a dent in it. If the dent it quite big, the chin on either side of it might look like buttocks. Also called a "face ass". "She must be on the rag" If a woman is moody, males (I have never heard a female say this) assume her moodiness is due to her menstruating. | |
|
All Material Copyright © 2000 -
Phrasebase. All Rights Reserved. |
