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What are the pronunciations of Mma and Rra? Are they the equivalent to Madam and Mister? Since I read No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency five years ago, I've been inquiring librarians, people who saw the televised version on BBC, people who were going to Botswana and searching dictionaries galore. Any idea? ~ ~ ~ ~—Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.215.26.148 ( talk) 01:15, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Lately I've been hearing this phrase quite a bit. I thought it was just a local thing that cropped up which my co-workers had latched onto but I've seen it in print a time or two as well. Is this a new phrase that's just becoming popular or is there some sports/political/etc commentator that uses it frequently in their vocabulary? As far as context goes, it would be something like this, "Why did you have to make that complaint about your coworkers bad habits to the boss? He knows I work with you. Why'd you have to throw me under the bus like that?" Dismas| (talk) 04:25, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Over on this side of The Atlantic "if you fall under a bus tomorrow" has been in normal use for decades. Its usually used to indicate the loss of a person's ability at a specific task, knowledge that they posses or how them not being around will affect others. In all uses the option of the person actually surviving the fall under the bus is never a possibility. Perhaps this points towards your co-worker being on the path to an unavoidable talking to from their boss. - X201 ( talk) 18:13, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
"If I got hit by a truck tomorrow," says Groening, "The Simpsons would continue on indefinitely." [1]
Would anyone know the word for favouring or always saying a member of ones family is better, similar to egotistical and narcissism, but of the family or sibling? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.208.250.164 ( talk) 05:31, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
...or (since we can speak so darn fast if need be) can we imagine sentences only at about the same rate? For example, could a person's "inner voice" say a paragraph (maybe if it has a simple structure or something) several times faster than the fastest reader could read it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.122.58.58 ( talk) 05:53, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
I read without pronouncing the words in my head ,so I read faster than I could speak.For example, I can read an ordinary sized book in about 1 1/2 hours.The last Harry Potter's took about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. hotclaws 07:14, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
I can think of a few examples, among many, of eponymous titles that are generally pronounced differently from the way the person after whom they were named pronounced their own name:
Does this sub-group of eponyms have a special name, and is there a comprehensive list anywhere? -- JackofOz ( talk) 09:32, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Campbell, Ohio -- Named after a "CAM-bull," pronounced "CAM-ull" -- Mwalcoff ( talk) 22:37, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
My understanding of Chinese is that there are many words that are spoken exactly the same except for varying the four tones of the language. This would imply to me that there must be a rich vein of puns and humour based on the language. Is this true? Is a significant part of the humour of the culture based around wordplay? 195.60.20.81 ( talk) 11:55, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Evangeline ( talk) 08:50, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
Hi,
how is the famous "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" - Abandon all hope, ye who enter here - from Dante's Divina Commedia actually translated into French in the French translation?
Thank you very much!
Linus, 91.153.72.216 ( talk) 14:00, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
What is the correct term for a baby hedgehog, for example if I were to say "yesterday I ran over a (baby hedgehog) with my car"? I have checked the hedgehog article but its not listed. Thanks in advance, jj —Preceding unsigned comment added by Its hard to believe ( talk • contribs) 15:25, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Is it true that there is a Japanese word for a woman that looks hot from behind but has a less beautiful front? Dorftrottel ( complain) 16:25, April 14, 2008
Thanks all so far. Just to make sure: This is not a joke question, someone recently told me IRL. And yes, I agree that there should be lots and lots of these words, both for men and women and regarding all sorts of aspects (e.g. beautiful on this outside, ugly on the inside). Dorftrottel ( harass) 02:14, April 15, 2008
二度びっくりすること。ことに、後ろ姿の美しいのに反して、顔の醜い女性の形容にいう。
[Being surprised twice. In particular, describes the appearance of a woman who while has a beautiful figure from behind has an ugly face.]
Language desk | ||
---|---|---|
< April 13 | << Mar | April | May >> | April 15 > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives |
---|
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
What are the pronunciations of Mma and Rra? Are they the equivalent to Madam and Mister? Since I read No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency five years ago, I've been inquiring librarians, people who saw the televised version on BBC, people who were going to Botswana and searching dictionaries galore. Any idea? ~ ~ ~ ~—Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.215.26.148 ( talk) 01:15, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Lately I've been hearing this phrase quite a bit. I thought it was just a local thing that cropped up which my co-workers had latched onto but I've seen it in print a time or two as well. Is this a new phrase that's just becoming popular or is there some sports/political/etc commentator that uses it frequently in their vocabulary? As far as context goes, it would be something like this, "Why did you have to make that complaint about your coworkers bad habits to the boss? He knows I work with you. Why'd you have to throw me under the bus like that?" Dismas| (talk) 04:25, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Over on this side of The Atlantic "if you fall under a bus tomorrow" has been in normal use for decades. Its usually used to indicate the loss of a person's ability at a specific task, knowledge that they posses or how them not being around will affect others. In all uses the option of the person actually surviving the fall under the bus is never a possibility. Perhaps this points towards your co-worker being on the path to an unavoidable talking to from their boss. - X201 ( talk) 18:13, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
"If I got hit by a truck tomorrow," says Groening, "The Simpsons would continue on indefinitely." [1]
Would anyone know the word for favouring or always saying a member of ones family is better, similar to egotistical and narcissism, but of the family or sibling? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.208.250.164 ( talk) 05:31, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
...or (since we can speak so darn fast if need be) can we imagine sentences only at about the same rate? For example, could a person's "inner voice" say a paragraph (maybe if it has a simple structure or something) several times faster than the fastest reader could read it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.122.58.58 ( talk) 05:53, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
I read without pronouncing the words in my head ,so I read faster than I could speak.For example, I can read an ordinary sized book in about 1 1/2 hours.The last Harry Potter's took about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. hotclaws 07:14, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
I can think of a few examples, among many, of eponymous titles that are generally pronounced differently from the way the person after whom they were named pronounced their own name:
Does this sub-group of eponyms have a special name, and is there a comprehensive list anywhere? -- JackofOz ( talk) 09:32, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Campbell, Ohio -- Named after a "CAM-bull," pronounced "CAM-ull" -- Mwalcoff ( talk) 22:37, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
My understanding of Chinese is that there are many words that are spoken exactly the same except for varying the four tones of the language. This would imply to me that there must be a rich vein of puns and humour based on the language. Is this true? Is a significant part of the humour of the culture based around wordplay? 195.60.20.81 ( talk) 11:55, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Evangeline ( talk) 08:50, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
Hi,
how is the famous "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" - Abandon all hope, ye who enter here - from Dante's Divina Commedia actually translated into French in the French translation?
Thank you very much!
Linus, 91.153.72.216 ( talk) 14:00, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
What is the correct term for a baby hedgehog, for example if I were to say "yesterday I ran over a (baby hedgehog) with my car"? I have checked the hedgehog article but its not listed. Thanks in advance, jj —Preceding unsigned comment added by Its hard to believe ( talk • contribs) 15:25, 14 April 2008 (UTC)
Is it true that there is a Japanese word for a woman that looks hot from behind but has a less beautiful front? Dorftrottel ( complain) 16:25, April 14, 2008
Thanks all so far. Just to make sure: This is not a joke question, someone recently told me IRL. And yes, I agree that there should be lots and lots of these words, both for men and women and regarding all sorts of aspects (e.g. beautiful on this outside, ugly on the inside). Dorftrottel ( harass) 02:14, April 15, 2008
二度びっくりすること。ことに、後ろ姿の美しいのに反して、顔の醜い女性の形容にいう。
[Being surprised twice. In particular, describes the appearance of a woman who while has a beautiful figure from behind has an ugly face.]