Re: English Expressions

Invité Sam 2 Avr - 22:18

Bonsoir Gérard, bonsoir Muriel,

Even though it is okay-ish to say "I wrote a few lines about ...", it is better and more usual to say "I wrote a few words about ..." or if you are prolific, "I wrote a few pages about ..."

We just don't say "I wrote a few lines about ..." but I don't have a reason as to why !
Sorry ! Embarassed

gerardM Dim 3 Avr - 23:18

No problem Krystyna!
Often difficult for a native to explain!
Thanks a lot!

gerardM Dim 3 Avr - 23:29

Hi everyone,

I don't know what happens in my family in Dubai but they wish Happy mother's day!! scratch

Matthew... it's mother's day 2day! happy mother's day 2 the gr8est mother in the world - Alison!

I wonder if Alison didn't make up this to get a specific gift...

Matt's brother also writes:
Adam... urgh, if I'm the only child who doesn't say this I'll get another slap round the head. Happy mother's day Alison Smile

xx
Ali's comment: "Slaps around the head can be easily avoided by REMEMBERING MOTHER'S DAY!!! Children who truly love their mother seem to have no difficulty! And posting mother's day greetings as a means of avoiding a good beating is not really well received - now where's that wooden spoon?"

I didn't know this expression "Slaps around the head" - why "around"?
Fortunately a wooden spoon won't hurt as much as a leaden one!
Facebook is used for the communication inside the family! $C\'est vrai!!$

gerardM Lun 4 Avr - 22:23

Bonsoir à tous,

Il y a une vieille chanson dont le titre Français m'étonne depuis longtemps, c'est "Johnny B. Goode"

"Johnny B. Goode"

"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]

The song is one of Chuck Berry's most famous recordings, has been covered by many artists, and has received several honors and accolades. It is also considered to be one of the most recognizable songs in music history.

Si quelqu'un veut l'écouter par Chuck Berry, c'est ici -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq62iQo0eU
Un big success !! repris par des tas de chanteurs dont Elvis Presley.

La chanson a été chantée en Français par Eddy Mitchell et ses Chaussettes noires sous le titre "Eddie sois bon !".
-> Wikipédia
-> enregistrement au Golf Drouot

Ceci dit, je suppose que le titre américain est un jeu de mot sur "Johnny be good" qui expliquerait peut-être la traduction française en "... sois bon".
Le problème est que "Johnny be good" ne veut pas du tout dire Johnny sois bon mais Johnny sois sage !

~~

Voici donc une expression peut-être nouvelle pour certains :

Be good! / Sois sage !

MurielB Lun 4 Avr - 23:04

Thank you *Gérard for that song. I would rather translate "sois sage" by "be a good boy (girl)"

gerardM Lun 4 Avr - 23:47

Muriel,

You're welcome re the songs.

Yes but... the common expression is just "be good!" (confirmed by my dictionary)
You know that the tendency is to shorten English words and expressions.

MurielB Lun 11 Avr - 21:59

I have just come across interesting expressions with "hot"
that's hot, that's not so hot
How are things ? Not so hot.
He's pretty hot at maths
She is so hot
the hottest show in town
to make things hot for Sb
He's got a hot temper
Hot favourite, hot tip, to be hot on the trail
news hot from the press

gerardM Lun 11 Avr - 22:09

Hi Muriel, hi everyone,

Do we have to guess what the expressions you wrote mean?

I've got a few others for you then:

to be in/get into hot water
to blow hot and cold
to be/get all hot and bothered
to have the hots for sb[!!]
(US) when you're hot you're hot, and when you're not you're not

Awaiting your suggestions...

MurielB Lun 11 Avr - 22:29

Hi Gérard, Everyone
to be in/get into hot water = To have problems

to blow hot and cold = To get uncertain

to be/get all hot and bothered = to be ashamed of oneself

to have the hots for sb[!!] = To have a crunch for sb

(US) when you're hot you're hot, and when you're not you're not = ?
I have no idea for the last one.

gerardM Lun 11 Avr - 23:24

Hi Muriel,

Yes, you got them except that with English expressions, it would be better to respond by the French equivalent expressions.

You're too British Wink

Don't you know that life went on after the Independence of the US (I write this because you said you didn't know the American expression)? Wink

to have the hots for sb[!!] = To have a crunch for sb

You made me laugh (sorry) as you're close: do you remember something? did you hear the meaning?
In fact it doesn't mean to have a "crunch" for sb but to have a crush on sb.
I laughed because the meaning is completely different Wink

(US) when you're hot you're hot, and when you're not you're not = ?
I have no idea for the last one.

The expression is used to mean that sometimes things are well and sometimes they are not: Fr ''Il y a des jours avec et des jours sans"

MurielB Mar 12 Avr - 10:41

Thank you very much Gérard for your answer and i am pleased that my mistake made you laugh

gerardM Mar 12 Avr - 16:56

Howdy Muriel, everyone,

Muriel's expressions with "hot":

that's hot, that's not so hot / these expressions can mean several things: c'est super, c'est courru, ça fait un tabac ; ce n'est pas terrible
How are things ? Not so hot / pas terrible
He's pretty hot at maths / assez calé en maths
She is so hot / elle est si douée mais également autre significations selon contexte
the hottest show in town / le spectacle qui fait un tabac en ville
to make things hot for Sb / mener la vie dure à qqn
He's got a hot temper / il s'emporte facilement
Hot favourite, hot tip, to be hot on the trail / grand favori, bon tuyau, être sur les talons de qqn ou sur la piste de qqc
news hot from the press / nouvelles fraiches

Invité Ven 15 Avr - 22:41

Hi Muriel, hi Gérard,

She is so hot ...
For me, the first thing that comes to mind is "elle est canon"

gerardM Jeu 21 Avr - 0:12

Krystyna,

In another topic, you wrote:

Je ne la connaissais pas ! -> en anglais, I never knew that!
( https://www.cafe-polyglotte.com/t953-la-france-et-le-francais#4423 )

This is really weird! Smile

gerardM Jeu 21 Avr - 13:08

Bonjour à tous,

Imaginez-vous que toute ma vie, j'ai peut-être fait la même erreur en Anglais et personne ne m'en aurait jamais rien dit !!!

J'ai toujours dit : "this has nothing to do with..." pour signifier qu'une chose n'avait rien à voir avec une autre.

Voila 2 fois que, coup sur coup, je vois : "is nothing to do with being active " !

Quel verbe doit-on donc employer ? to be ou to have ?

Maintenant, comme je prononce les "h" à la française, en parlant, un interlocuteur n'entend peut-être pas d'erreur ! Wink

Merci aux EMT !

gerardM Mar 3 Mai - 23:04

Bonsoir à tous,

Lu à l'instant sur Facebook (ma source pour le langage informel de tous les jours).
C'est ma nièce qui parle de son fils qui vient de décrocher son admission dans Royal Holloway, une école de leur pays ~~et si j'ai bien compris une allocation financière~~ !
Elle répond à ses copines pour le travail à fournir ou du moins les manières qui seront sûrement employées pour obtenir de bons résultats, j'ai bien aimé :

With a lot of gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, pulling of hair, drinking of alcohol and saying of prayers.

Il y manque le fait de se ronger les ongles et les sangs.

se ronger les ongles / to bite one's nails
se ronger les sangs / to worry oneself sick

~~ édition
Non, en lisant mieux : Matt doit encore bosser et passer des épreuves pour obtenir l'allocation financière.

MurielB Mer 4 Mai - 22:19

Super ces expressions :-)

gerardM Mer 4 Mai - 22:34

Bonsoir Muriel,

Si je n'avais pas vu mon dictionnaire, j'aurais emplyé to gnaw pour les ongles ! scratch

MurielB Lun 20 Jan - 22:11

I like that expression very much. It reminds me of an English friend who has now passed away. She was in hospital and I had come to visit her. She told be "I am now bright-eyed and bushy-tailed". So sweet !

MurielB Mer 29 Jan - 14:13

=>Inhabited uninhabited inhabitants

As adjectives the difference between inhabited and uninhabited. is that inhabited is having inhabitants; lived in while uninhabited is not inhabited; having no inhabitants.

MurielB Ven 24 Mai - 10:19

To be full of beans=to be in a funk=to be very happy

MurielB Ven 24 Mai - 10:22

"Bob's your uncle" is a phrase commonly used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries that means "and there it is", or "and there you have it", or "it's done". Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions or when a result is reached.

MicD Ven 24 Mai - 11:16

Yesterday Muriel said " Un de perdu, dix de retrouvés". In English :" There are plenty of fish in the sea"!

MurielB Ven 24 Mai - 23:27

Thanks a lot Mic, I see you've spotted some interesting idioms too.

English Expressions