Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Pacomartin

The phrase "Como un bromista" does not seem to mean what the dictionary says it mean. A "bromista" is a little joke.

Oh, no. "Bromista" means someone who likes to play practical jokes. "Humorista" would be a comic, ro someone who likes to tell jokes. "Bromita," no "s" means a little joke.

Quote:

But the writer seems to be using it in a different sense.

The writer seems to prefer broken Spanish. Here's what I think he should have said: "Como una broma, le sugiero que se comunique con soporte técnico y obtenga un número de caso." Translated it means "As a joke, I suggest you contact tech support and obtain a ticket number."


On other things, have I ever relayed the "Persei" joke? I figured how to make it a (bad) trilingual pun.

Quote: Nareed

The writer seems to prefer broken Spanish. Here's what I think he should have said: "Como una broma, le sugiero que se comunique con soporte técnico y obtenga un número de caso." Translated it means "As a joke, I suggest you contact tech support and obtain a ticket number."

I should have linked the forum context. I now realize all his other posts are in English, so he may have used a machine translator.

Quote: Pacomartin

I should have linked the forum context. I now realize all his other posts are in English, so he may have used a machine translator.

I dind't understand the OP either. I mean, he has some problem with a satellite, but I've no idea what it is.

Quote: Nareed

I didn't understand the OP either. I mean, he has some problem with a satellite, but I've no idea what it is.

When the OP writes "esta fallando de echo" does he mean "esta fallando de hecho"?

Caborca, Sonora is a little desert town near Puerto Peñasco. In gringo talk this town is called “Rocky Point” , and has been nicknamed “Arizona’s beach” as it is the coast closest to Phoenix.

Quote: Pacomartin

When the OP writes "esta fallando de echo" does he mean "esta fallando de hecho"?

I think it's "...esta fallando. De hecho..." But the lack of punctuation makes it really hard to tell.

Quote: Nareed

But the lack of punctuation makes it really hard to tell.

OK, I won't bring you anymore questions from possibly illiterate Mexicans or gringos writing in Spanish.

Tangentially, but importantly, related, I can recommend "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold Story of English" by John McWhorter.

While the subject is English, the author provides a wide overview concerning the structure of languages overall. This should come in handy when trying to learn a new language. It should also give the reader an appreciation about how truly odd English is compared to other languages, even to other Germanic languages.

I'm on chapter two only, but it's a short audiobook (only 5:22 hours; as comparison, a segment of a volume of Gibbon is 8+ hours long).

Quote: Nareed

Tangentially, but importantly, related, I can recommend "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold Story of English" by John McWhorter.

A positive review of this book in the NY Times By AMMON SHEA Published: March 12, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/books/review/Shea-t.html?_r=0

About the oddity of English, do you realize a great big portion of English sentences are loaded with a maningless word? Did you know this? Do you know what word I'm talking about?

There are other oddities, as with most languages, but this one really makes it hard for most people to learn proper English. And I assume it's absence in most other langauges, makes it hard for native English speakers to learn those other languages.

Quote: Nareed

About the oddity of English, do you realize a great big portion of English sentences are loaded with a meaningless word? Did you know this? Do you know what word I'm talking about?

As we discussed earlier, the verb "to be" (be, being, am, is, are, was, were) in English is often criticized for being close to meaningless. Some scholars insist that it should be replaced in most writing. Thus the ditty is changed using more descriptive verbs:

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Honey is sweet, And so are you.
Roses look red, Violets look blue, Honey seems sweet, And so do you.

The verbs ser & estar ; essere & stare; and être in Romance languages has a more specific meaning.

Is that what you are talking about?