LinuxQuestions.org
Latest LQ Deal: Latest LQ Deals
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Non-*NIX Forums > General
User Name
Password
General This forum is for non-technical general discussion which can include both Linux and non-Linux topics. Have fun!

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 05-06-2011, 01:49 PM   #751
jay73
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Nov 2006
Location: Belgium
Distribution: Ubuntu 11.04, Debian testing
Posts: 5,019

Rep: Reputation: 133Reputation: 133

Wouldn't it make more sense to read Indian authors who wrote/write in English ? I am thinking of people like R.K. Narayan, V.S. Naipaul, Jhumpa Lahiri, Rohinton Mistry, Vikram Chandra, G.V. Desani, Kiran Desai, Aravind Adiga, Arundhati Roy, Amit Chaudhuri and Vikram Seth. Or Salman Rushdie ("Midnight's Children" in particular).

Last edited by jay73; 05-06-2011 at 01:52 PM.
 
Old 05-06-2011, 04:04 PM   #752
XavierP
Moderator
 
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Kent, England
Distribution: Debian Testing
Posts: 19,192
Blog Entries: 4

Rep: Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianL View Post
Not to mention "Emma and The Creature From The Bottomless Pit".
Not seen that one, I'll stick on the "to buy" list. Incidentally, if you like Wodehouse and enjoy a decent parody/homage, What Ho! Automaton is a spanking good read. Though I should really put this in the "what are you reading" thread
 
Old 05-07-2011, 05:19 AM   #753
brianL
LQ 5k Club
 
Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Oldham, Lancs, England
Distribution: Slackware64 15; Slackware64-current (VM); Debian 12 (VM)
Posts: 8,272
Blog Entries: 61

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
No, never been too keen on Wodehouse. Or Jane Austen, but my sister is. As far as 19th Century literature is concerned, a few years ago I suddenly developed Dickensmania, reading almost all his novels one after another. OK except for the occasional OTT sentimentality.
 
Old 06-17-2011, 01:28 AM   #754
Aquarius_Girl
Senior Member
 
Registered: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,731
Blog Entries: 29

Rep: Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940
Code:
To make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
What does that mean? What is a "sows ear"?
 
Old 06-17-2011, 01:46 AM   #755
XavierP
Moderator
 
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Kent, England
Distribution: Debian Testing
Posts: 19,192
Blog Entries: 4

Rep: Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475
A sow is a pig. See: http://www.usingenglish.com/referenc...#39;s+ear.html

One may also say "you can't polish a turd"
 
Old 06-17-2011, 01:49 AM   #756
Aquarius_Girl
Senior Member
 
Registered: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,731
Blog Entries: 29

Rep: Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940
Thanks for the explanation, though it wasn't pleasant
 
Old 06-17-2011, 06:05 AM   #757
brianL
LQ 5k Club
 
Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Oldham, Lancs, England
Distribution: Slackware64 15; Slackware64-current (VM); Debian 12 (VM)
Posts: 8,272
Blog Entries: 61

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
There's also a related expression, rendered here in a sort-of Lancashire accent:
"Eeee, lad (or lass), tha's med a reet pig's ear o' yon!"
Translation:
"I say, sir (or madam), you appear to have made an awful mess of that!"
 
Old 06-17-2011, 07:33 AM   #758
XavierP
Moderator
 
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Kent, England
Distribution: Debian Testing
Posts: 19,192
Blog Entries: 4

Rep: Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475
No problem Ani

And good to see Brian spreading good old northern dialect to the masses!
 
Old 06-17-2011, 07:56 AM   #759
brianL
LQ 5k Club
 
Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Oldham, Lancs, England
Distribution: Slackware64 15; Slackware64-current (VM); Debian 12 (VM)
Posts: 8,272
Blog Entries: 61

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Quote:
Originally Posted by XavierP View Post
And good to see Brian spreading good old northern dialect to the masses!
When I'm king, it will be compulsory. No more posh talk, no more "estuary" accent, or whatever. Anybody caught pronouncing their aitches will be flogged through the streets.
 
Old 06-17-2011, 07:56 AM   #760
SL00b
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2011
Location: LA, US
Distribution: SLES
Posts: 375

Rep: Reputation: 112Reputation: 112
More specifically, a sow is an adult female pig.
 
Old 06-17-2011, 08:16 AM   #761
cascade9
Senior Member
 
Registered: Mar 2011
Location: Brisneyland
Distribution: Debian, aptosid
Posts: 3,753

Rep: Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935Reputation: 935
Quote:
Originally Posted by XavierP View Post
And good to see Brian spreading good old northern dialect to the masses!
Next up, he will be bringing Ecky Thump to the world.

Quote:
Originally Posted by brianL View Post
When I'm king, it will be compulsory. No more posh talk, no more "estuary" accent, or whatever. Anybody caught pronouncing their aitches will be flogged through the streets.
Aaprt from teh french, of course. They will get a free beer when heard pronouncing 'h'.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SL00b View Post
More specifically, a sow is an adult female pig.
More more specifically, an adult female pig who has been mated, or farrowed once or twice (depending local usage). Or else its a gilt. I think that some places have another name for a female pig who has farrowed 'X' number of times, but I forget exactly what it is. Dam maybe?
 
Old 06-17-2011, 08:27 AM   #762
SL00b
Member
 
Registered: Feb 2011
Location: LA, US
Distribution: SLES
Posts: 375

Rep: Reputation: 112Reputation: 112
Quote:
Originally Posted by cascade9 View Post
More more specifically, an adult female pig who has been mated, or farrowed once or twice (depending local usage). Or else its a gilt. I think that some places have another name for a female pig who has farrowed 'X' number of times, but I forget exactly what it is. Dam maybe?
I see my anal retention has been exceeded. Well done.

This conversation got me to thinking about how many porcine idioms we have... "in a pig's eye," "when pigs fly," "pigging out," "porking," "makin' bacon," etc. What does this apparent pig fetish say about our culture?

For the non-native speakers among us, these idioms loosely translate to:

"in a pig's eye" - never
"when pigs fly" - also never
"pigging out" - grossly overeating... not to be confused with "eat like a pig," which can mean overeating, or making a giant mess while eating, or both.
"porking" and "makin' bacon" - having sex
 
Old 06-17-2011, 08:41 AM   #763
Aquarius_Girl
Senior Member
 
Registered: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,731
Blog Entries: 29

Rep: Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940Reputation: 940
Quote:
Originally Posted by XavierP View Post
No problem Ani :D
I like my friends calling me Ani, really.
and this reminds me that I am yet to reply to your last mail, which I am going to do now.
 
Old 06-17-2011, 09:02 AM   #764
brianL
LQ 5k Club
 
Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Oldham, Lancs, England
Distribution: Slackware64 15; Slackware64-current (VM); Debian 12 (VM)
Posts: 8,272
Blog Entries: 61

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Another one:
pig ignorant = stupid, with bad manners
 
Old 06-17-2011, 01:27 PM   #765
sycamorex
LQ Veteran
 
Registered: Nov 2005
Location: London
Distribution: Slackware64-current
Posts: 5,836
Blog Entries: 1

Rep: Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251Reputation: 1251
Putting it all together - would the following sentence be correct?
Quote:
In a pig's eye will I be so pig ignorant to pig out while porking.
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
LXer: Using KVocTrain to Build Your Foreign Language Vocabulary LXer Syndicated Linux News 0 09-16-2007 03:21 AM
english spelling/grammar kpachopoulos General 4 11-14-2005 06:18 PM
Proper grammar questions. randyriver10 General 17 08-17-2004 03:14 PM
Can I have english menu with chinese/english/spanish input? codec Linux - General 9 10-04-2003 07:18 PM
Grammar/ Parser questions? JMC Programming 0 06-06-2002 03:18 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Non-*NIX Forums > General

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:13 PM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration