Help, with translations

[Absinthe]

Could you help me finish my job before the night comes? :o I would appreciate it :thumb001:

What's an English word for someone who is well-rounded, excels in many fields, sort of like a Renaissance man?

I know that there is a word but I can't remember it now :wink

[poiuytrewq0987]

Jack of all trades?

[Absinthe]

Thanks, but I need an adjective. I believe I heard it once from Oswiu but I can't retrieve it now. :)

You know, one of those fancy words in SAT word lists :p

[poiuytrewq0987]

Thanks, but I need an adjective. I believe I heard it once from Oswiu but I can't retrieve it now. :)

You know, one of those fancy words in SAT word lists :p

Versatile? I dunno. :icon_lol:

[Absinthe]

Versatile? I dunno. :icon_lol:
That's not the one I was looking for but it will do for now. Thanks a million :)

[poiuytrewq0987]

Absinthe, I think I've found the word, it's polymath. ;)

[Absinthe]

Absinthe, I think I've found the word, it's polymath. ;)
Nah, we talked about "polymath" already (which is a Greek word by the way) but the girls thought we needed a less extravagant word. :)

Plus, we needed the equivalent of the word πολυπράγμων (polypragmon) which is somehow different from πολυμαθής (polymath).

The latter is someone who knows a lot, whereas the former is someone who does a lot. :)

[Lulletje Rozewater]

Absinthe, I think I've found the word, it's polymath. ;)
Correct,or maybe Universal Man or Generalist or for a woman
:D:D

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

[Absinthe]

I'll be back with more questions, three more texts to do now...

(appreciate the help!)

[The Ripper]

Dexterous?

[Tolleson]

What's an English word for someone who is well-rounded, excels in many fields, sort of like a Renaissance man?

He's such a "tolleson"! That looks so good in print. :thumb001:

I hope this doesn't get another neg rep! :D

I'm a legend in my own mind. :D

[Aemma]

accomplished? cultivated? consummate? masterly?

[Osweo]

I believe I heard it once from Oswiu but I can't retrieve it now. :)
Uh oh... the pressure!!! :eek:

What's an English word for someone who is well-rounded, excels in many fields, sort of like a Renaissance man?
Why that's easy and ... :rage ... Aemma beat me to it!

accomplished? cultivated? consummate? masterly?

But if you're still looking for summat... Hmmm.... 'a good all-rounder' is a solidly Germanic phrase, if the obvious Latinisms don't match the style, though it's undoubtedly much 'homelier'...

I normally have to sleep on this sort of thing, I'm afraid. :( I hope Aemma's are suitable! I like 'accomplished' best. It was a word they liked in the Nineteenth Century especially, when this ideal enjoyed its bloom. O, happy days. I only fulfill this role to the minor level of dilletante, however. :cry:

[Osweo]

Hmmm, as food for thought, look at this list of 'competent men';

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competent_man

Jeeves and Holmes came to mind for me at first, and some musing on them might bring some good words to mind. If you can't think of it, think around it for a while, and it might just pop into your head of itself. :)

Or would simple 'able' do? :p

[Electronic God-Man]

I only fulfill this role to the minor level of dilletante, however. :cry:

I hate that word, dilettante. An old Latin professor of mine from high school once told me that I ran the risk of becoming nothing more than a dilettante if I didn't try to specialize and focus on one thing instead of the myriad of things I am interested in. I had no idea what it meant so I had to look it up! :D


A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge.


:mad:

[Osweo]

An old Latin professor of mine from high school once told me that I ran the risk of becoming nothing more than a dilettante if I didn't try to specialize and focus on one thing instead of the myriad of things I am interested in.
And he was quite right, my Boy! Let me be your example of how badly this can turn out. ;)

[Absinthe]

Morning folks!! :)

Can you please give me a couple of synonyms for the word "iconic"?

(it is in reference to the band Sex Pistols)

[poiuytrewq0987]

Morning folks!! :)

Can you please give me a couple of synonyms for the word "iconic"?

(it is in reference to the band Sex Pistols)

legendary, famous, symbolic

[SwordoftheVistula]

symbolic would not work for this use very well.

Emblematic would be an excellent one I think

[Osweo]

If we spread a bit wider we can take in all sorts of notions such as 'epochal', 'ground-breaking', 'genre-defining', 'trail-blazing'... :p Is this all far too late now?

[Absinthe]

Thanks all! :)

Synonyms for "demimondaine" and "demimonde" please... :o

(I know what it means, I just need to find a Greek word for it and english synonyms might help)

[Osweo]

Demimonde?!? Never heard it in my life, but apparently it has been borrowed into English, German and Russian... :p

полусвет, демимонд
а) женщины лёгкого поведения
б) люди сомнительной репутации
'A woman of easy behaviour', 'people of doubtful reputation'... :eek:
What ARE you translating! :D

Apparently 'Demimonde' would be allowed in English as itself.

'loose woman' might cover it?

[Absinthe]

I am translating some singer's interview, who describes herself as such... :p

[Loki]

This side of London, he would really be flattered if you told him he was a Diamond Geezer (http://www.diamondgeezer.com/diamondgeezer/). :D :thumb001:



WHAT DOES 'DIAMOND GEEZER' MEAN?

The phrase 'Diamond Geezer' is London slang; the Oxford slang dictionary defines a 'Diamond Geezer' as ......

A really wonderful man, helpful and reliable; a gem of a man. A commonly heard extension to 'diamond'. [Mainly London use] meaning a good 'solid' reliable person.


^^ My first boss in London, a true Cockney lady, told me I was that. :P :P :P

[Absinthe]

How would you explain/translate the expression "wild timed"?

Context:
"As a teenager, I became fond of fashion of the 60’s and 70’s, which were such wild timed for an adolescent or a young person."

[Absinthe]

Also, the word "tuff"

"but I think the more a period is tuff, inhuman or too technological"...

[SuuT]

How would you explain/translate the expression "wild timed"?

Context:
"As a teenager, I became fond of fashion of the 60’s and 70’s, which were such wild timed for an adolescent or a young person."

Wild times? = excitingly new, novel, intensely interesting (as in a paradigm shift within the context of those times mentioned).


Also, the word "tuff"

"but I think the more a period is tuff, inhuman or too technological"...

:confused2: Do you mean "tough" or "tuff" as in the type of rock/stone?

[Osweo]

How would you explain/translate the expression "wild timed"?
As a common typing error, S being next to D on the QWERTY keyboard layout... ;) THere's no doubt about it in this instance.

Also, the word "tuff"

"but I think the more a period is tuff, inhuman or too technological"...
As an odd bout of illiteracy. It's plain they mean 'tough'. :thumb001:

[Absinthe]

The author writes "tuff", not tough. I thought it might be either misspelling or some sort of metaphorical meaning... :)

[Absinthe]

"They say that history is not nostalgia but the most efficient engine to image and visualize the future. The future though, needs roots. One has to know where he comes from only to gain the idea of where to move forward."

Guess who's saying that ;) (rep points to whoever finds it)

[SwordoftheVistula]

How would you explain/translate the expression "wild timed"?

Context:
"As a teenager, I became fond of fashion of the 60’s and 70’s, which were such wild timed for an adolescent or a young person."

Direct translation 'wild times' could work, or 'Heady times'


Also, the word "tuff"

"but I think the more a period is tuff, inhuman or too technological"...

'tough' (proper spelling), brutal

[Absinthe]

Where is fashion heading?

-"Straight to a gap, towards a dead end"

Is that an equivalent of "between a rock and a hard place"? :icon_ask:

[Osweo]

Where is fashion heading?

-"Straight to a gap, towards a dead end"

Is that an equivalent of "between a rock and a hard place"? :icon_ask:

No. Quite different. That last idiom means a difficult situation with no way out.

If fashion's going to a 'dead end' that's not exactly a fiendish place to get out of. It could 'turn back'. :p

Your sample is weird English though. Is it just a direct translation of the Greek? Perhaps 'chasm' or 'precipice' is more the idea in 'gap'? But then you lose the chance for a pun invoking the Gap retailers... :D

[Absinthe]

No. Quite different. That last idiom means a difficult situation with no way out.

If fashion's going to a 'dead end' that's not exactly a fiendish place to get out of. It could 'turn back'. :p

Many thanks! :thumb001: I would have mistranslated it.


Your sample is weird English though. Is it just a direct translation of the Greek?

Apparently it is the French way of speaking English :p

[ikki]

first one, diletantte :p (yeah, familliar with the cuthulhu universe :D )

Sounds like you decided finally go to nato and apply as terrorist-text-translator.. and they are testing your versatility and comprehension..

[SwordoftheVistula]

Yes, "into the abyss" or "down a dead end street" would be a better way to put it

[Absinthe]

Sounds like you decided finally go to nato and apply as terrorist-text-translator.. and they are testing your versatility and comprehension..

Aye, you can say that again!! :shocked:

Please help me comprehend this sentence...


The industry has become so powerful and big , it seems that everything is possible. Is there a line separating prêt-a-porter from couture since everything made the second so special doesn’t have the same impact anymore?

I really can't figure out what "since everything made the second so special " means... :confused: :eek:

(that is actually bad english, is it not? :p)

[SwordoftheVistula]

I think they are trying to say this:

The industry has become so powerful and big, it seems that everything is possible. Is there still a line separating 'prêt-a-porter' from 'couture', since everything that made the latter so special no longer has the same impact?

[Absinthe]

This is how I understood it also, after repeated readings :p

Combination of bad phrasing and lack of punctuation :rolleyes:

Thanks :thumbs

[Frigga]

How would you explain/translate the expression "wild timed"?

Context:
"As a teenager, I became fond of fashion of the 60’s and 70’s, which were such wild timed for an adolescent or a young person."

I hope I'm not too late to be of help with this one! :(

Some dorky ones for your consideration...... :D

revolutionary and retro
free spirited
groovy and glam
mod and fierce
sexy and daring

[Absinthe]

I can be doing hats for geese one day and flying to New York to do a catwalk the next.

Is that an expression? He's not seriously making hats for geese, is he? :D

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_clCb5DEqT_c/Sf8I0aGihtI/AAAAAAAAAo8/tX0K_X79IL8/s400/Geese.JPG

[ikki]

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Silly-Little-Goose/Nancy-Tafuri/e/9780545156929

The wind blows, bringing the farmer's hat to rest in just the right spot. While the idea of a hat for goose to lay her eggs is not new, Tafuri's story for ...


= making the world cozy for someone else?
either that, or similar to the "making a better mousetrap" basically idling away

[Osweo]

Is that an expression? He's not seriously making hats for geese, is he? :D

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_clCb5DEqT_c/Sf8I0aGihtI/AAAAAAAAAo8/tX0K_X79IL8/s400/Geese.JPG

Seems to me that it's most likely an error for 'Greece'!

It would be great idiom :D, but it doesn't seem suitable in the sentence, really, as it's followed by a mundane thing in the next clause.

If you're in doubt, ask a Frenchman. But I bet it's just an error.

[Absinthe]

This request is slightly different than the previous ones:

If anyone could help me find witty, sharp titles for the presentation of the following products.

- Bright colored nail polish

- Bronze/terracota make-up products

[Osweo]

Ooh, that's a bit harder... What is the context, and what will the whole piece be like? A one page mini-article?

[Frigga]

I couldn't think of titles, I would need more information about the products, but hopefully these will help. :)

Bright colored nail polish:

Dazzling
Electric
Stunning
Mesmerizing
Daring
Bold
Flashy
Moxie
Fanciful
Glam


Bronze/terracota make-up products:
Earthy
Turn yourself into a bronzed:
-Beauty
-Goddess
-Seductress
-Temptress

[Osweo]

Good stuff, Frigga, but...

Moxie
QUE?!?

What the hell is that? Some godforsaken Yiddisch?!? :eek:

[Frigga]

Moxie; noun, slang: Courage in adversity.

[SwordoftheVistula]

Is that an expression? He's not seriously making hats for geese, is he? :D


I think he is 'illustrating absurdity by being absurd', saying something ridiculous to illustrate the wide variety of things he does in the fashion world. But no, I do not think he actually makes hats for geese, nor is it any common expression.

[Absinthe]

Jewellery, or jewelry?

Behold the question! :sing:

[Daos]

Jewelry is in American English and jewellery is in British English...

[Absinthe]

Jewelry is in American English and jewellery is in British English...
So which one is more "appropriate"? Is one of the two less formal or they equally correct to use in any occasion?

[Osweo]

Just depends what you're writing for, and who their primary audience is. If you usually use REAL English, use the longer one so you don't confuse yourself in future!

[Frigga]

I've never seen the longer version before! :eek:

[Lulletje Rozewater]

I've never seen the longer version before! :eek:

Invention from Oppenheimer:)

[Absinthe]

I've never seen the longer version before! :eek:
Really?! That's funny :p

In Greece there's two types of exams that certify Proficiency in the English language.

One is the Cambridge exam and the other is called the Michigan (obviously, English and American-English respectively).
Back in by days I don't think that Michigan was an option (I would have probably picked Cambridge anyway) so I had to learn all those fancy words and expressions that don't exist in the American language :D
Of course, because my later education was in an American College, I forgot all about them.
But I did learn to write colour instead of color, neighbour instead of neighbor, jewellery instead of jewelry, draught instead of draft, etc :p

And for the record, most Greeks today opt for the Michigan exam because supposedly it is much easier (I can't say as I haven't tried it, but I hear it's mostly multiple choice answers)/

[SwordoftheVistula]

Jewellery, or jewelry?

Behold the question! :sing:

The word is jewry :D

No really, it's jewelry

http://www.banksinternationaljewelry.com/image/20544497.bmp

[Absinthe]

"In the face off" ...something -

is there a negative connotation to this expression?

[Osweo]

"In the face off" ...something -

is there a negative connotation to this expression?

Just looks like another (very easy to do) typo, to me. 'Of' in other words. 'In the face of' - isn't brilliant English to my aesthetic sensibilities, but could well be some native speaker's words.

Could I have the full sentence, or at least some idea of it, to be sure?

[SwordoftheVistula]

"In the face off" ...something -

is there a negative connotation to this expression?

"In the face of-" is used to indicate adversity, for example "in the face of a growing blizzard, she still continued down the path"

"Face off" is meant to indicate a challenge between two parties, for example "In the face off between the North and South Korean navies, one would give the advantage to the North"

[Absinthe]

"In the face of-" is used to indicate adversity, for example "in the face of a growing blizzard, she still continued down the path"

Thanks, that was exactly my impression. The author had used this expression in a different manner:

"in the face of supermodels on-the-rise, the "X" photographer created his portfolio..."

whereas she should have said something "during the time that supermodels were on-the-rise, ...."

I knew there was something wrong but I just wasn't sure :)

[Absinthe]

Can an English speaker please explain this idiom to me?

"perhaps people were grabbing for certainties"

[Vesuvian Sky]

Can an English speaker please explain this idiom to me?

"perhaps people were grabbing for certainties"

May mean something more like "trying to find what is known beyond doubt".

[Absinthe]

Thanks! Anyone who is sure about the meaning? :)

[Osprey]

Could you help me finish my job before the night comes? :o I would appreciate it :thumb001:

What's an English word for someone who is well-rounded, excels in many fields, sort of like a Renaissance man?

I know that there is a word but I can't remember it now :wink

Homo Universalis?

[Osprey]

Thanks! Anyone who is sure about the meaning? :)

What Vesuvian sky said or maybe, performing a detailed search in an field where superficial/popular search has already been done. Like Sherlock Holmes was grabbing for certainities at the crime spot and hence missed his dinner.

[Absinthe]

Thanks!

[Panzerfaust]

Can an English speaker please explain this idiom to me?

"perhaps people were grabbing for certainties"

Das klingt wie "grasping for ...", also, "Vielleicht suchten die Leute nach Bestimmtheiten" oder sowas.

[Absinthe]

This is the full phrase.


The whole country was beginning to fall apart; perhaps people were grabbing for certainties.

So if I get this right, in this context, it means people were trying to grasp what was the matter. Right? :)

[Panzerfaust]

This is the full phrase.



So if I get this right, in this context, it means people were trying to grasp what was the matter. Right? :)

They were struggling to understand what was happening, to find clear explanations, I would say. So, yeah. I think you're pretty much dead on with it there.

[Panzerfaust]

They were struggling to understand what was happening, to find clear explanations, I would say. So, yeah. I think you're pretty much dead on with it there.

I want to add: People were feeling a lot of Angst, a lot of uncertainty. People fear what they do not understand by nature, hence they seek certainty in times like these. That is at the core of the words you are asking about. So, maybe I would be going too far in suggesting that they wanted clear explanations for unheaval, and should say instead that people were looking for any certain beliefs, even if they were not directly related to the troubles at hand.

Religion comes to mind as something "certain" that people can and will cling to when times get tough, for instance.

[Blackout]

This is the full phrase.

The whole country was beginning to fall apart; perhaps people were grabbing for certainties.

So if I get this right, in this context, it means people were trying to grasp what was the matter. Right? :)

Yes, I think you have the idea. Although its a case of people trying to clasp the 'reality' of the situation at hand. That is probably why the country was 'metaphorically' or even 'physically' falling apart. The anarchy that must have been caused in all the confusion and disunity, in regards to what people think is 'right'.

[Frigga]

This is the full phrase.

The whole country was beginning to fall apart; perhaps people were grabbing for certainties.

So if I get this right, in this context, it means people were trying to grasp what was the matter. Right? :)

I would interpret it differently, personally. I would think that if the whole country was falling apart, people would grasp at what they knew was a constant and true thing, and hold on to that as like a security blanket.

Like for example:

A child grasps at a certainty of a tried and true and trusted stuffed animal in the face of an uncertain event, e.g. their parent dies (an extreme example) a car accident, a house fire, the loss of a beloved pet. There is a lot of emotional upheaval in there, so the child grasps at a certainty, that the stuffed animal will always feel good to cuddle, and that it will always be there, and that the child can take it with them everywhere.

So, people grasping at certainties in the face of a country falling apart, they try to find what is certain and true and unchanging. Which in that situation, is quite hard to find I can imagine.

Just my two cents. :)