( . . . and I knew what you meant. English English not American English. Or Engrish.)
Posted on 04/13/2007 8:55:07 AM PDT by kevin_in_so_cal
English language experts say that, with the 2008 Olympics less than 500 days away, there is still a long way to go before standard English translations of the names of dishes and drinks sold in Beijing restaurants can be finalized.
Garbled and misleading English signs in tourist spots have long confused English speakers in Beijing. Problems range from obscure abbreviations, word-for-word translations of Chinese characters into English, improper omissions and misspellings.
But what confuses them even more are English menus in Beijing restaurants.
However, not everyone agrees with the need to standardize everything. "Weird and wonderful English on Beijing menus -- like "pee soup", "complicated cakes" and "grass with fishy smell" -- are part of the city's charm," said Theo Theodopolopodis, a Greek businessman who has been living in Beijing for two years. "If we sanitize everything, what happens to local flavor?"
Liu Yang, vice director of the Beijing foreign affairs office, told reporters Wednesday that his office has invited English language experts from the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore to join the English menu translation work team.
"They are finding the work challenging," said Liu, adding that Beijing has already publicized standard English signs for museums, scenic spots and subways.
Liu said that Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme has been using the internet to identify the most accurate English names for Chinese dishes, and is working on a list of more than 1,000 dish and drink names.
Beijing claims to have 4.87 million residents who can speak English, accounting for 32 percent of the total population in the municipality.
Statistics indicate that around 2.85 million foreign tourists came to Beijing last year and the number is expected to top three million this year.
Nope. See post up thread.
It isn't peddling or selling . . . you're not trying to sell anybody anything, you're saying, "Move along, move along . . . nothing to see here."
Yep. That one actually bothers me more than soft-peddle/pedal/petal.
Maybe peddle is English usage.
I remember my mother (doctorate in English education) correcting my usage on a paper once, but the example that sticks out in my mind came from a BBC radio program called “My Word.” The origin of the idiom as related to peddling was somewhat contentious.
Ah well, both origins make sense to me.
Another one: torturous vs. tortuous. Every time I read about “torturous reasoning,” I wince. Though when I read some liberal talking points, the reasoning does seem torturous to me... but I’m pretty sure that is not what is intended.
They have many wonderful features that the newer ones don't have, although you would want to update some of the spellings.
(I checked.)
"My Word" is entertaining but the writers seem to occasionally want to stir the possum a little. And false etymologies are a dime a dozen. . . . e.g. POSH as Port Out Starboard Home, TIP To Insure Promptness, etc.
I inherited my grandmother’s M/W . . . it’s the big one on India paper. The OED I had to buy for myself, the 6-page-per-sheet version that comes with a magnifying glass (MUCH cheaper than the 8 volume set — but hard to read, esp. as I get older.) Got Fowler at a yard sale for two bucks.
You know what comes next. The person wrote back, "But they're both equal in Webster 11" (the current abridged).
It's okay to continue to spell "goodbye" with a hyphen, according to these "lexicographers," which nobody does but the people who put the M-W abridged together, yet every mistake is immediately enshrined between the hated red covers.
Book copyeditors have to use this dictionary, just so we'll all be using the same one, and it could be worse.
Webster’s Second Unabridged also came in a five-volume set, which was much easier to use. I bought one for the library of the publishing house where I worked. Have never seen another one.
Drew a blank on ABE . . . which is REALLY unusual. They have a 2 vol. but no 5 vol.
It could have been a one-time-only rebinding. I got it in one of those used bookstores on Fourth Avenue NYC in the 1960s.
Sorry, meant to write British usage.
Even in the 70s when I was in school in Jersey.
( . . . and I knew what you meant. English English not American English. Or Engrish.)
I agree with you completely, it is so frustrating to see mistakes become accepted usage just through sheer repetition. I grew up in a town, the name of which was two words, and it irritated me over the years to see it gradually combined into one word.
What’s Mandarin for “Soylent Green” ?
It works for imitation maple syrup.
s, write?
Use goozoogle for soft-pedaled and soft-peddled and you will see that you are the on the right but wrong end of that horse; by a greater than 4-1 margin, soft-pedaled out-hits (ouch) soft-peddled in all forms. (Peddled is correct)
So much for the hard-sell (1,293,000); or should that be hard-sale (33,000)?
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