A Few More Language Tidbits
My big kids` school is named for a sixth century Irish saint, and until recently was heavily Irish. But now so many other groups have moved in that it`s hard to say which one dominates. There are enough Spanish-speakers to have a Spanish-language mass, and there`s a large and influential Phillipino community.
Oddly enough, I have had an easier time understanding some of the Spanish-speaking parents than some of the Irish parents.
When Daughter said her friend had a "feis" (pronounced, "fesh"), I thought, how nice, her friend has an aquarium. It wasn`t until her friend`s mother started talking about dresses, shoes and hair-curling techniques that I realized it had something to do with Irish dancing, not little aquatic pets with scales and fins.
And one day the father of another player on Big Son`s soccer team said that he didn`t play soccer himself when he was growing up in Ireland, only "harlan."
I came home and looked up "harlan," and this was all I found:
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary -- One entry found for Harlan. Function: biographical name. John Marshall 1833-1911 & his grandson 1899-1971 American jurists; grandfather was associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court (1877-1911); declared constitution "color-blind"; grandson was associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court (1955-71) .
I knew that couldn`t be it. It took me a few more weeks to realize what he said was, hurling.
But it was a good thing I didn`t understand him right away, or I would have been even more confused. You see, where I come from, "hurling" was another word for barfing --- as in, puking, regurgitating, throwing up, etc. College drinking games and bulimic bosom buddies notwithstanding, hurling wasn`t a team sport.
Words are such slippery things. More than two decades ago, when I was taking a college Japanese test and meant to say, "otera," the word for "Buddhist temple," I instead said, "otearai." So the sentence I wrote was, "Someday I want to visit many Japanese restrooms."
And you know what? Not only did I get full credit for writing a grammatically correct sentence, but I did get my wish, and have since visited hundreds of restrooms all over Japan.
And in some of them, I even hurled.
Oddly enough, I have had an easier time understanding some of the Spanish-speaking parents than some of the Irish parents.
When Daughter said her friend had a "feis" (pronounced, "fesh"), I thought, how nice, her friend has an aquarium. It wasn`t until her friend`s mother started talking about dresses, shoes and hair-curling techniques that I realized it had something to do with Irish dancing, not little aquatic pets with scales and fins.
And one day the father of another player on Big Son`s soccer team said that he didn`t play soccer himself when he was growing up in Ireland, only "harlan."
I came home and looked up "harlan," and this was all I found:
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary -- One entry found for Harlan. Function: biographical name. John Marshall 1833-1911 & his grandson 1899-1971 American jurists; grandfather was associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court (1877-1911); declared constitution "color-blind"; grandson was associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court (1955-71) .
I knew that couldn`t be it. It took me a few more weeks to realize what he said was, hurling.
But it was a good thing I didn`t understand him right away, or I would have been even more confused. You see, where I come from, "hurling" was another word for barfing --- as in, puking, regurgitating, throwing up, etc. College drinking games and bulimic bosom buddies notwithstanding, hurling wasn`t a team sport.
Words are such slippery things. More than two decades ago, when I was taking a college Japanese test and meant to say, "otera," the word for "Buddhist temple," I instead said, "otearai." So the sentence I wrote was, "Someday I want to visit many Japanese restrooms."
And you know what? Not only did I get full credit for writing a grammatically correct sentence, but I did get my wish, and have since visited hundreds of restrooms all over Japan.
And in some of them, I even hurled.
posted by L. at 7:34 PM
7 Comments:
That's even better than my toboggans.
Someplace I learned the meanings of both form of hurling but an Irish sport is not the first one to spring to mind.
a woman of many talents! :)))
I have never heard of hurling... hmmmm.... that's a new one. of course we find here that old Yokshire men are the hardest to understand. the other day at the store the produce guy was talking to me, as we picked new potatoes up off the floor... I grabbed a bag that had a split in it. and I nodded and smiled and didn't get a word of what he was saying...
but he was very nice, and didn't seem to notice...
mollie
I was talking to this English bloke one day about my new born baby.
I told him that my father had come all the way to Japan so he could be here when she was born.
He went
-Was your father made up?
I said - No, My husband made her name.
He went
-No. Was he happy?
-Ya.
Usually I just pretend I understand everyone and hope that I can get the meaning in the context of the sentence.
Since the advent of kids, I too have visited many restrooms. Although not in Japan. Usually I have not had need to barf in them. Hurl just isn't a gross enough euphimism for throwing up, by my lights.
Then again, I really, really, really hate throwing up.
Puking, is too accurate. Actually makes me start to feel nauseous just thinking the word!
I know that you'd asked me about hurling on my blog and I was rude & didn't respond. (I do tend to think of the sport when I hear that word, but I tend to travel in those circles.) It seems to be something like field hockey. (The traditional hero of the game was Setanta, who later became Cu Chullain.)
I live in Massachusetts, and the Guinness ads on the TV often feature hurling. (The gaelic game, not what happens when you drink too much of the stuff.) We have a large Irish population, but sometimes I wonder how many people actually know the game that's being played...
Hurling
Puking
hmm
Always liked the phrase
blowing chunks
priceless!
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