It
seems that artificial intelligence will finally have arrived when a
computer can make sense of:-
Time
flies like an arrow.
Fruit
flies like a banana.
Assuming
it speaks English. The task may be easier in other languages.
One
of the runners in the weekend's triathlon was called Cerda. This is
quite funny as its basic meaning is 'Sow'. However, it also means
'whore'. In this, it's joined by apparently dozens of feminine forms
of words which, in the masculine, are innocuous but which in the feminine can mean 'whore'. For example
perro/perra.
Something very Spanish.
Talking
of words . . . The French newspaper, La
Liberácion,
today carried the headline - Caisse-toi,
riche con.
This was directed at the multi-millionaire who wants to become
Belgian, to avoid taxes. The English version of the last word begins
with c and contains an n and is hardly ever seen in print. This might
be true of the Spanish equivalent too (coño)
but, verbally, you're never far away from it. So weak is the taboo in
its respect, you can hear grannies using it as a term of endearment.
If you really want to upset someone in Spain, you have to call them
cabrón,
or billy-goat. Utterly innocuous in English, it acquires its strength
in Spanish because, I think, there's the presence of horns and, thus,
cuckolding.
What
a difficult situation for Sr Rajoy, the Spanish president.
Constitutionally averse, as he is, to taking decisions, he's being
nut-crackered by the Empress of Europe above him and the would-be
Emperor of an independent Cataluña below him. No wonder he's doing
an impersonation of Janus. Facing the Catalan president, he
pronounced yesterday:- “We're not going to be influenced by a
hullabaloo.” And facing Mrs Merkel, he's insisted he won't be
rushed into handing over the levers of economic management to a group
of apparatchiks in Brussels. As if he has any choice!
Mr
Rajoy, by the way, has assured us he's not planning more tax
increases and will not raid the pension fund. Given that he's broken
many electoral promises in the last year, one would be foolish to
believe him.
So,
what's the Spanish for hullabaloo,
I hear you ask. Well, it's algarabía
But what's fascinating is its other meanings. Viz.:-
- Gabble
- Gibberish
- Jargon
- Racket
- The confused noise of several people talking or shouting at the same time
- Arabic, and
- Cornflower(!)
Are
we to conclude that the Spanish think the Arabs make even more
noise than they do? I love the fact that they actually have a
word for something that surrounds you here - 'The confused noise of
several people talking or shouting at the same time'. Maybe we do too
- cacophony. Yes? No?
It's
pretty commonplace in Spain to see people staying in place after
they've done something which would lead to their resignation
elsewhere. Especially when it comes to politicians. However, there
was a case recently of a scientist deciding that the bones found in a
garden bonfire were not those of two missing children but, rather, those of two dogs. When this finding was reversed, she did do
the decent thing and resigned. Though she may have been pushed, of
course.
My
three magazines arrived all in the same mail yesterday. The Economist
was the latest edition, making it ever more likely that the previous
two or three issues have simply disappeared into the interstices of the Post
Office.
Finally
. . . I heard today that you can, in the UK, bury your loved ones
yourself. You're not obliged to use anyone's services and the
paperwork is minimal. The State actually seeks to help you with your
DIY aspirations. Things may be the same here in Spain. Though I
rather doubt it.
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