Same thought, different expression

there are times when you just can’t use Google translate, or any other translate program, for that matter. One of those instances occurs when using common phrases which really are different according to culture.

The following example is the one I have mostly commonly used. In English – Scaredy Cat. In German? Angst Hasse. An afraid cat – vs. an anxious rabbit. The underlying concept is the same, but the cultural expression is by far different.

I just acquired a new parallel –

I’ll kept my fingers crossed =  Ich drück die Daumen dass es weiter aufwärts geht !

 
Obviously, I mostly have the German/English variations. Most the Yiddish I know doesn’t lend itself to this kind of comparison. The French I learned in high school/college wasn’t of the level or of enough interest to spark any comparisons.

So, if you have them – other language contributions welcome.

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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2 Responses to Same thought, different expression

  1. Cat says:

    the French go “window licking” rather than “window shopping” – ugh

  2. Holly says:

    Oh, that is rather nasty. I was thinking more in line with culture changing the object, but the underlying idea being the same.

    and I will not go down the rabbit hole of tongue twisters….

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