Spanish word of the day
Quote: pacomartinAcaso from <<de caso>> which might be translated as "perhaps", but it means literally "in case" .
Quizá translated as "perhaps" first and also "maybe"
No. The usage for it to mean "in case" is "por si acaso." As in "Llevate un paraguas por si acaso llueve."
Quote:"tal vez" translated as "perhaps" or "maybe", but more literally "equal time".
Hell no! ;) "Tal vez" means "maybe." Literally it would be "such time." There are a number of prefixes that mean "equal," for example "iso" as in "isotérmico" meaning "same temperature." But "tal" isn't one of them.
Fecha: 22 de Enero, 2012
Palabra: capilla
Today's SWD means chapel, at least according to the dictionary. How is that different from iglesia, you might ask. How is a chapel different from a church? A church is where people go on Sundays to pray, sing, and be told how great/wretched they are (depending on what sells better). I would say that a chapel is still a so-called holy place, but more for the purpose of marriages and funerals, especially for those who don't go to church on a regular basis. Then again, the distinction is fuzzy, and the study of language is not exact science, so I'm sure one could easily find counter-examples.
Ejemplo time.
Qué extraño que el relámpago cayó sobre la capilla en la noche anterior. = How strange that lightning struck the chapel last night.
p.s. Quiero que los Cuervos ganar hoy!
Quote: WizardToday's SWD means chapel, at least according to the dictionary. How is that different from iglesia, you might ask.
The Latin word ecclesia means "assembly" and is the obvious basis for ecclesiastical.
Capilla is derived from a Latin word which also gives us the English words cape, capture, and the root word behind receipt, deceit, and conceit.
Quote: WizardToday's SWD means chapel, at least according to the dictionary. How is that different from iglesia, you might ask. How is a chapel different from a church?
Beats me. In Yiddish any place of prayer is a shul regardless of size, location or attendance. So long, as I understand, as it contains a torah.
Quote:Qué extraño que el relámpago cayó sobre la capilla en la noche anterior. = How strange that lightning struck the chapel last night.
Nothing wrong with that, but the common usage would be "rayo" rather than "relámpago."
Quote:p.s. Quiero que los Cuervos ganar hoy!
Literal: I want the ravens win tonight :)
"Quiero que los Cuervos ganEN hoy."
Good luck
Quote: NareedNothing wrong with that, but the common usage would be "rayo" rather than "relámpago."
Then what does relámpago mean?
Quote: NareedQuiero que los Cuervos ganar hoy!
Literal: I want the ravens win tonight :)
"Quiero que los Cuervos ganEN hoy."
Since the game starts at noon PST, I meant to say "today" not "tonight." So, how would I say "today" and not imply the the night?
Quote: WizardThen what does relámpago mean?
Lightning. That's why I said there's nothing wrong. Just that few people say "relámpago." This is a common trend in most languages, where people will tend to use the shorter word.
Quote:Since the game starts at noon PST, I meant to say "today" not "tonight." So, how would I say "today" and not imply the the night?
"Tonight" was my mistake. I don't know why I wrote that. "Hoy" means "today." There is no single word for tonight, but it's covered by the phrase "esta noche.
Quote: WizardThen what does relámpago mean?
re- prefix
1. indicating return to a previous condition: rebuild ; renew ; retrace ; reunite
2. indicating repetition of an action: recopy; remarry
2. In Spanish often an intensification; rebueno, relámpago (intense lamp)
It looks like the word can mean literal lightening or it can be figurative.
LA RONDA RELAMPAGO
Ross: All right, we have a tie. Luckily, I have prepared for such an event. (He opens up an envelope and holds up some note cards.) The Lightning Round!
All: Ohhhh.
Ross: Thirty seconds, all the questions you can answer.
Monica: You guys are dead, I am so good at lighting rounds.
Chandler: I majored in lightning rounds. All right, we’re gonna destroy you.
Monica: Huh, wanna bet?
Chandler: Well, I’m so confused as to what we’ve been doing so far…
Monica: How about we play for more money, say 150?
Ross: 150 dollars.
Chandler: Say 200?
Ross: 200 dollars.
Monica: You’re doing it again.
Ross: Excuse me.
Rachel: Monica, I don’t want to lose 200 dollars.
Monica: We won’t. (to Chandler) 300?
Rachel: Monica?!
Monica: I’m just trying to spice it up!
Rachel: Okay, so let’s play for some pepper! Stop spending my money!
Monica: I got it! How about, if we win, they have to get rid of the rooster?
Rachel: Oooohh that’s interesting.
Joey: Hey, no way, that rooster’s family!
Rachel: Throw in the duck too!
Joey: What do you have against the duck?! He doesn’t make any noise!
Rachel: Well, he gets the other one all riled up.
Joey: Look, we are not gonna…
Chandler: (interrupting) All right, hold on! If you win, we give up the birds.
Joey: (shocked) Dah!! (Chandler motions for him to calm down.)
Chandler: But if we win, we get your apartment.
Joey: Oooooh!
Monica: Deal!
Palabra: perdonar
¡Feliz Nuevo Año Chino todos! This is the year of the dragon, which is the most important year in the 12-year cycle. Dragon years are supposed to be lucky, and any new venture you try in a Dragon year will be have the odds in its favor. The word in Spanish for dragon is el dragón, which is an easy cognate.
One of the many traditions surrounding Chinese New Year is that it is a time of forgiveness. It is a time to reconcile old grudges and start a new year with a clean slate. Isn't this the same tradition with the Jewish new year?
So, I'm making perdonar, which means forgive, the SWD. Perhaps it is a pretty obvious. I think most gringos that make the least effort to learn some Spanish know that perdón means excuse me.
Ejemplo time.
Me perdóna, Padre, porque he pecado. = Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
Quote: WizardMe perdóna, Padre, porque he pecado. = Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
Padre, me perdone, porque he pecado.
You want to use the conditional mood (same ending as imperative mood). It isn't a command, but you use "conditional" as a courtesy. With the 'a' ending it is indicative mood which is incorrect since you are not making a statement but a request.
Also correct would be
Padre, perdoneme, porque he pecado.
It is similar to the One Semester Love Song Lyrics
Perdoneme, perdoneme.
Uno dos tres y cuatro,
Cino seis siete ocho nueve diez.
No remembero how to say eleven.
Nareed will correct me if I am wrong.
Quote: Wizard¡Feliz Nuevo Año Chino todos!
Gracias,
But it's "Feliz Año Nuevo Chino A todos."
Quote:One of the many traditions surrounding Chinese New Year is that it is a time of forgiveness. It is a time to reconcile old grudges and start a new year with a clean slate. Isn't this the same tradition with the Jewish new year?
I'm not sure. As I recall, you ask god to forgive you. I don't recall anyone ever asking my forgiveness, or me asking anyone's, either at new year's or at Yom Kippur.
Quote:Me perdóna, Padre, porque he pecado. = Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
That's technically correct, but I'll let our esteemed member of the clergy correct it, if it needs corerection.
Quote: pacomartinPadre, me perdone, porque he pecado.
"Father, I forgave me, because I have sinned."
I don't know much about Catholic beliefs, but itwould seem the only one who could say that and mean it would be the man from Nazareth. On the other hand, maybe not.
Thw correct wording would be "Pader, me perdonA, porque he pecado."
Quote:Also correct would be
Padre, perdoneme, porque he pecado.
That one is correct.
Quote:Nareed will correct me if I am wrong.
Most times.
Quote: NareedBut it's "Feliz Año Nuevo Chino A todos."
I should have split up the adjectives. As I recall, if there are two adjectives describing a noun then you put the noun in the middle. I assume you would put the more important adjective first.
However, here we have three adjectives. How did you decided to divide them as you did?
Quote: NareedAs I recall, you ask god to forgive you. I don't recall anyone ever asking my forgiveness, or me asking anyone's, either at new year's or at Yom Kippur.
"The Hebrew month preceding Rosh Hashanah, Elul, is designated as a month of introspection and repentance ... It is customary to increase the giving of charity (Tzedakah) and to ask forgiveness from friends." -- Wikipedia entry on the High Holy Days.
Also, I hope nobody minds but I asked Teddys to visit us to comment. He said I could ask him questions about Judaism any time.
Quote: WizardI should have split up the adjectives. As I recall, if there are two adjectives describing a noun then you put the noun in the middle. I assume you would put the more important adjective first.
However, here we have three adjectives. How did you decided to divide them as you did?
Well, there's one noun: año nuevo. Technically I suppose "nuevo" is an adjective, but in practice the whole phrase can be treated as one word describing the holiday. The adjective would be "chino," since you must differentiate it from the regular new year.
Quote:"The Hebrew month preceding Rosh Hashanah, Elul, is designated as a month of introspection and repentance ... It is customary to increase the giving of charity (Tzedakah) and to ask forgiveness from friends." -- Wikipedia entry on the High Holy Days.
I've some vague memories of that. But, really, no one who's not religious takes any of the rituals very seriously. I know lots of people who attend only one part of the Yom Kippur service and nothing else (besides social occassions). Me, I stay away from the whole thing, except when I can't possibly avoid it.
Quote:Also, I hope nobody minds but I asked Teddys to visit us to comment. He said I could ask him questions about Judaism any time.
Better him than me :P
Palabra: Enviar
Today's SWD means to send.
A question for the advanced readers is how does enviar differ from mandar y remitir?
Ejemplo time.
Olvidé a enviar mi madre una tarjeta para el día de las madres. = I forgot to send my mother a card for mother's day.
Quote: WizardA question for the advanced readers is how does enviar differ from mandar y remitir?
Send itself is not from a Latin word, but Anglo Saxon origin. Can include the meaning of the divine, as in "Godsend" and "God sent forth his only son".
The cognates to the Spanish verbs in English are
envoy=someone sent to represent you
remit= something resent
mandate=a command sent to represent your authority
enviar- Hacer que algo se dirija o sea llevado a alguna parte. (Make something addressed or make it brought somewhere).
remitir- Enviar algo a determinada persona de otro lugar.
mandar- Enviar a alguien o remitir algo.
Etymology
enviar.(Del lat. tardío inviāre).2nd definition in DRAE. transitivo
remitir.(Del lat. remittĕre).1st definition in DRAE. transitivo
mandar.(Del lat. mandāre). 4th definition in DRAE. transitivo
Yes. The Jewish New Year is the time to ask each other, and God, for forgiveness. You are supposed to do this in the ten days between Rosh Hashana (New Year's) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). Supposedly this is the best time to talk to God -- when he is most "available," so to speak. I was always told it was more important to get other people to forgive you rather than God; God won't help you unless you have asked that person first. This is consistent with the general principle of Judaism of taking care of your Earthly/moral problems yourself instead of just praying to God about them.Quote: WizardOne of the many traditions surrounding Chinese New Year is that it is a time of forgiveness. It is a time to reconcile old grudges and start a new year with a clean slate. Isn't this the same tradition with the Jewish new year?
If you don't get your repentance in before sundown on the Day of Atonement, you're out of luck because the book is closed and you are either written in for death or for life in the new year.
Every 7th year is a Sabbatical Year, as stated in the bible, where debts are forgiven and whatnot. This isn't really followed anymore except in Israel, and I can't remember when the last Sabbatical year was.
Quote: teddysI was always told it was more important to get other people to forgive you rather than God; God won't help you unless you have asked that person first. This is consistent with the general principle of Judaism of taking care of your Earthly/moral problems yourself instead of just praying to God about them.
That principle appeals to me. I also like the concept of a distant god, whose window is open only week a year. That, I think, would motivate followers to work out their own problems, as opposed to bothering god with every little request.
Quote: teddysEvery 7th year is a Sabbatical Year, as stated in the bible, where debts are forgiven and whatnot. This isn't really followed anymore except in Israel, and I can't remember when the last Sabbatical year was.
Hmm. Is it completely not practiced in Israel? Is there such a thing as a home mortgage? In Argentina there is virtually no such thing, but I'm told it is because the currency is so unstable. Islam is definitely my strong suit, but I hear charging interest on loans is strictly forbidden. I've heard there are ways of getting around that with "rent to own" arrangements.
Quote: WizardA question for the advanced readers is how does enviar differ from mandar y remitir?
Good question. All i can say is "remitir" is seldomly used. If people understand what it means, it's becasue the word "remitente" means "return address."
Quote:Olvidé a enviar mi madre una tarjeta para el día de las madres. = I forgot to send my mother a card for mother's day.
Olvidé enviarLE A mi madre...." Otherwise ok.
Quote: WizardIs there such a thing as a home mortgage? In Argentina there is virtually no such thing, but I'm told it is because the currency is so unstable.
Consider a home mortgage for $100,000 @ 8%. Monthly payments would be:
15 years, $955.65
30 years, $733.76
60 years, $672.29
120 years,$666.71
interest only,$666.67
In the USA you would probably fix a mortgage for no longer than 30 years, but sometimes in certain high value loans, you might do "interest only" for 7 years and then have to refinance.
In Japan in the early 1990's they were extending mortgages for 120 years. At first glance it seems ridiculous since the payment was so close to the "interest only" loan. After all 120 years was roughly the entire life of the yen as money. And when it was created in the 1870's it was worth the same as a US dollar, and now it is worth roughly a penny.
In Latin American countries often mortgages are either non-existent or they have very short terms (like 7 years). At some inflation rates, the principle could be worth a fraction of what it was a decade ago. So a mortgage makes no sense.
Quote: WizardIs there such a thing as a home mortgage? In Argentina there is virtually no such thing, but I'm told it is because the currency is so unstable.
I thought they'd fixed their funny money, like Brazil and others did.
In Mexico you can get a bank loan to buy a home, or credit with the home as colalteral. It's called "Hipoteca" or "Credito Hipotecario." I think you can get it for up to 20 years to pay back.
Quote: NareedI thought they'd fixed their funny money, like Brazil and others did.
In Mexico you can get a bank loan to buy a home, or credit with the home as colalteral. It's called "Hipoteca" or "Credito Hipotecario." I think you can get it for up to 20 years to pay back.
Argentina replaced the currency in 1970 at 100:1, in 1983 at 10,000:1 , in 1985 at 1,000:1 and in 1992 at 10,000:1. Then they fixed it to a dollar for 9 years, until the pressure became too intense. It's very different than Mexico who replaced the peso one time at 1,000:1 .
Inflation in Argentina in 2010 was 22% which means prices double in a little more than 3 years.
Connie Mack III made a proposal in 2000 that the US government extend an offer to governments in the Western Hemisphere that we will purchase all their currency in US paper currency. The idea was that the local government simply operates with the dollar as their currency. In addition the US government will make periodic payments to the local government to make up for their loss in seignorage. The advantage to the USA is more stability in the hemisphere, a better trading partner, and less pressure on illegal immigration (not a big factor for Argentina).
The bill was killed in committee and never put before a senate vote. The grounds were that the proposal had only fuzzy benefits to the USA.
El Salvador was anxiously awaiting the outcome of this proposed bill. When it was killed, they proceeded with the plan to dollarize the country anyway (but it cost the president the election).
---------------------------
The English word mortgage is from Latin "mort" for death, and "gage" which used the obsolete meaning of "to pledge". Originally, it was an 'interest only' payment for normally 5 to 7 years on a relatively small percentage of the equity (usually 50%). At the end of that time, you secured another mortgage or you paid off the interest completely. It was called a "dead pledge" because death came in terms of either a payoff, or foreclosure on the property. The idea of paying off the principal over a given number of years, and requiring a small down payment came about in the depression as home ownership was seen as crucial to economic recovery.
The Spanish word hipoteca is based on the original Latin word hypotheca which was a secured loan. The Mexican loans for 20 years are relatively recent. After the peso collapse in 1993 you could only get 5 to 7 year mortgages.
Quote: NareedIt's called "Hipoteca" or "Credito Hipotecario." I think you can get it for up to 20 years to pay back.
Let's make that the SWD.
Fecha: 26 de Enero, 2012
Palabra: Hipoteca
As Nareed mentioned, hipoteca means mortgage. This was mentioned before, but the word for racetrack is hipodromo. Let's look at some other words that start with hipo:
hipodermica = hyperdermic
hipocrita=hypocritical
hipofosfito=Hypophosphite
hipótesis=Hypothesis
hipotenusa=hypotenuse
If I'm not mistaken, the root "hipo" means under. A question for the advanced readers is a mortgage is under what? In Vegas most of them could mean "underwater."
Ejemplo time
¿Qué índice de interés estás pagando en tu hipoteca? = What interest rate are you paying on your mortage?
Quote: WizardLet's make that the SWD.
Fecha: 26 de Enero, 2012
Palabra: Hipoteca
As Nareed mentioned, hipoteca means mortgage. This was mentioned before, but the word for racetrack is hipodromo. Let's look at some other words that start with hipo:
hipodermica = hyperdermic
hipocrita=hypocritical
hipofosfito=Hypophosphite
hipótesis=Hypothesis
hipotenusa=hypotenuse
If I'm not mistaken, the root "hipo" means under. A question for the advanced readers is a mortgage is under what? In Vegas most of them could mean "underwater."
Ejemplo time
¿Qué índice de interés estás pagando en tu hipoteca? = What interest rate are you paying on your mortage?
hipo (in English hypo) does mean "under". You have to be careful in your example since you gave an example with "hyper" which means "over" or "super". The correct word is hypodermic which means "under the skin".
Hypothecate does exist in English as well, but it is usually a technical legal term.
The word "hypothesis" is more common, it literally means a theory (or thesis) that is "put under".
The idea of going "under" is not related to being "under debt". It would be more common today to think of putting a hypothesis "on the table" or to "run it up the flagpole". I think there is an older concept of the thesis as being "under". It is easier with some medical terms like "hypoglycemic" which is "under the normal amount of sugar".
Quote: WizardAs Nareed mentioned, hipoteca means mortgage. This was mentioned before, but the word for racetrack is hipodromo. Let's look at some other words that start with hipo:
I suppose there are two original Latin prefixes involving "hipo." One means under, one means horse.
Quote:¿Qué índice de interés estás pagando en tu hipoteca? = What interest rate are you paying on your mortage?
By usage you should ask "¿Qué TASA de interés....?
"Tasa" means rate, more or less, usually applied to percentages.
"Taza" means cup.
"Tazza" is an overpriced brand of coffee.
It can get confusing.
In any case, I don't know why the "hipo" in 2hipoteca." More confusing, the suffix "teca" reffers to a palce where certain objets are kept or collected. For example, Library is Biblioteca, A newspaper archive (of actual newspaper copies) is known as "hemeroteca." But other words differ, too, like "Discoteca," which isn't a place where audio records are kept or collected.
Want more confussion? There's an upscale neighborhood in the suburbs called "Tecamachalco" (I used to live just next to it). It's commonly simply called "Teca"
There you ahve it: Latin, Spanish, English and some kind of Mexica language all conspiring to render suffixes meaningless :P
Quote: NareedIn any case, I don't know why the "hipo" in "hipoteca." More confusing, the suffix "teca" reffers to a palce where certain objets are kept or collected. For example, Library is Biblioteca, A newspaper archive (of actual newspaper copies) is known as "hemeroteca."
El término hipoteca es una expresión compuesta, que procede de la lengua griega clásica, derivada de las palabras hypo (debajo) y teka (cajón, caja); es decir, que la hypo-teka era para los griegos algo que estaba oculto, aquello que permanecía escondido debajo del cajón, puesto que no existen signos externos de su existencia, al no conllevar la exigencia de la posesión en favor del acreedor hipotecario para ser constituida.
That's an etymology you would never guess in a million years.
Quote: pacomartinThat's an etymology you would never guess in a million years.
A million years is a long time :)
Look up "hipocampo."
Quote: NareedA million years is a long time :)
Look up "hipocampo."
If you unaware of the Greek alphabet, π= pi or the 'p' sound and μ = mu or the 'm' sound.
The word is from Greek (ἵ π π ο ς) hippo or horse, and ( κ ά μ π ο ς ) kampus or sea monster combined to get "sea horse".
The word in Greek is ( ὑ π ό ) or hypo or under. It is unrelated to the word (ἵ π π ο ς) or hippo.
I don't know what happened to the extra 'p' in the Spanish word hipocampo. It got lost somewhere. As we discussed earlier, this happened in English spelling as well. The words 'receipt', 'conceit', and 'deceit' are basically built on the same root word, but only one of them has the letter 'p'.
===============
In English the meaning of the prefix hypo- is clear in dozens of technical or medical words like: Hypostasis (underlying reality), Hypodermic (under skin), and Hypoxic (under oxygenated) but it is less obvious in the more common words.
Hypotenuse (the side under the right angle)
Hypothesize (the underlying thesis or argument)
Hypocrite (under the critical thought) which now means someone whose actions subvert their words.
Palabra: Lloriquear
Today's SWD means to whine/snivel. A related word is llorar, which means to cry.
A question for the advanced readers is how does "quear" suffix in general change a word? In this case it would seem to make it less forceful, or perhaps faked.
Ejemplo time.
lloriqueé porque tuve ir a cama mas temprano. = I whined because I had to go to bed early.
Quote: WizardA question for the advanced readers is how does "quear" suffix in general change a word? In this case it would seem to make it less forceful, or perhaps faked.
I don't think it is a suffix so much as a choice for orthography (see examples).
blanco= the color of snow or milk (from German word blank)
blanquear = to turn white
llorica=person who cries frequently or without reason
lloriquear = to whimper
To go from a noun to an infinitive form of the verb, the c is replaced with 'que'.
Orthography basically means spelling, but it is more how the decisions are made for proper spelling. For example is the city Peking or Beijing, and is the city Philadelphia or Filadelfia. In Spanish sometimes we say a verb is irregular, but it is really just an orthographic decision. We say "traducir" for "to work". To say "I work" we insert a letter 'z' as in "traduzco". The verb is not classically irregular, but there is an spelling irregularity to aid in pronounciation. Another example is the "silent h" in Spanish.
Palabra: enfadar
Today's SWD means to get angry.
A question for the advanced readers is the difference between enfadar and enojar, which also means to get angry. I apologize if we already went over this when we paid tribute to the Skipper in the Gilligan's Island series.
Ejemplo time
Estoy enfado porque el avión esta lleno y no puedo sentir en mi silla. = I'm angry because the airline overbooked and refused me my seat.
I know it is a terrible translation, but I didn't know how else to say it. Consider it my tribute to Hawaiian Airlines.
Quote: WizardA question for the advanced readers is the difference between enfadar and enojar, which also means to get angry.
As far as I know, there's no difference.
Quote:Estoy enfado porque el avión esta lleno y no puedo sentir en mi silla. = I'm angry because the airline overbooked and refused me my seat.
I know it is a terrible translation, but I didn't know how else to say it. Consider it my tribute to Hawaiian Airlines.
Here's the literal re-translation: "I be angry because the plane is full and I cannot feel my chair."
And here's the right translation: "Estoy andfadADO porqué la aerolinea sobrevendió el vuelo y me rehusó my asiento."
I wouldn't say for sure you'll find "sobrevender" in the dictionary. But it is used. It means "oversold" rather than "overbooked," but the overall effect on the sentence is the same.
Quote: WizardEstoy enfado ... = I'm angry ...
Too add to Nareed's comment, it looks like you thought you were using the past participle because of the 'ado' ending. In reality you are using first person present indicative. Which is why Nareed translated your sentence as if it was in the vernacular.
The past participle is enfadado.
clue: past participle is a tough grammatical term to remember. In English if you start a sentence "I have ...", the version of the verb that you use is the past participle. In English it is regularly the same word as the simple past, as in "I have walked ..", but sometimes it's a different inflection, like "I have spoken .." which is different than the simple past, "I spoke at the luncheon yesterday".
In Spanish the past participle is always different than the simple past. In the case of this verb, the "-adar" ending is confusing, so you need an -adado ending to make the past participle.
Although enojar and enfadar can both be used reflexively when you yourself are becoming angry, I get the feeling that enfadar is more commonly used in the reflexive sense: 'enfadarse', while it is much more common to 'enojar' as a transitive verb when you mean to anger or vex another person. I haven't seen that in writing, but it seems that way from some usage. In your example you are using it reflexively because you are the one getting angry, you are not angering the Hawaiian Airlines representative.
Quote: NareedI wouldn't say for sure you'll find "sobrevender" in the dictionary. But it is used. It means "oversold" rather than "overbooked," but the overall effect on the sentence is the same.
Thanks. The translation of my sentence was the best laugh I've had in a while.
The airlines here use the word "oversold" now, but I refuse to dignify it by saying it, except to mock it. I think they know the public is angry about overbooking, so they changed the word in an effort to confuse us. Kind of like a "used car" has become a "pre-owned vehicle" to car salesmen.
Quote: WizardThanks. The translation of my sentence was the best laugh I've had in a while.
Oh, likewise! I should thank you for it.
Quote:The airlines here use the word "oversold" now, but I refuse to dignify it by saying it, except to mock it. I think they know the public is angry about overbooking, so they changed the word in an effort to confuse us.
I'm not sure about that. I think you can still make a reservation and purchase the ticket later. So both reserved and sold tickets are booked, but not all booked tickets are sold.
Quote:Kind of like a "used car" has become a "pre-owned vehicle" to car salesmen.
Or kind of calling a second hand car "used"?
Quote: NareedI'm not sure about that. I think you can still make a reservation and purchase the ticket later. So both reserved and sold tickets are booked, but not all booked tickets are sold.
In my experience you can put a hold on a seat for 24 hours. Perhaps only international flights at that. I've never heard the term "overbook" to be used for anything other than not honoring a paid ticket because they sold too many tickets, and more passengers showed up than there were seats.
Quote: WizardIn my experience you can put a hold on a seat for 24 hours.
Things have changed a lot... I thought the immediate sell was only online. Oh, well. it still beats spending hours at a travel agency, watching the agent make calls.
Still, at Voalris.com.mx, you can reserve a seat and pay it within three days. They do that for customers who prefer to pay via bank deposit rather than credit card.
Quote: Nareedwouldn't say for sure you'll find "sobrevender" in the dictionary. But it is used. It means "oversold" rather than "overbooked," but the overall effect on the sentence is the same.
In English the word sell from Anglo Saxon word sellan
The current meaning "to give up for money" had emerged by about a 1000 years ago.
Slang meaning "to swindle" is about 400 years old.
The phrase to sell one's soul is also about 400 years old.
The phrase hard sell is first recorded from 1952.
The phrase sell-by date is from 1972.
The phrase sell-out, as “corrupt bargain” is from 1862,
The phrase sell-out, as “there are no seats left” is from 1927.
I am not sure when oversold came into popular use. The word sobrevender is not in the DRAE, but it is all over the web and included in less prestigious dictionaries.
I gave a book to my brother called Harvest of Empire and it mentioned an essay written in 1900 by Uruguayan José Enrique Rodó described as one of the most famous works of Latin American literature, in which he claimed the United States had lost its original idealism to materialist values, and that it was up to Latin America to preserve the idealism the New World represented.
My brother is about to read it. It seems like slow going since it is about 40 pages (25K words) of the following example.
I though I would ask if you read it for school. Wizard maybe your tutor has read it. The name of the essay is Ariel after the Shakespearean character in the play, The Tempest.
| La concepción utilitaria, como idea del destino humano, y la igualdad en lo mediocre, como norma de la proporción social, componen, íntimamente relacionadas, la fórmula de lo que ha solido llamarse, en Europa, el espíritu de americanismo . | The inextricably linked concepts of utilitarianism as a concept of human destiny and egalitarian mediocrity as a norm for social relationships compose the formula for what Europe has tended to call the spirit of Americanism. |
| Es imposible meditar sobre ambas inspiraciones de la conducta y la sociabilidad, y compararlas con las que le son opuestas sin que la asociación traiga, con insistencia, a la mente, la imagen de esa democracia formidable y fecunda, que, allá en el norte, ostenta las manifestaciones de su prosperidad y su poder como una deslumbradora prueba que abona en favor de la eficacia de sus instituciones y de la dirección de sus ideas. | It is impossible to ponder either inspiration for social conduct, or to compare them with their opposites, without their inevitable association with that formidable and productive democracy to our North. Its display of prosperity and power is dazzling testimony to the efficacy of its institutions and to the guidance of its concepts. |
| Si ha podido decirse del utilitarismo que es el verbo del espíritu inglés, los Estados Unidos pueden ser considerados la encarnación del verbo utilitario. | If it has been said that "utilitarianism" is the word for the spirit of the English, then the United States can be considered the embodiment of the word. |
Quote: pacomartinThe phrase to sell one's soul is also about 400 years old.
There needs to be an expression for losing one's soul in a bet.
Quote: pacomartinI am not sure when oversold came into popular use.
Probably in the 80's when Reagan deregulated the airlines. I never heard the term before then.
Quote: WizardProbably in the 80's when Reagan deregulated the airlines. I never heard the term before then.
It was actually Carter who deregulated the airlines in 1978.
Quote: WizardThere needs to be an expression for losing one's soul in a bet.
"Wizbet"
Like?
I thought "Nareed's Folly," but that's 1) too long and 2) probably not the worst thing I'll ever do :)
Quote: pacomartinI though I would ask if you read it for school.
Never even heard of it, or the auhtor, before in my life.
Quote: pacomartinIt was actually Carter who deregulated the airlines in 1978.
I would never have thought that. Just goes to show how Teddy outscored me by 19 points on the Jeopardy test.
Quote: WizardI would never have thought that. Just goes to show how Teddy outscored me by 19 points on the Jeopardy test.
I don't think it was about politics, it was just the timing. The year before Italy had started operations on the first 100 mile segment of high speed rail in Europe, and France was already starting construction of the first TGV project, the LGV Sud-Est.
In the USA AMTRAK had been operating for 7 years and mostly shutting down lines. Reading Railroad had once been the largest company in the world a few years after the civil war.
It was pretty clear that the US was not going to follow Europe and Japan in investing in a new generation of trains. Airline deregulation was the only way to go.
Palabra: chimenea
Here is a word I'm confused by. According to the dictionary it can mean chimney or fireplace. To make matters more confusing there is another word, hogar, which also means fireplace -- not to mention home as well.
So, if we already cover a fireplace with hogar, why can't chimenea refer only to the chimney? If I were to say Mi casa tiene dos chimeneas, how would you know if I was referring to chimneys or fireplaces? In two-story houses one chimney can have two fireplaces.
A question for the advanced readers is what is the word for the flue?
Ejemplo time.
No puedo encender la chimenea, porque mis fósforos están mojados. = I can't light the fireplace because my matches are wet.
The advertisement here says Chimenea moderna de 3 lados (hogar cerrado)
So it sounds like the Chimenea is the entire structure, but since it says (hogar cerrado) ,
The phrase (hogar cerrado) is translated as "closed hearth" in google.
Another dictionary translates hogar as : fireplace, section of a chimney which opens into a room in which a fire can be lit; hearth, floor of a fireplace.
"chimenea tiro" is a flue. I assume it is the same word as tirar or "to throw" since it throws the smoke out of the room.
Quote: pacomartinAnother dictionary translates hogar as : fireplace, section of a chimney which opens into a room in which a fire can be lit; hearth, floor of a fireplace.
Here is a sentence from the book Olivia se prepara para la Navidad, "El papá de Olivia trae leña para la chimenea." The picture is of him holding firewood in front of the fireplace.
On another topic, I would have thought to put por in that context.
Quote: WizardHere is a word I'm confused by. According to the dictionary it can mean chimney or fireplace.
It can also mean smokestack.
Quote:So, if we already cover a fireplace with hogar, why can't chimenea refer only to the chimney? If I were to say Mi casa tiene dos chimeneas, how would you know if I was referring to chimneys or fireplaces?
Beats me. We never had one at home. My brother put one in his house, but I don't think he's ever sued it. maybe when the house was new. Since then he had the chimney shut off to prevent cold air from seeping in.
Quote:A question for the advanced readers is what is the word for the flue?
That depends. What is a flue? I've seen the word before, but I don't know what it means.
Quote:No puedo encender la chimenea, porque mis fósforos están mojados. = I can't light the fireplace because my matches are wet.
Very good. But in Mexico you'd want to say "cerillos" rather than "fósforos." "Fósforo," by the way, also means phosphorous, as in the element. I suppose because it's sued to make matches.
Quote: NareedThat depends. What is a flue? I've seen the word before, but I don't know what it means.
Your brother may have used a flue to shut off the chimney. It is a metal door, if you will, just above the fireplace. Normally it is kept open, but if you want to prevent hot/cold air from getting into the house you would close it. I was going to say in my ejemplo "I lit a fire in the fireplace but the flue was closed so the house filled with smoke," however, I didn't know how to say flue in Spanish.
I think in the movie Close Encounters there is a scene where the mother tries to close every entry point into the house, but forgets about the flue until the end. You see the camera angle looking down the chimenea as she struggles with the handle.
Quote: WizardYour brother may have used a flue to shut off the chimney. It is a metal door, if you will, just above the fireplace. Normally it is kept open, but if you want to prevent hot/cold air from getting into the house you would close it."
Thank you. I've no idea what the word for that is in Spanish.
Quote:I think in the movie Close Encounters there is a scene where the mother tries to close every entry point into the house, but forgets about the flue until the end. You see the camera angle looking down the chimenea as she struggles with the handle.
All I recall from that movie is the five note tune. It's the only thing I ever learned to play in a piano :)
