My Hungarian pal says that in Hungary, "Depression is in the soil."
. . . And in the songs?
Marz emailed me this, this morning:
omg here's the final stanza from the actual Hungarian national anthem:
Pity, O Lord, the Hungarians
Who are tossed by waves of danger
Extend over it your guarding arm
On the sea of its misery
Long torn by ill fate
Bring upon it a time of relief
They who have suffered for all sins
Of the past and of the future!
america: sea to shining sea!!!!
hungary: sea of misery.
Americans---we are such triumphalists (even when we haven't triumphed).
I'm not writing about what's happening at George Floyd Square here this week––the city's bumbled reopening of the intersection––because I can't stand it, the Powers That Be are so ill suited for the job.
I am not seeing good negotiation skills at play here.
Surprise, surprise.
Why are we humans so frickin' short sighted?
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Speaking of geographical differences-- how bout this? The word frickin' is a regionalism. I did not know that.
“The map for this word shows the highest frequency in the Upper Midwest, especially Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota..."
--per Atlas Obscura.
What F-word substitute do you use, if you use one?
And, what do you call nonalcoholic carbonated drinks, such as Coca Cola?
I call it pop, which is also Midwestern.
It's soda pop in Milwaukee, where I am going this coming week.
. . . An actual VACATION!!!
I admit I'd sneered at people who complained last summer about not being able to travel because of Covid, saying things like, The worst of it is, I can't go to Belize.
That was not the worst of it.
But now after 15+ months, yeah, a change of scenery will be very, very welcome.
And a whole week away from my intense workplace:
"New disasters donations every day!"
Hi Fresca,
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy your break. I know what you mean. I could do with a little trip away too but it is not happening. It has to be daytrips! I don't use a substitute for the F word, but I have heard frickin. I haven't heard anyone here say it though. Actually, 'effing' gets used sometimes. Oh, here comes Cassie to help me! She doesn't swear, at least not out loud! I call coca cola coke. Andy grew up in Northumberland,and they say 'pop'.
There’s the great tape-recorder scene in The Blackboard Jungle. I think the operative word there is “frickin,” but it might be “freakin.”
ReplyDeleteI say “soda.” And happy vacation.
Coca cola is coke here, Pepsi is Pepsi, Fanta is Fanta, as a collective noun they are called soft drinks.
ReplyDeleteF word substitute is Fudge if I'm with other people but at home, well..
SARAH: I think lots of folks are a little stir crazy!
ReplyDeleteDay trips are good, anyway--anything out of my neighborhood, in fact!
Oh, that's interesting that Andy says "pop" too--I'd thought maybe it was just American.
A British swear word ("minced oath") that I've only heard in TV & movies but never hear here is "bloody".
MICHAEL: How can it be that I've never seen The Blackboard Jungle???
I've seen Up the Down Staircase and To Sir, with Love--must finish off the trilogy!
"Soda". Yes.
RIVER: "Soft drinks"--you'll sometimes hear that here--at least people would know what you meant.
I must ask the guys at work what they say---a lot of them have US Southern roots.
"Fudge"! That's a good one.
I don't swear much, in general, but if I drop something on my foot or some such thing, I say the real thing!!!
Interesting about "frickin'." I say "friggin'" and "freakin'" but I'm not sure I really stopped to think about the variations -- I just consider them all one word!
ReplyDeleteSome use frigging...or to frig with something...to fiddle with it and muck it up.....
ReplyDeleteWord differences are intriguing...like a bing for a spoil heap in Scotland..or a jag in Scotland and a jab in England..for a vaccination/immunisation
Enjoy your vacation!!xx
STEVE: All one word at root!
ReplyDeleteGZ: "To frig" for to fiddle with & much up--not a usage I know--thanks!
I agree that word differences are fascinating and fun.
Before the Covid vaccine roll-out in the UK, I'd never heard "jab/ jag" for what Americans (here in the Midwest anyway) always call a "shot".
Aren't you listening to me?!? ;-) I use "bloody" all the time. Admittedly, because I watch too much British television--but it slips out quite naturally now.
ReplyDeleteI agree that no one over here uses the "jab" for shot before Covid. I've never heard "jag" for shot. I know "jag" as being a run of something, often drunkenness. Like, "he went on a beer-drinking jag last week."
"bloody" is very wide spread in Australia, probably from our British convict ancestry, we also use "jab" for shots.
ReplyDelete