Untranslatable Words

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I had a sixth grade teacher who was fresh out of college (22 years old) and in the middle of the onset of my personal hormonal changes, became pregnant. It sort of set my libidinal compass at pregnant women. Never really understood that fascination until right at this moment.

My HS French teacher, OTOH, was my grandmother's age.

and you call yourself a pshrynk.

[Taylor514ce]

No kidding! I should bill him for professional services.

[zelda_pinwheel]

seriously.

[pshrynk]

What about professional courtesy?

[Taylor514ce]

As I understand the concept of "professional courtesy", it's the act of providing free advice, information, or services to colleagues in the same profession. For example, one physician running some tests, gratis, for another. I don't imagine that dentists pay to have their teeth cleaned. Asking me to extend professional courtesy to you implies that I might be in the mental health business. I'm not, except insofar as I might provide ample fodder for study. So pay up, buster.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Asking me to extend professional courtesy to you implies that I might be in the mental health business. I'm not, except insofar as I might provide ample fodder for study.

monumental understatement.

[Taylor514ce]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

monumental understatement.

Oxymoron Detector: blip blip blip

[pshrynk]

Bill my insurance.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Oxymoron Detector: blip blip blip

thanks for noticing, poussin.

[Taylor514ce]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Bill my insurance.

Ah, I see you are an adherent of Couéism.

[zelda_pinwheel]

i was just writing a mail to a friend and was confronted with 2 words i could not think of a good english equivalent for. possibly one exists (in which case, please do tell me), although the online french-english dictionary did not have one, but in my defense it's late and i'm tired.

chronophage : literally "time-eating". can be said about an activity, an obligation, etc. active participation on MR can be frighteningly chronophage.

insoumise : soumission means "submission", so someone who is "insoumise" is someone who does not submit. often used in a political or ideological sense. never mind, if you look up insoumis (without the feminine final e) it means refractory (although i would have said that was a translation of "réfractaire"...) or unsubdued.

any suggestions ? (for the other one)

[Taylor514ce]

I'd say "time-consuming", although since "chronophage" is basically Latin, it would work as well in English as in French.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

I'd say "time-consuming", although since "chronophage" is basically Latin, it would work as well in English as in French.

It's also just crying out to be the title of an SF book. Let's get Steve onto it!

Cheers,
Marc (gelatophage)

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Marc (gelatophage)

Is that jello / jelly or photograhy film that you are phaging? Errr, consuming. ?

I like chronophage. Maybe I'll put that on the first page of my (non moleskine) notebook, and see what happens after that.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

I'd say "time-consuming", although since "chronophage" is basically Latin, it would work as well in English as in French.

hm, "time-consuming"... ok, but it doesn't seem to have enough of the extreme "resistance is useless nom nom nom !" connotations for what i wanted... you're right, we should just use chronophage in english as well (last night, feeling lazy and disinclined to do any serious research, i cheated and used "chronophageous" in my mail, because it sounded more english to me. i admit it was wholly made up). because really, at this point, we might as well admit that the majority of our vocabulary is our own mozzled neologisms, anyway...