Betcha can't say "Voldemort" ...

[Nanohedron]

Awhile back I saw an online recipe that included "haricots verts." The discussion was roughly equally divided among people asking what haricots verts were, people accusing the first group of being ignorant, people explaining politely that haricots verts are green beans, and people wondering why on earth the recipe writer said haricots verts instead of green beans.

I know what "haricots verts" means, but I wouldn't be caught dead saying it. "Green beans" is best seemly for the English speaker, if you ask me. Well, at least for the American English speaker if nothing else.

[Coffee]

For me, that line is drawn by what I already know; if I spoke French or Italian, perhaps I'd be more particular on the corresponding loan-words.
Since I do speak Spanish I tend to use Mexican pronunciation for the related English vocabulary.

By the way... does anyone know of English loan-words from Gaelic or Gaildhig? I seem to recall "smashing!" coming from "is maith sin!" as an example.

[Nanohedron]

Apparently there's a whole slew of 'em - "slew" being one, in fact. Comes from slua/sluagh, meaning horde or crowd. "Galore" is another. And who could forget "whisk(e)y"?

There have been arguments made that many baseball terms come from the Irish: for example, "slugger".

[Tunborough]

Up here and over 'ome, we've got "Tory", which I understand comes from a Gaelic term that roughly translates as, "bogtrotter".

[Nanohedron]

Trotter indeed. Just searched and if Wikipedia is to be believed, the meaning of both the Middle and Modern Irish tóraidhe/tórai is "outlaw", the word itself denoting a fugitive under pursuit.

How meanings shift.

[s1m0n]

Trotter indeed. Just searched and if Wikipedia is to be believed, the meaning of both the Middle and Modern Irish tóraidhe/tórai is "outlaw", the word itself denoting a fugitive under pursuit.

How meanings shift.

Right. Now it means an malefactor not yet under pursuit.

[Tunborough]

Trotter indeed. Just searched and if Wikipedia is to be believed, the meaning of both the Middle and Modern Irish tóraidhe/tórai is "outlaw", the word itself denoting a fugitive under pursuit.

How meanings shift.

Right. Now it means an malefactor not yet under pursuit.

Yes, I was tempted to draw a parallel between Nano's translation and our recent election, but didn't want to stray into forbidden territory.

[Nanohedron]

Talking around a subject is a useful but exacting, almost arcane art. I tell bewildered visitors it's the official State Language of Minnesota.

[Coffee]

I've heard Garrison Keillor elevate it to an art form...

[Nanohedron]

I've heard Garrison Keillor elevate it to an art form...

Keillor has a deft touch, no question. But he's not universally thanked for it in his home state because he confronts us with the revelation that, even though they ought to, the rest of the world doesn't talk like us.

Wrestling with the reality that A Prairie Home Companion will soon have to go on without him is about as close to social upheaval as it gets in these parts.

[Coffee]

Social upheaval?

Nano... are you sure you're getting enough ketchup in your diet?

[Nanohedron]

Ah, ketchup: The cornerstone of Western Civilisation. The sooner the French accept that ketchup is a Good Thing as well as a food group, the better off we'll all be.

[Coffee]

Life is flowing like ketchup on pastrami.
Ketchup...ketchup...


Or is it catsup? Spell check seems to like both...

[Nanohedron]

And here we are, back on the topic of how faithfully we render our loanwords. I don't know how we came up with "catsup", but I defer to the philosophy of live and let live. That said, both come from the Malay kecap; "ketchup" is the closer of the two to the original, so considering that's the version I was brought up with, I assume I come from a line of sensible folk.

You wanna live dangerously? Ketchup on quiche. Trust me on this.

[Coffee]

Yeah... I'll actually take your word for that...

Sriracha, on the other hand, works well with all things eggy.