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May 14

Phrases from the NYtimes book review "A Feast for the Senses"

Hi, I'm a Taiwanese student trying to translate a part of "A Feast for the Senses" into Chinese, and I need some help with understanding some phrases.

Here's the part of the article I'm translating:

I’ve managed to eat at Kenny Shopsin’s legendary restaurant and ¬customer-hazing clinic only once, thanks to a regular who had passed muster and brought me along to breakfast. This was when Shopsin’s was still in Greenwich Village and felt like a crazed version of the general store it had once been; over the stack of plain pancakes that I ordered without knowing any better, I tried not to be too alarmed by the abusive banter in the kitchen between Shopsin and one of his sons — which sounded, to the uninitiated, like a job for 911. Could I call social services, I wondered, and still come back for more pancakes?

I did try going back to Shopsin’s a few times after that first visit, but I never made it past the door again. (It hurt more than being turned away from a restaurant should.) “Until I know the people,” Shopsin explains in “Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin,” a cookbook designed by his daughter Tamara and photographed by her husband, Jason Fulford, “until they show me that they are worth cultivating as customers, I’m not even sure I want their patronage.” In a city where it’s possible to bluff or buy your way into almost anything, Shopsin’s has turned snobbery on its head by remaking the diner into a private club for a membership of the cook’s choosing.

Luckily for the rest of us, Tamara Shopsin, a graphic designer and illustrator whose work has appeared in the pages of the Book Review, has a much more egalitarianrelationship with her public. Her new memoir, “Mumbai New York Scranton,” with illustrations by the author and photographs, once again, by Fulford, throws the doors open on her father’s restaurant (where she still works on Saturdays, cracking “unholy amounts of eggs” for brunch); brings the reader on a pilgrimage, through the crumbling museums and time-warped hotels of India and back again to the delis of Brooklyn and the supermarkets of Scranton, Pa., where the couple have a house; and most arrestingly of all, takes us inside the studio for a peek at her creative process. Oh, and there’s the small matter of the sudden diagnosis of a brain tumor, a hemangioblastoma that explains why Shopsin can’t balance on her bicycle anymore or keep down any of her food. Some memoirs are about travel. Others are about surviving a bigger-than-life family. Many of them are about illness, and the rare memoir gives readers a private glimpse of a marriage that’s also a creative partnership. Just like one of the fabled items from her father’s menu (look up “mac ’n’ cheese pancakes” online some time), Shopsin’s memoir does them all.

And here are the phrases that I need help with:

1. customer-hazing clinic (paragraph 1) 2. "until they show me that they are worth cultivating as customers" (paragraph 2) 3. turned snobbery on its head (paragraph 2) 4. unholy amounts of eggs (paragraph 3) 5. time-warped hotels (paragraph 3) 6. I don't really understand the difference between a deli and a restaurant (paragraph 3) 7. Is to "keep down food" equivalent to "not throw up"? (paragraph 3) 8. What is "a bigger-than-life family"? (paragraph 3) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Freya3550 (talk • contribs) 02:56, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

1. A customer-hazing clinic means, roughly, a place where customers are abused. Hazing is ritual abuse.
2. He's saying that customers need show themselves worthy of his respect before he gives it to them.
3. To "turn something on its head" means to do it backwards or the opposite from the way it is supposed to happen. In this case, he's taken a diner, which is a fairly low-class eating establishment, and made it a private club (hence "snobbery")
4. An unholy amount of something is slang for "way too much of it". Similar to "shitload".
5. Time-warped hotels, from this context, means hotels from another era: probably old and dilapidated from the context.
6. A deli is short for a Delicatessen, a place where cold cuts are sliced. The term is used in the Northeast, especially New York, for a type of eating establishment called a "Sandwich shop" in other parts of the U.S. A deli is basically a restaurant that serves almost exclusively sandwiches.
7. Yup. To keep down food means to not vomit, usually when "keeping it down" is an effort, in this case his cancer makes it hard to not vomit.
8. "Bigger than life" (sometimes "Larger than life") usually means unusually noteworthy; usually this refers to people who are charismatic or have gregarious personalities, or often find themselves in interesting situations. See here.

Does all that help? --Jayron32 06:01, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Delis serve more than just sandwiches. For example, they sell sliced meats and cheeses and various salads as well as breads for customers to take home. Certain kinds of salads (egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, potato salad, coleslaw) are deli specialties, as are pickles (pickled cucumbers), which are often prominently displayed in a jar on the counter. I'm not sure how you'd translate deli or delicatessen into Chinese, but maybe 小吃店 or 西餐小吃店 would work. Marco polo (talk) 13:57, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Yes, but sandwiches and freshly sliced cold cuts is what makes a delicatessen a delicatessen. If it doesn't sell cold cuts, it isn't a deli; and the use of deli to mean "sandwich shop" in addition to seller of cold cuts is particular to the north east U.S., and NYC especially. A deli could, of course, sell more than that. It just isn't a deli if it doesn't. It likewise isn't a bakery if it doesn't sell baked goods (even if it sells more), and it isn't a hardware store if it doesn't sell hardware (even if it sells other things). What makes a deli a deli is the cold cuts and the sandwiches. --Jayron32 23:04, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Hmm, interesting. In Australia, many delis do indeed sell sandwiches but it's not guaranteed. A sandwich shop/cafe/bakery/take-away shop is where you'll definitely find sandwiches. A deli's core business is cold cuts and cheeses. They sell many more items than just that, of course, but those 2 things are what defines an Aussie delicatessen, imo. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 23:26, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Outside of the greater NYC area, you'd find a similar usage in the U.S. as well. --Jayron32 00:31, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

I'd also point out that clinic is being used sarcastically here. Angr (talk) 14:25, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

As in soccer clinic, computer clinic, tax preparation clinic = intense, short-term instruction (American English). Textorus (talk) 21:02, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Thanks a lot everyone :) But why is clinic sarcasm? And what are soccer clinic, computer clinic and all that stuff? Oh, and by the way, the English-Chinese dictionary says that deli is 熟食店, and I've also seen several books translate deli as 熟食店... like it's already a convention to translate deli as 熟食店. Do you think it's accurate? Freya3550 (talk) 13:41, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Yes, the idiomatic translation of deli in Mandarin is certainly 熟食店, or slightly less prevalently, 熟菜店. --15:09, 21 May 2013 (UTC)

As Textorus says, a soccer or computer clinic is a place of intense short-term instruction in that subject. A restaurant that is described sarcastically as a "customer-hazing clinic" isn't really a place of instruction in how to abuse customers, it just seems that way because customers are abused so frequently there. --Viennese Waltz 14:02, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

count vs matter

Is it alright (usually, or at least in specific context) to use to count as a synonym of to matter? E.g.: "Nothing else counts" = "Nothing else matters"? --KnightMove (talk) 13:54, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

In that context, yes, I think so. Of course counting from one to ten is not the same as mattering from one to ten. Looie496 (talk) 14:20, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

KnightMove, I see from your user page you're a native German speaker. English count does have this meaning, just as zählen does; we also say to count on someone meaning to rely on them, just as you do in German. Angr (talk) 14:25, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

I agree they can be synonyms, but I suspect that in most contexts there will be a difference between the meanings. "Matter" means to be important; "count" means to be counted towards something. Your vote doesn't count if it is disqualified in some way; your vote doesn't matter if it turns out not to affect the material result of the election. Victor Yus (talk) 14:35, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Thanks so far. Reason for my question was Weil der Mensch zählt. This phrase means "Because man matters" (I can't see any sense to interpret it as the other meaning of count). I don't know who came up with the idea to translate this as "Man is the measure of all things", however this is far-fetched, or rather plain wrong. For this reason I brood to replace the translation, but was not sure whether count must be replaced by matter or not?! --KnightMove (talk) 15:05, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

To me 'Because the human counts' seems rather non-sensical. There is no context from which to determine whether it should be interpreted at 'count' or 'matter', and this ambiguity leads me to assume the more common meaning of 'count' (as in 'to ten'). V85 (talk) 16:12, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Or "Because humanity matters"? IMO, it's not really possible to give a good recommendation for an unambiguous, idiomatic English phrase without seeing the context in which the OP wants to use it. Textorus (talk)

"Of consequence"[1] is similar in meaning to what we seem to be discussing. Perhaps one could say "Man is of consequence". Bus stop (talk) 16:22, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

There is no clear context for the phrase. See the lyrics and a translation of this very silly song. I think "man is the measure of all things" is too far from the original meaning, and too grandiose. I think "Because humans/human beings/man count(s)" works OK; you could also include the "matter" translation as an alternative. It's possible there's a pun on his listing or "counting" of the animals. Lesgles (talk) 16:39, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Brood KnightMove, your use of "brood" above is very poetic. The usage is slightly off, so I'd like to explain. The simple verb to brood in English doesn't take an object when used regarding humans: in that case it means "worry". "John broods" means he spends (to much) time worrying. In birds it means to sit on the nest or do nesting behaviour: "Most birds brood in the spring; chickens brood all year round.

In your example, a preposition is needed: to brood over something, or to brood about something. Your sentence would be correct if you had said "I am brooding about whether to replace the translation."

You also need the progressive "am brooding" to indicate it is right now; "I brood about" would mean you do this habitually. And "to brood over/about" cannot take the infinitive as an object. You can say "I am brooding about...whether to go shopping...which shirt to wear...how to impress him...my choice of vacation locations..." but not "I am brooding about to change." "I am brooding about whether to change the translation" is best. "I am brooding about changing the translation" would be acceptable. μηδείς (talk) 17:40, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Expressions like "that counts" or "that doesn't count" are not precisely a synonym of "matter". It's a colloquialism that implies a vote or a consensus. Something that "matters" has "substance", i.e. "weight" or "importance".[2] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:00, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

European Esperanto Union

Our article on the European Esperanto Union has been nominated for deletion[3]. I don't know if this organization meets our notability policy, so I tried finding some English language sources, but could only find one.[4] But it seems to me that with a topic like this, there maybe additional sources which are not in English. After all, just because something is not notable in English doesn't mean it's not notable in other languages. But I only speak English, so I thought that maybe the editors of the Language Reference desk might want to help out in determining whether or not this topic meets WP:GNG. Thanks. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 17:40, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

A quick google search did not lead me to find any reliable source in Esperanto, only comments or mentions on press articles/websites. The French wikipedia Article has a bit more than the one in English. I could find these 2 French language pages, not sure if they qualify: [5] [6]. --Lgriot (talk) 08:49, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

May 15

Addendum vocabulary: Annex, Appendix, and Schedule

From searching online I found a simple explanation of the difference between annex and appendix. Annex is a standalone addendum while an appendix is tacked on to the main document. See http://www.diffen.com/difference/Annex_vs_Appendix But how does a schedule fit in? Mityuy (talk) 09:38, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

The term 'schedule' for an appendix is specific to acts of parliament and similar documents. It means an appendix which contains legally-binding information that is too boring and repetitive to put in the main act - such as the list of all the hundreds of public authorities who must implement the act, or all the former acts which are amended in tiny, almost irrelevant ways by the current one. AlexTiefling (talk) 11:16, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

"Schedule" is also used in things like financial statements, which consist of main statements (profit & loss account, balance sheet, etc) followed by schedules, which give more detail about some of the figures in the main statements. You also see it used in the same way in people's tax returns. --Viennese Waltz 11:35, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

The etymology of "schedule" may provide some insight.[7] It includes the reasons why the Brits say "shed-ule" while the Yanks say "sked-ule". (It omits the joke pronunciation "shed-ooly".) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:14, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

There's also tonsil. – b_jonas 14:00, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

Concise

Has there ever been a list compiled for "the most concise languages" or something similar? Pass a Method talk 17:05, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Here is a link to a list of archived discussions about the "most efficient language".

—Wavelength (talk) 18:19, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Slavic place names

This article has a large list of German elements (suffixes/prefixes) in place names: German toponymy. Is there a similar list somewhere with slavic (Russian/Polish/Czech...) elements instead? --151.41.236.64 (talk) 21:09, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

I can't find anything, if it exists the place to start looking would be at Category:Place names and follow subcategories from there. --Jayron32 22:19, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

From that category I found Category:Slavic toponyms. Perhaps some leads there could help you. --Jayron32 22:20, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Polish pronunciation for an English-speaker

Look at the sign for the school board candidate in File:Signs at Moravia and Mahoning in New Castle.jpg. How is her name pronounced? The photo is taken in a city with a heavy Polish-American pronunciation, so she probably pronounces it somewhat differently from the way her ancestors did, but the pronunciation probably isn't as mangled as it would be if she lived in a town with no other Poles. Nyttend (talk) 22:50, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

In Polish Przybylski is [pʂɨˈbɨlskʲi], roughly pshih-BILL-skee. I have no idea of how she pronounces her name, but living in a community with other Polish-Americans is no guarantee of retaining an authentic pronunciation; most of the Polish-Americans I know from Chicago pronounce their names in ways that are probably incomprehensible to native Poles. Lesgles (talk) 23:12, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

Fully agree with Lesgles. μηδείς (talk) 03:04, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

May 16

Black lingerie word

I once found a word beginning with mel- in one of those dictionaries or websites that specialize in obscire and curious words. It meant a fetish for black lingerie. Googling "black lingerie" along with "obscure word", or even along with "Phrontistery", pulls up nothing. What was the word? 75.36.237.8 (talk) 00:49, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Melcryptovestimentaphilia. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:13, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Wow. Wikipedia is wonderful! Now I've just got to see if I can randomly throw that word into conversation somewhere today. (If I can remember it.) HiLo48 (talk) 02:41, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

A strict classicist would find it problematic that the Greek stem for "black" is in a strangely-shortened form that would more probably suggest "honey" than "black" to an ancient Greek speaker... AnonMoos (talk) 08:28, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Indeed. But then phobia and philia names are often coined with a view to being somehow eyecatching or memorable, rather than strictly classical, or for that matter of any use in serious clinical diagnosis (which has shied away from narrowly-defined phobias and philias for a while). But I agree that it should be "Melanocrypto..." - and ideally use a Greek, rather than Latin, word for raiment. AlexTiefling (talk) 08:32, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Modern Greek for "underwear" is εσώρουχα ("within clothes"), so perhaps something like melanesoruchophilia? Lesgles (talk) 17:11, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

speaking of -phobia and -philia

I've been wondering: is there any generic affix that indicates intense hatred, without implying fear like -phobia does? (That is, a more proper opposite to -philia?) —Steve Summit (talk) 12:24, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Yes, the prefix mis- or miso- from Greek µῖσος (misos) means 'hatred of'. Examples are misogyny, misanthropy, misoneism, misogamy etc. - Lindert (talk) 12:50, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

See the etymology given in the lede section of misanthropy. Textorus (talk) 12:51, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

What's this girls says?

Hi

I am not a native English speaker. I want to know what the girls in the video says when they screams. I've heard only the word F(u)ck but the girl said something else. link to video at 2:45

Can you translate to French or explain me what's this lines means : I feel nothing Fuck like sick despair In this place only the willing survive

Thanks

"I feel nothing" means that the person feels nothing. "Fuck" means sexual intercourse or may be used as an interjection. "Like sick despair" is comparing the person's emotions to sick despair. In other words, the person feels very sad. "In this place only the willing survive" means that the person thinks that in this place, where she is, only the willing will survive or live. Sneazy (talk) 16:49, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Thanks but the willing means and what say the grils in the video? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.48.172.23 (talk) 22:15, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Do you know what part of lyrics is the part you are looking for? If it's part of the lyrics, then you may do a simple search on the Internet. If it's part of the background vocal music, then I don't think it's feasible to understand what the girl is trying to sing. How badly do you want this? Sneazy (talk) 03:20, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

"The willing" means "people who are willing (to do something unspecified)". --ColinFine (talk) 12:42, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

I can't actually check the video , but in French it would be something like "Je ne sens rien, merde, dans cet endroit seuls les (forts|volontaires) survivent" - in this context I'm not sure if willing would be "people who have willpower" or "people who volunteer". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.201.173.145 (talk) 20:14, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

For the last phrase I would say "seulement les forts survivent ici." I agree fort (strong) is closer to the intended sense. There's also puissant. μηδείς (talk) 23:59, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

"Mis padres"

I know that the term means "my parents". But do Spanish speakers make an exception when the parents are both female (Dolly the sheep)? Sneazy (talk) 16:46, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Thought experiment: how do you think hispanohablantes would say "My parents are mothers"? μηδείς (talk) 18:29, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Well, since you asked "how do you think...?", I am going to give my best guess: "Mis padres son madres." However, I am not entirely sure if it is used this way. Sneazy (talk) 19:08, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

I'm not an expert on Spanish, but I have a lot of experience dealing with same-sex coupledom and its ramifications. I think that it would depend on the context and whether the speaker wants to communicate an interesting or surprising detail about his or her parentage. The generic Spanish expression for "my parents" is mis padres, and I expect that a person would use that expression when referring to two female parents when their gender is not relevant or important or when the speaker doesn't wish to emphasize it. On the other hand, if the speaker wanted to make clear that he or she had two mothers, then he or she would say mis madres. Marco polo (talk) 19:30, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Since you say you have "a lot of experience dealing with same-sex coupledom and its ramifications", what do you mean by that? Do you work with them professionally or something? Sneazy (talk) 19:43, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

• I would say, "Mis padres son mujeres" or "lesbianas". But "mis madres" would mean "my mothers", not "my parents". To say my lesbian parents it would be padres lesbianas.μηδείς (talk) 19:54, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Right, but who feels a need to give such a detailed description of their parents in most situations? To answer Sneazy's question, my partner and I are a same-sex couple. Marco polo (talk) 19:56, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

That doesn't answer the question. μηδείς (talk) 22:24, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Which question haven't I answered? To the original question, I said that, in effect, "my parents" means "my parents" regardless of the parents' gender. (The fact that mis padres usually refers to people of different genders proves that the gender of mis padres is grammatical rather than biological.) To the later question, asking the basis for my experience of same-sex coupledom, I said that I'm in such a couple. So which question did I not answer? Marco polo (talk) 23:55, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Leave it, Marco. I have come to the conclusion that Medeis is sometimes just trolling. --Lgriot (talk) 09:01, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

The OP when prompted suggested he though the Spanish might say "Mis padres son madres." Marco responded he just wouldn't mention it--which is indeed not addressing the OP's question, when he specifically wants to know how they would say it if they did go into all the detail Marco doesn't think necessary. So, no, Marco didn't answer the question. μηδείς (talk) 15:43, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

A good approach could be to go to the Spanish Wikipedia and ask this question. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:11, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

Väiski in English & Swedish

In Finnish Scouting, väiski refers to a cap worn as part of the uniform. It's a brimless, peakless cap, rather like the cap hippies wear with a kaftan, or like a large skullcap that covers the whole of your head. It's also very similar to a Swedish style of cap - one that is now sold in tourist-tat shops, but presumably harking back to a traditional style of clothing - a little like a Viking helmet made of cloth and without the horns.

My Finnish is rather limited non-existent. But even so a search on the term only reveals that it's the Finnish for Bugs Bunny. Can anyone help me with the English term for a cap of this style, or (even better since I'd like to buy one) tell me what the Swedish cap is called? - Cucumber Mike (talk) 19:29, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

It looks like what would be called a skullcap in English, which seems to translate to kalott in Swedish. Marco polo (talk) 19:37, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Informal names might include beanie hat or tea-cosy hat in English. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:49, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Yeah, I think you're right that it's a skullcap in English, and that kalott is the Swedish translation thereof, but kalott seems to be used for the skullcap as worn by Jewish men and Catholic priests (see here) - I can't see that it's used for the traditional Swedish cap, which is what I'm ultimately after. Any ideas? - Cucumber Mike (talk) 19:52, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Tammy, it's not a beanie since it's made of a thickish fabric, not wool. Kinda like a flowerpot hat but without the brim. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 19:57, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

I'm digressing here, but "beanies" in the sense that Tammy linked to are not made of wool, but as you say of fabric (or sometimes leather or faux leather). They have four seams, in the same location as the four brown straight lines in the picture. But I can't tell whether those lines are seams, or just a different color. --Trovatore (talk) 21:10, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

My apologies to Tammy. Beanie in the UK sense is always a woolen hat - I should have read the article. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 21:22, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Actualy, I don't mean flowerpot hat, I mean a bucket hat. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 20:10, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Mössa? Marco polo (talk) 19:54, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Again, that seems to be a woolen hat. I want something made of canvas (I think that's what it is - I'm very poor on types of fabric!) - Cucumber Mike (talk) 19:57, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Native Swedish speaker here. I'm pretty certain that kind of hat doesn't have a commonly known specific name in Swedish. I'd call it a mössa or a hätta, though the latter would better fit one of these [8]. Mössa, by the way, is not limited to woolen hats. It is the generic word for any soft hat, including nightcaps, as is evident by the English name of Caps (party). So, I believe the chance of finding a Swedish word for these hats, that people without a specific interest in the medieval or viking ages would know, looks rather small./Coffeeshivers (talk) 20:49, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for this. Do you know the type of cap I am thinking of? It is made of thicker fabric than a väiski, and the hätta you linked. To be honest, the name of it actually isn't so important - I just want to buy one! Can you help me find a suitable search term? Nothing I've tried so far in English or Swedish (I speak Swedish well enough to use Google) has turned up the right type of hat. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 21:22, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

The man in the first picture on this page is wearing the sort of thing I'm thinking of - although the examples I remember were not so brightly coloured. The caption says I Morastugan visas en vardaglig variant av den lokalt särpräglade dräkten från Mora socken i Dalarna. - 'In the Mora cottage you can see an everyday version of the iconic local costume of Mora in Dalarna.' - Cucumber Mike (talk) 07:51, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

The Finnish Scout cap in action

I'm familiar with the Finnish Scout cap (I found a picture) and I'm certain that there isn't an English name for it - "skull cap" is the closest, but that usually means a yarmulka or zucchetto - the Scout cap is bigger and has the distinctive seams. I'd go with "traditional Scandinivian cap". Alansplodge (talk) 07:19, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

Resolved

OK, I think I've found it now! It appears to be called a sotarmössa - a 'chimney-sweep's cap'. Apologies to all those who suggested beanie for the English word, since that does indeed seem to be what it would be called in English, and it is very often made of wool. But the one I want is made of thick cotton or felt or something. This gives me the lead I needed! Thanks to all for your help. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 08:31, 17 May 2013 (UTC)

May 18

Is an allegedly terrible historical figure known mainly from later writing a "villain"?

Take Sergius III. Apparently, most or all contemporary records were destroyed when he was banished, and the Game of Thrones-like character we have today may be an invention, and almost certainly embellished by his enemies and their descendants (and uninvolved people who just like a good whoring and murder story, centuries later).

Would it be fair to classify him as a villain, in the literary sense, notwithstanding how his reign actually went down? Judging from the last millenium, we probably won't be clearer on the truth of it anytime soon. But we certainly know the general consensus of historical writers is that he was not a good man or pope, perhaps even the worst.

Thanks for considering. InedibleHulk (talk) 03:45, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

This seems to be a request for random personal opinions rather than a request for information, and therefore not suitable for the Reference desk to deal with. (Note: I have edited your post to disambiguate the link.) Looie496 (talk) 03:51, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

This is a request for opinions from language experts (or afficionados, anyway) on whether a word applies to a certain type of person, preferably with something to vouch for those opinions. Seems the place to me. I appreciate you fixing the disambig, but I've piped it. I only call the current pope "Pope". InedibleHulk (talk) 03:55, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

Louie is correct. This is not a request for the meaning or connotation or etymology of the word villain. It is a request for our opinion as to whether Sergius was a villain. We can't say. The OP could ask at the humanities desk whether any notable scholars have called him a villain, in which case he might as well just search for the words at google books or scholar. We do not need to and should not give our opinions here. μηδείς (talk) 05:21, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

He was an example. If I wanted to ask if Sergius III is a villain, I'd have used his name in the title. The question is about people like him, who exist mainly in stories written many years later. There are no villains in real life, but can the word apply to his persona in literature, like it would for a fictional character, or is it strictly for storybooks? If you don't want to answer, ignore it. InedibleHulk (talk) 08:10, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

Nevermind. I've found the answer. Delete this if you should. InedibleHulk (talk) 08:28, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

You know, despite the general unhelpfulness above, this is actually a pretty good question. There are lots of issues with historical sources being written more like literature. And certainly we can talk about different schools of historiography and how they treat the history of the Papacy. Personally I would say no, it is not fair to classify him as a villain, because he was a real person and not a literary character. But you could definitely trace how real people are treated as if they are fictional in historical writing. Adam Bishop (talk) 18:46, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Saying there are no real villains in real life only follows if you define that word as referring only to literary characters; but that's definitely not the original usage, it's only been around since the 19th century, see the etymology. On the other hand, yes, historical writing does often have a literary style, and descriptions can come across as vividly as literature. μηδείς (talk) 19:28, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Yeah, okay. Problem solved then, Sergius III was not a villain. Adam Bishop (talk) 22:43, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

What does Maryann chant?

Can anybody tell me the Greek-sounding words Maryann chants during the Bacchan revel in episode six of season two of True Blood? If so, please answer here, where I originally placed this question on the Entertainment Desk. Thanks. μηδείς (talk) 21:37, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Found the answer myself at You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usEklHkugp4. μηδείς (talk) 21:41, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

May 19

critter words with a certain stress pattern

Hi language lovers, I'm hoping you can help me brainstorm a list of animals/birds/insects/fish whose names meet the following criteria:

• three syllables
• stress on the middle syllable

So far I have mosquito, hyena and flamingo but would appreciate as many other suggestions as possible. Thanks, 184.147.137.171 (talk) 12:28, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Gorilla; Bonobo. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 12:32, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Opossum, coati, impala, beluga, gourami. Deor (talk) 12:54, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Koala. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 13:21, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

A nubile, but flighty, impala

Wants to marry a handsome koala.

Since gum trees are lacking

In Kenya, she's packing

To seek one in far-off Bodalla. —Deor (talk) 22:10, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Far worse fared a grizzly gorilla

Who married a cuddly chinchilla,

For now he requests

Paternity tests

When out came a fluffy godzilla. ---Sluzzelin talk 06:45, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Piranha, Alsatian, St Bernard, Retriever, Iguana Bluap (talk) 13:46, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Okapi, Cicada - Lindert (talk) 13:57, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

There's a long list downloadable as a zip-file here, click on "amphibrach 010" (see also the article on amphibrach). ---Sluzzelin talk 14:02, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

(Okay, it's quite long, and the animals are scattered sparsley. Of the ones not mentioned so far, I saw arachnid and chinchilla, but didn't go beyond yet). ---Sluzzelin talk 14:07, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Thank you all, these are great! I will definitely review Sluzzelin's list, that's fantastically useful and I thank you, but if any more do occur to anyone do please keep them coming. 184.147.137.171 (talk) 17:00, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Alpaca, vicuña, guanaco. - Lindert (talk) 19:34, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Constrictor? Some people say chim-PAN-zee. Dalmatian. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 21:02, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

"St Bernard" might work if pronounced as the name of a British church, but it doesn't fit in American English. The rest do. μηδείς (talk) 22:05, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Rosella, Trevalla, Trevally, canary. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 23:06, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Agouti. I think. I read that much more than I hear it. InedibleHulk (talk) 00:59, May 20, 2013 (UTC)

Crustacean. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 08:26, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

JIM CROW What is the origin of this term, meaning discriminatory laws against African Americans

Please tell me who was the original Jim Crow. Was it a character from Dumbo, the Walt Disney Movie and if so, how did come by its current meaning? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.190.171.238 (talk) 23:28, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Please see Jim Crow laws. Bus stop (talk) 23:30, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

The name goes back a century or more before the Disney movie, according to the generally accepted story... AnonMoos (talk) 00:44, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

According to the article, that term "Jim Crow" was highly offensive, but presumably it's still used because of its historical significance, along with being obsolete now. But in pop culture, crows were used to symbolize black people, long before Disney came along. Moran and Mack,[9] for example. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:48, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

May 20

Fuck

Hi, What is an idiomatic expression involving the word 'fuck' which means 'to be very difficult', as said of an exam? I considered "It [the exam] was fucked up" but that didn't seem specific enough and had the wrong connotation. "It fucked me over" seems odd. Obviously "It was fucking difficult" does not meet the idiomatic requirement. Thanks in advance. 72.128.82.131 (talk) 00:05, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Do you have reason to believe such an idiomatic expression exists? Bus stop (talk) 00:07, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Could say it was a mindfuck. Especially if it seemed intentionally tricky. InedibleHulk (talk) 01:03, May 20, 2013 (UTC)

• That test was a motherfucker. Looie496 (talk) 01:17, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Or the test was a real fucker. That would do, and is perfectly acceptable in my dialect. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 08:15, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

The exam was difficult as fuck :D 109.99.71.97 (talk) 18:19, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Chinese names in book pages - What are the characters?

Hi! I would like to know what the Chinese characters are from these book pages?

• p. 92 - Poplar Island Press/Pappelinsel-Werkstatt/Yangshudao, Vincenz Hundhausen/Hong Taosheng, Sonderausgaben/Tekan
• page 93: Herbert Mueller/Mi Songlin, Forschungen and Fortschritte/Yanjiu yu jinbu, Wolfgang Franke/Fu Wukang

Thank you, WhisperToMe (talk) 08:37, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Yangshudao = 楊樹島 - a person name, Hong Taosheng = 洪濤生 - a person name, Tekan = 特刊 - special publication

Mi Songlin = 米松林 - a person name, Yanjiu yu jinbu = 研究與進步 - research and advancement，Fu Wukang = 傅吾康 - a person name -- Justin545 (talk) 10:49, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Thank you very much :) (in the case of Yangshudao it seems like it was used as the name of a publishing company but it could easily be the name of a person too) WhisperToMe (talk) 14:54, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Homologate and prolepsis

I'm wondering what's a clear definition of these words in the context of epic simile, or just simile in general. I'm attempting to rewrite that article, and I've come across these words several times in my research. Context tells me that homologate essentially means that there are precise parallels between what is being compared and what it is being compared to. Prolepsis essentially seems to mean foreshadowing. Neither our article homology nor prolepsis seems to give a reasonable definition for this context, and I feel like my contextual inferences lack. Here is one of the articles that uses these terms. If anyone could shed some light on these terms generally (in the context of epic simile) or, especially, explain more specifically how they are used in this article, I would be forever grateful. ÷seresin 09:55, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

I believe the term "homology" comes from the Greek originally meaning "to name alike", and can mean several different things depending on the context, sometimes times it just means "agreement", (see, for example, homologation), but it can be used to indicate certain types of comparisons or analogies; for example in chemistry a homologous series is a group of molecules which differ by a single, repeating unit (c.f. acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde) that is the group has a common thread (in this case, the "straight chain aldehydes"). Homology (sociology) seems to be broadly similar, indicating common threads in sociological constructs. However, other uses of the term seem widely different in definition. Perhaps Autological word is the best link, since it deals with a linguistic concept like a simile. --Jayron32 17:21, 20 May 2013 (UTC)