Italian help wanted

S

Steve Maloney

Guest

• Nov 27, 2004

• #21

"Torak" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Well, yes and no. Certainly that was the case at the beginning of the
> century, but now "photo" is a full word in its own right. Thus no
> apostrophe.
>
But the beginning of the century was only 4 years ago, and if you are old
enough to drive a Landy then you must have been to school before then!
;-)

Steve

 

T

Torak

Guest

• Nov 28, 2004

• #22

"Richard Brookman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> So Torak was, like
>
> > And it's such a great language, too - I've had to learn French, but I
> > learnt Dutch for the fun of it. Het is mooier dan duits en leuker dan
> > frans... ja, mooier dan frans, dat ook.
>
> "It is more beautiful than German, and funnier than French - yeah, more
> beautiful than French as well." Near enough?

Near enough. "Nicer than Dutch and more fun than French." But
"beautiful" is perhaps a more accurate translation of "mooi".

> I tried to learn some Dutch when I went there for a holiday a few years ago.
> I think I am right in saying that, historically, Dutch is closer to English
> than it is to Swedish - but it beat me. I managed "good morning" and so on,
> but then I developed such a coughing fit I had to give it up.

Yes, the G sound is marvellous, isn't it?
Personally I've always found it closer to both English and Swedish
than German; in fact, the pronunciation always sounds slightly Danish
to me.

> Netherlands - great place, lovely people (at least, they seemed to like the
> Brits - makes a change), best holiday ever. Seriously.

Absolutely.

 

T

Torak

Guest

• Nov 28, 2004

• #23

Tim Hobbs <[email protected]> wrote in message
> On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 00:22:51 +1100, "The Becketts"
>
> >Ahh, then I take it you've watched Dead Ringers

Someone who recognised my quote, perchance? :-D

> It does seem to be mandatory to have some kind of speech impediment to
> be in Tony's government. There's Brown with his funny jaw thing -
> reminds me of a Citroen BX parking up for some bizarre reason. Frank
> Dobson mumbling into his beard. Red Ken talking through his nose and
> his arse at the same time.

Quite amusing, really - Bliar's the only current/recent party leader
who hasn't hosted Have I Got News For You. Well, except for Michael
Howard, but he doesn't count. And Ian and Duncan Smith, but I think
it's quite firmly established that they don't really exist.

Robin Cook was quite good, I thought.

 

T

Torak

Guest

• Nov 28, 2004

• #24

"Steve Maloney" <kit&[email protected]> wrote in message
> "Torak" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > Well, yes and no. Certainly that was the case at the beginning of the
> > century, but now "photo" is a full word in its own right. Thus no
> > apostrophe.
> >
> But the beginning of the century was only 4 years ago, and if you are old
> enough to drive a Landy then you must have been to school before then!
> ;-)

Pah. I mean, of course, the *proper* century. Not like these wannabe,
namby-pamby centuries we get these days.... ;-)