Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Aug 4, 2020 5:34:50 GMT
Although I'm not convinced everyone here actually speaks English, let's just make that assumption anyway.
Me, I took a couple years of French in high school. Can't say I'm fluent but I understand enough to order in a restaurant if I was in France which I never have been.
After college I went on a road trip to Guatemala with some buddies, one of whom grew up in Panama and seemed to speak Spanish fluently. Then they suddenly decided to go back to the USA. I decided to stay in Guaté, despite not knowing much if any Spanish. I guess I made it up as a sort of illiterate Franish as I went along. It wasn't 100% necessary to know it in order to catch buses and planes and give people money etc. And in most every town at least somebody spoke English. When I got back home I took a night school class in Spanish, which was a bit helpful.
Most recently I've been watching the mini-series "Das Boot" which is in a variety of languages, including of course German, but also French and English. It has got me interested in learning German at this point in life. It seems to be an intriguing language, and I think I'd enjoy its reputed precision and more logical spelling (English spelling is truly horrific).
So what languages do you know? Anybody here speak German?
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bama beau
Legend
Fish will piss anywhere. They just live in water.
Posts: 11,582
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Post by bama beau on Aug 4, 2020 5:51:21 GMT
Besides what?
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Aug 7, 2020 8:30:11 GMT
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robth
Participant
Posts: 131
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Post by robth on Aug 7, 2020 16:08:33 GMT
Some Spanish, American english.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Aug 8, 2020 7:26:48 GMT
Some Spanish, American english. Spanish Spanish, Mexican Spanish, other?
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robth
Participant
Posts: 131
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Post by robth on Aug 10, 2020 2:04:42 GMT
Some Spanish, American english. Spanish Spanish, Mexican Spanish, other?
Good question. My Spanish teacher in HS said any well educated Spanish speaker could under stand what we were taught. In college the prof. didn't really say what type we were learning. Living in New Mexico, I think it's Spanglish, a cross between Mexican Spanish and English. For example: Spanish.. Como esta usted? How are you. Spanglish....como sta Same meaning. Lotta local slang thrown in. |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Aug 10, 2020 2:44:23 GMT
Spanish Spanish, Mexican Spanish, other?
Good question. My Spanish teacher in HS said any well educated Spanish speaker could under stand what we were taught. In college the prof. didn't really say what type we were learning. Living in New Mexico, I think it's Spanglish, a cross between Mexican Spanish and English. For example: Spanish.. Como esta usted? How are you. Spanglish....como sta Same meaning. Lotta local slang thrown in. Well, my thought was there are a number of varieties of Spanish spoken across the Americas and in Europe. I suppose primarily accent and colloquial phrases. Sort of like American vs. British English.
And I understand the German that Austrians speak is different from that of Berliners.
Whales have dialects too.
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bama beau
Legend
Fish will piss anywhere. They just live in water.
Posts: 11,582
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Post by bama beau on Aug 12, 2020 3:23:25 GMT
Back when I was almost fluent in French,
I still had a hard time understanding
the French Canadians. Not just their
speech, but also their love for their
champion hog calling queen, Celine Dion.
I would have sunk the Titanic with her
aboard just to stop her caterwauling.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2020 5:20:46 GMT
Good question. My Spanish teacher in HS said any well educated Spanish speaker could under stand what we were taught. In college the prof. didn't really say what type we were learning. Living in New Mexico, I think it's Spanglish, a cross between Mexican Spanish and English. For example: Spanish.. Como esta usted? How are you. Spanglish....como sta Same meaning. Lotta local slang thrown in. Well, my thought was there are a number of varieties of Spanish spoken across the Americas and in Europe. I suppose primarily accent and colloquial phrases. Sort of like American vs. British English.
And I understand the German that Austrians speak is different from that of Berliners.
Whales have dialects too.
"whales have dialects": Yeah, sure they do, imbecile, and they use them to say things much more interesting than you do. I'll bet on that. Seriously, in how many languages do you wish to make an ass out of yourself? isn't one, or in your case, part of one, more than enough? |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Aug 13, 2020 8:10:57 GMT
Back when I was almost fluent in French, I still had a hard time understanding the French Canadians. Not just their speech, but also their love for their champion hog calling queen, Celine Dion. I would have sunk the Titanic with her aboard just to stop her caterwauling. About 13 years ago I had some elderly neighbors; the wife was born in the south of France but had married some guy who relocated them to Quebec. She once confided in me that at some point she had to call some bureaucrat in France to straighten out her citizenship papers or some such. She said the bureaucrat got very unpleasant and dismissive once she revealed she was calling from Quebec. Kind of pissed her off.
BTW, half my ancestors are from Quebec. I even met one of them at some point. I heard that the border between Vermont and Quebec is quite porous, or at least was. People could move freely between without any paperwork. I recall my dad being quite fond of things Vermont. Used to promise to take me there, but never did. Oh well. I suppose there's still time once this virus nonsense subsides.
As for Celine Dionne, I'm not so repelled by her voice as I am by her makeup. The bitch has so much pancake on she can't even smile. I guess that's the reason.
PS-My French/Canadian neighbor loved Celine Dionne. I kept my opinion to myself. One does not argue with Arlette.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2020 8:23:21 GMT
Back when I was almost fluent in French, I still had a hard time understanding the French Canadians. Not just their speech, but also their love for their champion hog calling queen, Celine Dion. I would have sunk the Titanic with her aboard just to stop her caterwauling. About 13 years ago I had some elderly neighbors; the wife was born in the south of France but had married some guy who relocated them to Quebec. She once confided in me that at some point she had to call some bureaucrat in France to straighten out her citizenship papers or some such. She said the bureaucrat got very unpleasant and dismissive once she revealed she was calling from Quebec. Kind of pissed her off.
BTW, half my ancestors are from Quebec. I even met one of them at some point. I heard that the border between Vermont and Quebec is quite porous, or at least was. People could move freely between without any paperwork. I recall my dad being quite fond of things Vermont. Used to promise to take me there, but never did. Oh well. I suppose there's still time once this virus nonsense subsides.
As for Celine Dionne, I'm not so repelled by her voice as I am by her makeup. The bitch has so much pancake on she can't even smile. I guess that's the reason.
PS-My French/Canadian neighbor loved Celine Dionne. I kept my opinion to myself. One does not argue with Arlette.
When you said "my wife was born" what you meant to say is that is the day they extracted the latex from the tree. |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Aug 13, 2020 10:28:06 GMT
About 13 years ago I had some elderly neighbors; the wife was born in the south of France but had married some guy who relocated them to Quebec. She once confided in me that at some point she had to call some bureaucrat in France to straighten out her citizenship papers or some such. She said the bureaucrat got very unpleasant and dismissive once she revealed she was calling from Quebec. Kind of pissed her off.
BTW, half my ancestors are from Quebec. I even met one of them at some point. I heard that the border between Vermont and Quebec is quite porous, or at least was. People could move freely between without any paperwork. I recall my dad being quite fond of things Vermont. Used to promise to take me there, but never did. Oh well. I suppose there's still time once this virus nonsense subsides.
As for Celine Dionne, I'm not so repelled by her voice as I am by her makeup. The bitch has so much pancake on she can't even smile. I guess that's the reason.
PS-My French/Canadian neighbor loved Celine Dionne. I kept my opinion to myself. One does not argue with Arlette.
When you said "my wife was born" what you meant to say is that is the day they extracted the latex from the tree.
Where did I mention where my wife was born?
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robth
Participant
Posts: 131
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Post by robth on Aug 13, 2020 12:25:15 GMT
When I was in high school there was a Cuban girl in our Spanish class. Cuban Spanish is so different that she and the teacher could barely understand each other.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2020 14:44:20 GMT
When you said "my wife was born" what you meant to say is that is the day they extracted the latex from the tree.
Where did I mention where my wife was born?
I know you didn't mention "your wife", bozo, I just wanted to make sure that you knew that I know why. You're the kind of nerd who'd get a restraining order if he could work up the nerve to smile at a girl. |
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Post by limey² on Aug 15, 2020 23:37:21 GMT
Back when I was almost fluent in French, I still had a hard time understanding the French Canadians. Not just their speech, but also their love for their champion hog calling queen, Celine Dion. I would have sunk the Titanic with her aboard just to stop her caterwauling. I cried when i saw "Titanic". Not when Jack sank beneath the waves; not when the old lady threw the jewels in at the end; no. When Celone Dion started howling like a rabbit in a weasel's jaws. |
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Post by limey² on Aug 15, 2020 23:44:21 GMT
Good question. My Spanish teacher in HS said any well educated Spanish speaker could under stand what we were taught. In college the prof. didn't really say what type we were learning. Living in New Mexico, I think it's Spanglish, a cross between Mexican Spanish and English. For example: Spanish.. Como esta usted? How are you. Spanglish....como sta Same meaning. Lotta local slang thrown in. Well, my thought was there are a number of varieties of Spanish spoken across the Americas and in Europe. I suppose primarily accent and colloquial phrases. Sort of like American vs. British English.
And I understand the German that Austrians speak is different from that of Berliners.
Whales have dialects too.
"Whsles have dialects..."? It's called "Welsh" you ignorant bastard, spoken by half my family for millenia until the English almost eliminated it two generations ago. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_language |
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Post by Greg55_99 on Aug 15, 2020 23:45:27 GMT
Back when I was almost fluent in French, I still had a hard time understanding the French Canadians. Not just their speech, but also their love for their champion hog calling queen, Celine Dion. I would have sunk the Titanic with her aboard just to stop her caterwauling. I cried when i saw "Titanic". Not when Jack sank beneath the waves; not when the old lady threw the jewels in at the end; no. When Celone Dion started howling like a rabbit in a weasel's jaws. Celine Dion? Well.... I dunno.... Greg |
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Post by limey² on Aug 16, 2020 0:41:12 GMT
I cried when i saw "Titanic". Not when Jack sank beneath the waves; not when the old lady threw the jewels in at the end; no. When Celone Dion started howling like a rabbit in a weasel's jaws. Celine Dion? Well.... I dunno.... Greg I wouldn't touch her with yours, in case she started singing. |
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bama beau
Legend
Fish will piss anywhere. They just live in water.
Posts: 11,582
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Post by bama beau on Aug 16, 2020 3:01:37 GMT
Back when I was almost fluent in French, I still had a hard time understanding the French Canadians. Not just their speech, but also their love for their champion hog calling queen, Celine Dion. I would have sunk the Titanic with her aboard just to stop her caterwauling. I cried when i saw "Titanic". Not when Jack sank beneath the waves; not when the old lady threw the jewels in at the end; no. When Celone Dion started howling like a rabbit in a weasel's jaws. No kidding. I've seen deaf people turn off the closed captioning at that very moment in the movie. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2020 5:19:36 GMT
If Celine Dion was there the Titanic would never have sunk. She would have shattered the iceberg into little ice cubes with her voice...
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