Brian C. and Joao Paulo...
I've been plowing thru an inordinately huge pile of newly delivered email,
thinking I'll be at my desk till 3 a.m. today JUST responding to email alone!
(and it's only 9 a.m. now!) <OYE!> (grin) Since Brian's message was right at
the top of the heap it was the first one I read.. And NOW I'm sitting here
laughing myself silly over the image of Mr. W. Shakespeare writing:
> "'To be, or not to be; thats a helluva question...."
Thanks for the laugh, Brian! It was a great way to start my day! <smiling>
Joao Paulo... I spent some time thinking about my use of the vernacular when
writing to this list and it's alllllll your fault! <grin> I appreciate your
wanting to know the correct usage of the language you're conversing in since
it's not your mother tongue. Personally, I think you have a fine grasp of the
language...
Often now, in writing to the list, as I type a word or phrase in my everyday
writing style (which is different from my "proper English" speaking style),
I'll stop and THINK about the meaning of a word I'm using. And sometime, in
pausing to review what I've written, as I read I end up thinking to myself
that I"m going to drive everyone who doesn't habitually speak English as their
native tongue absolutely NUTZ! <giggle>
I'm having fun enjoying the mental picture of this bright Brazilian fella
sitting at his desk wildly thumbing thru his trusty Webster's, and thinking as
he flips the wafer-thin pages in the manner ONLY another Parkie could
understand (FINGERS! Do your JOB!), "She's making me CRAZY!"
Thanks for putting up with my "Barb-speak," Joao Paulo, and thanks to all our
"resident wordies" (like myself - I love dictionaries and reference books!)
for translating that B-speak and adding your own asides and comments. It
tickles me alot.
Barb Mallut
"Lil_Honey" on the PD Chat
[log in to unmask]
----------
From: PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network on behalf
of Brian Collins
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 1997 3:02 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject: Joao Paulo Carvalho and American language.
On Tue 07 Jan, Joao Paulo Carvalho wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Jan 1997, Barbara Mallut wrote:
> several other very tasty herbal teas, with a heavenly spicy smell to the
> brewed tea. And if I can taste 'em and smell 'em, well, ANY Parkie could!
> ('cause there ain't a whole helluva lotta stuff that's tasty and/or pleasant
> > > smelling to THIS Parkie-type-gal) Enjoy.......
>
> Hi Barb,me again trying to catch the meaning of * helluva lotta *.
> Ours famous Webster College Dic. did'nt help me.I came to the conclusion
> I will have to relearn again yours original Shakesperean language... :-)
>
> Cheers,
> +----| Joao Paulo de Carvalho |------ +
> | [log in to unmask] |
> +--------| Salvador-Bahia-Brazil |------+
>
>
Hello Joao Paulo. I hope you don't mind if I say that I have in the past
obtained a lot of quiet amusement from your attempts to understand colloquial
American. Perhaps you are beginning to understand why it is described as one
of
the most complex languages to learn. However,I just had to write and say, with
regard to your latest question to Barb, that if William Shakespear had been
asked to translate the term 'helluva lotta' you would have found him right
behind you in the queue for the Dictionary!
I don't know if it will help, but the words which seem to give you most
trouble are confusing because they are words that you would recognise, but
they have been spelled phonetically. That is, as you read the words out, you
get the sound of the word, but not the spelling. So, once you realise that 'a
helluva lotta' means 'a hell of a lot of' you have gone a long way towards
understanding what Barb is saying. Meanwhile, I keep giggling every time I
think of W. Shakespear writing 'To be, or not to be; thats a helluva question.
Don't give up, Barbara OR Jaoa Paulo,
Regards,
--
Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>
