Thursday 3 July 2008

(Short) Free English Lessons 1: Frasi da eliminare dal tuo quaderno.

So-and-so. This does NOT mean “così così”. It is used as a noun by mothers and grandmothers to express disapproval of characters whom everyone else once described – for metaphorical rather than technical reasons – as “sods” [“sodomiti”], but who are now more commonly referred to as “bastards”.

Example of correct use: Silvio and Cesare are real so-and-sos.

My family is composed of five persons. The last native English speaker to use this expression was executed in 1772 for crimes against the language. It later emerged that, for tax evasion purposes, he had actually lied about the number of his relatives.

Example of correct use: There are five people* in my family.


* NB. Dogs are not people - though it might be argued that some people are dogs.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rischi il linciaggio: che i cani non sono persone della famiglia vallo a dire al mio vicino di casa che si è appena fatto una settimana in Baviera per scegliere un cane con lo stesso COGNOME (ipse dixit) del precedente!

Asia

Paul said...

Ho sempre pensato che non servono i cani se hai nipoti che abaiano.

Your neighbour needs professional help, by the way, Anastasia.