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Comet-like fashionable expressions

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28 messages over 4 pages: 1 2 3
Arti
Diglot
Senior Member
Russian Federation
Joined 7012 days ago

130 posts - 165 votes 
Speaks: Russian*, English
Studies: French, Czech

 
 Message 25 of 28
06 July 2007 at 3:25pm | IP Logged 
Giordano wrote:
He was like "...quote..."
She was all "...quote..."
He was totally "...quote..."
He was completely/totally like "...quote..."
Then he was all like "...quote..."

This is very intresting because something like that exists in Russian, but it is a feature of spoken language and it shows quite low level of education and intellect of a person who speaks in this way.
Inspite of saying simply "she said that.." a person, not necessary a teenager can add several words which don't make any sence, we call them "parasite words".

As for fashion phrases, most of them are said by famous people and if they are "cool", then everyone begins to use them in newspaper articles, on TV, radio, in everyday life. Putin is the leader of creating such phrases, his slangy expressions are very emotional and very good for remembering, but they disapper as that news becomes outdated, because each his expression is devoted to an even in political/social life of a country.
Also phrases from popular films, mostly Soviet ones have entered the language and sometimes you even dont know that this phrase is originally from a film.
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sarguy
Groupie
United States
Joined 6565 days ago

59 posts - 60 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish

 
 Message 26 of 28
29 January 2008 at 3:50pm | IP Logged 
johntothea wrote:
In the US a lot of people use the expression 'how about...[story that they're going to tell]'.

I'm not really sure how to explain the meaning it conveys, but I use it a lot in my speech. I know all the situations in which I would use it...but...I it's hard to explain.


I use it too, and it seems to be a way of presenting the story or an idea.

"How about a cup of coffee?" This seems to imply that you're asking how the feel about something "How (would you feel) about (having) a cup of coffee?"

"How about that time you fell off the windmill onto the Sheriff's car?"
This use seems to present a situation for the other parties in the conversation to comment on. In the case of the above sentence, I might be reminiscing with my college friends about our escapades.


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Alfonso
Octoglot
Senior Member
Mexico
Joined 6861 days ago

511 posts - 536 votes 
Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek
Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German

 
 Message 27 of 28
29 January 2008 at 4:16pm | IP Logged 
This thread reminds me of a friend I met in Canada who was an French speaker from Africa (Rwanda). When he spoke, at the beginning of almost every intervention in a conversation, he started with "ce que...". I don't know whether it was his own way to speak or whether many people speak that way in his country.

Here in Mexico since I was a child, people in urban contexts usually say: "Qué padre!" or "Está padrísimo" meaning: "Cool!", "Great", "Gorgeous!", or so. It's used mainly by young people, but now I have the impression that this expression tends to decrease. This is a regionalism and is not common in rural areas.

On the other hand, I think that the derived greek words Mega and Hyper are nowadays fequently used in several languages to replace the adverbs: very, extremely, high, great or grand. This happends also in Mexican Spanish when some say: Está hiper-padrísimo!. This is an influence created by the new titles that are given to some stores or tv programs like: Hyper-market, Mega-constructions and so on.

Edited by Alfonso on 29 January 2008 at 4:26pm

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Lifted
Bilingual Diglot
Newbie
United States
Joined 5540 days ago

14 posts - 14 votes
Speaks: English*, Spanish*
Studies: German, Polish, Latin, Russian

 
 Message 28 of 28
15 October 2009 at 12:36am | IP Logged 
Off topic: I consider the use of the word "este" in Spanish as a 'pause-filler,' and was wondering if anyone had any information as to when it came into style, so to speak.

On topic: My father, when mimicking a 'cool-guy,' or something to that effect, in Spanish, would use the phrase "eso es muy pro, mano," as in "that was really awesome, man." The 'muy pro' sounds like one of those fashionable expressions. I've heard it very rarely, but, then again, I don't really speak Spanish to people who aren't in my family (unfortunately).

Here's a phrase in English I've heard from high school on: "It's hot as balls, man." This means "it's really hot." I have no idea from where it came, but it's fun to use.


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