Cor blimey, guv’nor… in translation

Just in case any of my non-UK readers did not understand the Cockney rhyming slang in my previous post, there follows an annotated version below.
Me old china [My old china plate = mate] was just telling the trouble and strife [= wife] that now you can go dahn [down] the ole rattle and tank [= [...]

Cor blimey, guv’nor!

Me old china was just telling the trouble and strife that now you can go dahn the ole rattle and tank to get a speckled hen – or any amount of sausage and mash as it ‘appens – no Lady Godivas though – if you just enter your Huckleberry Finn in the machine.  Might go [...]

Don’t call us…

I recently received notification via a translators’ website of a software programme purporting to be indispensable to all those earning their living from writing in one way or another.  The blurb breathlessly promised translators, journalists and copywriters that they would create flawless sentences using this company’s brand new “grammer and writting software”.
Apart from the fact [...]

French women don’t get fat

“French women don’t get fat – the secret of eating for pleasure” is by Mireille Guiliano.  Written in English by a Frenchwoman who happens to be CEO of the champagne company, Clicquot, married to an American and a long-time resident of that country, Guiliano makes many comparisons between the eating habits of the two countries.
I’m [...]

Mein zweiter Geblogstag

Yes, it’s that time of year again: my second Geblogstag.
And what gems can I share with you to mark this auspicious day?
Perhaps you should be made aware of the Mystery of the Missing Peg Bag.  Mrs Tiggywinkle is entirely flummoxed. Her jolly red peg bag is nowhere to be found. She has hunted high and [...]

And why not?

I have reached a natural break in a marketing text for a brand of shirts. We have covered the history of the company, its philosophy, values and quality. We are about to tackle its communication, staff and design and collection.
Outside, it is absolutely hammering down. I feel like going for a swim. In an outdoor [...]