| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
once again
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 815
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 7:27 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| "Serendipity" is my fave. It has a lovely sound and a lovely meaning. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
baby predator
Joined: 12 May 2003
Posts: 176
Location: London, United Kingdom
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 8:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
I can't think of any words I'd consider "beautiful" in English. For me, Portuguese has the most beautiful words and phrases: "saudade", "que tempo lindo"! Just hearing someone speak Portuguese with a nice Carioca accent makes my day.
However, I think English has the edge over many languages in terms of words and phrases that are satisfying to say. My personal faves:
That's mingin'! (colloquial Scots; see also hingin', howfin', barfin', tingin')
I'm gonna open a can of whupass on you! (apologies if this is spelled incorrectly, but I've only ever heard it, never seen it written down).
laaaaaavely (said in full Cockney accent)
muppet (used to mean dumb person)
jinking (skiving)
wtf!!!????
ghastly (I'm trying to resurrect this one)
rapscallion
ruffian
oh my giddy aunt!
b*llocks!
baboon
I'm going to have a hairy canary. (this was a favorite of my Primary School teacher)
Bite me!
Auchtermuchty (not strictly "English", but a fine Scottish place name)
Ah, there are so many. English is a fun language! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 9:25 am Post subject: My picks at the moment |
|
|
The most beautiful words in English? Well, right now I'd vote for these two:
Going home.
Regards,
John |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bnix
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 645
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 10:52 pm Post subject: Put Me on the Plane,Send Me Home |
|
|
Ah,johnslat,it will probably be only a few days before you are heartbroken and pining to return to Saudi!  What?NO???? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
enigma
Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 68
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 12:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
i haven't seen "whimsical" or "tendril" mentioned yet, or "plethora"; all beautiful words to hear.
"curmudgeon" is an un-beautiful favourite of mine. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bnix
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 645
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 12:48 am Post subject: Yes,Enigma,I Agree |
|
|
The words you posted are beautiful.Although my favorite is still "gossamer".Another favorite of mine is"capricious".
Ugly one- "dastard"(though not exactly in common use).But it is close to that other one beginning with a "b"...so you can call someone a "dastard'...but be careful...he might think you are calling him the other one.By the way...is there any female equivalent for that "b" word?Do you put an "ess" on the end of it to make it feminine?
Enigma, are you truly enigmatic, or do you just like the word 'enigma"? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
serafina
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 7
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 1:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
| 'melancholy' is a personal favourite. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bertrand
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 293
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 2:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| R E T I R E M E N T |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Marcoregano
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 2:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| How's about "backscuttle?"...as in: "I backscuttled her behind the bike sheds."....lurvely...hic... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bertrand
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 293
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 3:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Marcoregano wrote: |
| How's about "backscuttle?"...as in: "I backscuttled her behind the bike sheds."....lurvely...hic... |
"I backscuttled her behind the bike sheds" is a good example of a Garden Path sentence (one that forces you, upon an intital parsing, to mis-allocate a mother node in the nascent syntatic tree). I read it as 'I backscuttled her behind (i.e., her arse)' and then I had to reanalyse the sentence!
Garden Paths are usually created through the elision of a relative clause introducer. Viz.:
1) The horse (that was) raced past the barn fell.
2) The horse raced past the barn fell.
I bet the following one will garden path you (all germane punctuation has been deleted as this is, principally, an aspect of the oral/aural channel)!
3) Whilst mending the sock fell off her lap.
Now, you will say there is an 'it' missing! But no! Read 'mending' as 'getting better' or 'recovering'.
You often get good examples of Garden Paths in newspaper headlines (due to the lack of space and their wish to produce a snappy headline):
4) Iraqi head seeks arms.
Last edited by Bertrand on Tue Jul 08, 2003 4:27 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Marcoregano
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 4:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Bertrand....perhaps you are unaware, in the sentence "I backscuttled her behind", "behind" is redundant. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bertrand
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 293
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 4:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Marcoregano wrote: |
| Bertrand....perhaps you are unaware, in the sentence "I backscuttled her behind", "behind" is redundant. |
Yes, totally unaware. What does 'to backscuttle somebody' actually mean? What does it entail? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Roger
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 4:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
Holiday(s)
bonus
gratuity
tipping
perks
salary
killion/pillion/thrillion/zillion
renminbi/kuai/yuan/Chinese dollar/Hong Kong dollar/Macau pataca
fairplay
foreplay |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Marcoregano
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 5:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Er...I'd rather not get into detail here....suffice to say it's English slang for a rather unsavoury coupling act....at least unsavoury for most of us....not really a beautiful word but it does make me chuckle. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PanamaTeacher
Joined: 26 Jun 2003
Posts: 278
Location: Panama
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 11:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hey marco--no one can backscuttle bertrand with his head in the way.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
