Jag Bhalla

A fun, quick read. The title means "I'm not pulling your leg". It's a book of funny idioms from other languages that sound very odd to English speaking people. Of course, many of our own idioms don't make any sense either.

Next time I put on makeup, I'll remember to say I'm sugaring my waffle (French). Other fun phrases are "Look like the Mona Lisa after a spanking" which is Czech for being poorly dressed and "Smoke belches from the seven openings on the head" which is Chinese for being very angry.

The author's commentary at the beginning of each chapter was the best part. He has a good sense of humor. His rant about the excesses of modern capitalism was surprising but interesting.… (altro)

Jam-packed with the little culture-through-language oddities I love learning about. A little more commentary interspersed throughout would have been nice, because the plain list format can get too tedious to read. (But preferably of the more almost-clinical, detached but interesting curator type, because sometimes the author's book and chapter introductions, though enthusiastic, can get a little... bombastic?)

I like the themed chapters (colors, countries, etc.) but my beef with this is that idioms in the original language are not provided, just the English translations. It makes it hard to verify these with a native speaker. Still in the process of having the boyfriend confirm and translate the Chinese idioms, so I might actually be able to use them, and am tempted to have friends who major in German and French to look into theirs. Because though interesting to read about, if you try to use these idioms in their English versions, sometimes it doesn't translate back as clearly, and your attempt at showing off that you know these idioms just ends up with a confused local. (Of course, sometimes that's what people will do, they will unconsciously transliterate their local saying into English, and sometimes you get a vague sense of what they're trying to say.) So, original examples would have helped, but maybe that's a tall order. It *is* quite an expansive book already. Some of the idioms are repeated though, under different chapters.

If you just want a peek at how the rest of the world thinks (the English "when pigs fly" is "when crawfish sing on the mountains" or "when frogs grow hair" elsewhere), this is nice to flip through. I'd recommend this as a bathroom book.

… (altro)

I love words. I love reading about words. I have a favorite linguist (John McWhorter, for those who are interested), and never turn down a book that discusses language, whether it be English or a foreign one. Thus I was heartily excited to read I’m Not Hanging Noodles On Your Ears.

Full review: http://libwen.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/im-not-hanging-noodles-on-your-ears-by-ja...… (altro)