Help! What does that mean in English??????!!

[Steamywindows♥♫]

I have a question about why the french use "sacre cœur" as a curse. It literally means sacred heart. Can anyone explain please?

[Dina]

I don't have the explanation, but your question made me think of why Americans use the expression "holy sh!t". There's nothing holy about that, LOL.

[Fani *loves angst*]

Steamywindows wrote: "I have a question about why the french use "sacre cœur" as a curse. It literally means sacred heart. Can anyone explain please?"

My french is rusty, but I think it's not as much a curse, as an expression meaning 'Oh my God!'. Used the same way, in surprises or when something bad/unexpected happens. I hope this explanation fits in your case. I'm after all the same woman who went into a drugstore in Paris asking for a painkiller and said 'I have a bread in my head', lol!

[Steamywindows♥♫]

Fani wrote: "Steamywindows wrote: "I have a question about why the french use "sacre cœur" as a curse. It literally means sacred heart. Can anyone explain please?"

My french is rusty, but I think it's not as..."
ROTFLMFO- Thanks to you both Fani and Dina, (still chuckling), What you have suggested fits exactly. I assumed it was a curse because of times when I heard it juxtaposition-ed between other phrases which are curses. Now I shall read it with the appropriate feeling, SACRE COEUR ! SW

[Lisa Kay]

LOL! You ladies are killing me!

[Eastofoz]

If anyone has the book A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (which is very good so far for me!) can you tell me what the Latin blurbs mean on the front and back cover as well as some of the symbols which I think is the zodiac but I'm not sure.

[Ladymcbeth]

Steamywindows♥♫ wrote: "I have a question about why the french use "sacre cœur" as a curse. It literally means sacred heart. Can anyone explain please?"

Hello I'm french, and i just discover your question about sacre coeur. I didn't hear it in my life out of a mouth as an expression. For me maybe it's used like Dina told (kind of Holy sh!t^^), but in the same way, we call sacre coeur the heart Marie have on her chest in her hands. It's also the name of a famous basilica in Paris.

[Katya]

Auntee wrote: "Anne wrote: " "Tomalo. Tomalo todo."i>

Yeah that's hot. Unless he's feeding her spinach!"

LOL!!!"

Auntee you are too funny. Thanks for the laugh!

[Auntee]

I'm reading Blood and Fire by Shannon McKenna and it's filled with lots of Italian slang (I'm sure some of them are insults).:)

Does anyone know the meaning of these words/phrases?
troia
brutta zitellaccia
Che cazz' stai a fare
bimbi
uguali
Mi fa brividi
giovanotto
brividi
Ti voglio tanto, tanto bene
puttanella
scagnozzo

[Eastofoz]

I can help ya with a few (some I've never heard of! I'd be interested to see the posts on those.)

Che cazz' stai a fare WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING
bimbi CHILDREN
uguali THE SAME (in the plural "they are the same")
giovanotto YOUNG MAN
Ti voglio tanto, tanto bene I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH

[Eastofoz]

I looked the others up online because I HAD to know (lol!) and here's what I found:

troia TROY (like the city)
brutta zitellaccia UGLY SPINSTER
Mi fa brividi MAKES ME SHUDDER
brividi SHUDDERS
puttanella BITCH
scagnozzo HENCHMAN

Hopefully they makes sense in context. If not add the sentence and someone should be able to figure them out :)

[Auntee]

Thanks East! All of those make sense except for 'troia'. Here's the sentence:
"Yeah, and you was also a nasty lying little troia who couldn't keep her panties on!"

I'm thinking troia in this context might mean 'tramp'?:)

[Anita]

Eastofoz wrote: "I looked the others up online because I HAD to know (lol!) and here's what I found:

troia TROY (like the city)
brutta zitellaccia UGLY SPINSTER
Mi fa brividi MAKES ME SHUDDER
brividi SHUDDERS
putt..."

Hey there I am italian, troia is sow not the city

[Auntee]

"Sow"? Okay, that makes sense!:) Thanks!

[Lisa Kay]

Okay, I love that series, Auntee. I'm going to have to remember this thread for when I read that book, LOL!

[Auntee]

Most of the Italian comes from the mouth of Bruno's Aunt Rosa--what a character!

[Eastofoz]

Anita wrote: "Eastofoz wrote: "I looked the others up online because I HAD to know (lol!) and here's what I found:

troia TROY (like the city)
brutta zitellaccia UGLY SPINSTER
Mi fa brividi MAKES ME SHUDDER
briv..."

I didn't see that about "troia" in the translating site I went to. Good to know (lol!)

Auntee, if you call someone a "sow" in French too it's very insulting for a woman. I can't think of an English equivalent apart from maybe witch/bitch/ho/skank etc. What would you say Anita?

[Auntee]

So "sow" is the ultimate insult? I think that's what Zia Rosa meant!:)

[Eastofoz]

Well if it's as strong as the French version, then definitely yes.

[Anita]

Yes its a really strong insult, and italians use it a lot ;)

[Eastofoz]

Anita wrote: "Yes its a really strong insult, and italians use it a lot ;)"

Thanks for the info Anita. Would that be used more in northern or southern Italy? Is it more common with any particular dialects/regions that you know of? GR is just a fountain of information (lol!) ;D

[Anita]

Well I am from the north but I guess its uses everywhere, although it means "sow" when you use it you mean that the person is a "prostitute" there are many different insults in the italian language for prostitute like puttana, troia, zoccola etc.

[Eastofoz]

I've heard of puttana and zoccola but never troia. Thanks for letting me know :D

[Auntee]

Now you've got a new insult to tuck away for when you really need it.:)

[Eastofoz]

Auntee wrote: "Now you've got a new insult to tuck away for when you really need it.:)"

LOL!!

[Eastofoz]

Calling all French speakers ;-) Can anyone give me the English proverb for:

oignez villain, il vous poindra ; poignez vilain, il vous oindra

I can't figure it out and it's driving me crazy! 8-o

[Missyb]

I got a book from my brother (a PDF file) called "The Little Book of Essential Foreign Swear Words" by Emma Burgess. Not just the major languages, it has some phrases in Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hebrew, Serbian, Portuguese

[Auntee]

Awesome!:)

[Eastofoz]

Native French speakers help! ;-)

What would be the English equivalent of "Elle a un fort caractère" and would it be a nengtive or a positive statement? I know it's not "she has a strong character" because that doesn't mean anything. I think there's more of an explanation required in English instead of just a literal translation -- at least I can't think of anything. Can anyone help?

[Ladymcbeth]

It's kind of having temper I think you can translate it like that ... but it's not bad for me :)

[Eastofoz]

Would you say it's like being strong willed or the person knows what they want and sets out to get it or could it be more along the lines stubborn and a bit pig headed?

[Ladymcbeth]

the second one for me but maybe it depends on what side you are.
If you are this person it's more the first ^^

both of your propositions can be apply

[Eastofoz]

Thanks for your help :)

[Ladymcbeth]

you're welcome :)

[Eastofoz]

I'm just thinking what would it mean if you said just "Elle a du caractère"? Could it be both interpretations also? I read this in a situation where the one character seemed surprised by this and I didn't know how to take it. In another scene it was as if the person was not only surprised but also saying it in a way that said look out and tone that down. Would that right too?

[Ladymcbeth]

I think so :)

[Eastofoz]

Can anyone translate "a good, good life" to Latin?

Can you recommend a site that has common Latin phrases? Nothing too long.

[Auntee]

East, this is what I got:

a bonus bonus vita

Here's the site: http://www.stars21.com/translator/eng...

Here's a site for Latin phrases: http://www.yuni.com/library/latin.html

[Eastofoz]

Thanks Auntee :)