Browsings: WILLIAM HARTSTON
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Go:
The ancient oriental game of Go is scheduled to be played in space for the first time this November, when the Japanese cosmonaut Koichi Wakata goes into orbit.
Back on Earth, the British Go Association newsletter reports that the "Chicago Hog Butcher Tourney" was attended by 27 players and 100 doughnuts.
Russian:
The Random House Russian-English Dictionary of Idioms has been published in New York, and lists more than 13,000 expressions, including (translating literally): "an elephant stepped on his ear" (meaning he is tone-deaf), "she ate the dog" (she really knows her stuff) and "he's hanging noodles on your ears" (he's misleading you).
The project, which has taken 13 years, was funded by the US Department of Defence.
Japanese:
The words sannadabichi, banira, reinkoto and Kencha no Furachin have all entered the slang vocabulary of the with-it Tokyo teenager. They mean, respectively, son-of-a-bitch, vanilla ice-cream, raincoat and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
An article in Verbatim - The Language Quarterly also lists a number of Western words that have been adopted as trendy obscenities. A long list includes fakko-meto (intimate acquaintance) and masutabeeshon (work it out yourself).
Hungarian:
There is, according to Verbatim, "an unstoppable flood of English words" pouring into Hungary, where a biznisz man or menedzser can now make his bebi-szitter a szendvics.
For further details: Verbatim, PO Box 199, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2HK.
Beekeeping:
A letter in the May 1995 issue of Bee Craft (the journal of the British Bee-Keepers Association) refers to an inmate of Parkhurst Prison who plans to run beekeeping courses: "It occurs to me that slightly softened beeswax would be suitable for taking impressions of keys - a further use for by- products of the hive."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments