When the Nature Ass About

Looks nice,Just so long as you keep it in slovakia we don't need it in the UK

What a sudden surprise!
Lovely animals too - you have a matching set of cats!
There is another meaning of ass too - if you have done something foolish you have "made an ass of yourself"

Thank you, Steragram :)

Bjs, I do not understand. What do you need not? These idioms, snow or cats? :)

I think Bjs means we would rather not have any snow in the UK......we like cats but you can keep the snow. It looks really deep!!! Your poor plants.

Hi Linda, this snow was in mountains, it is higher then 1600 m over the sea level. Where I live, there was just snow "powder". I hate snow in towns. I like it in mountains. But this time, it was tough also for people from mountains.
P.S. Isn´t there English idiom about bad weather, something like "cats and dogs"?

Yes - "raining cats and dogs" when the rain is pouring down really heavily. We used this expression once to our Spanish neighbour when we were driving him to a hospital appointment in heavy rain and he giggled on about it for ages - imagining his own dogs falling from the skies!

Hahaha. I can imagine. Such drops will make me laugh too.:)

Nariz, we have similar strange expression, related to humour. If something is very funny, if it is a good bit of laugh, we say it is a "a good bit of doggie" :)

I'm still laughing at the "Lovely ass row", Katarina - SO descriptive. We are seeing our local deer much more as the cold weather brings them nearer cultivated gardens in their search for food. Just so long as they stay off my brussels sprouts and my rockery!
Nariz, the Italians sound as if they have nearly got there with the phrase "piove a catinelle." for "raining cats and dogs", but "catinelle" are basins, not cats. All very confusing. We tried translating the phrase "to pull someone's leg" It was the best laugh we and our Italian friends had all year.
Katarina, the word "ass", meaning "bottom" is more American than English, although we know exactly what it means. The English equivalent sounds, and probably is, a bit ruder, but we would say "arse". I can't believe I'm explaining to you how to use bad language!

:) Thank you, I very much appreciate your explanation, Gattina and I understand you suffered. But bad language or dirty language is part of life. If foreigner like me want to understand and remember as much words as possible (just for understanding native speakers) you must understand a lot of it. Especially your idioms. You have plenty of them and some we do not understand even if we were able to translate all words. For instance, this is very useful information about this difference (ass-arse), I did not know it.
By the way, Italians have a lot of funny idioms, but they are intentionally full of humour. I like their humour. I learned about British humour a lot when our aeroplane had decompression on the board.

You surprise, me Katarina! Decompression on board an aeroplane doesn't exactly sound like an opportunity for hilarity. I'm certain I wouldn't be laughing.
Yes, the British do have loads of idioms, not all of them easily understandable. You are right about swearing being an everyday part of life now, but it can still sometimes be very offensive. We met a young Italian at a festa a few years ago, and he obviously wanted to practice his English on us, as taught to him by his girlfriend. Unfortunately, although he spoke it really very well, nearly every other word began with an "f". I am sure he didn't mean to be rude or offensive, but I began to feel distinctly upset by it. I didn't say anything though, because the previous week I had been told off by a complete stranger for using the Italian word "Casino" to mean "a mess". (apparently originally, it meant a brothel) Everyone here uses it in the way I had, but I thought I had made a mistake and was very upset. It is one of the most difficult bits of learning a language, knowing how to avoid causing offence quite innocently.

Gattina, what about wild boars? Are they overpopulated in Italy this year like in Germany, Austria and France?

Lol, yes, Italian word casino is brothel, lol. But in Slovakia we use it in absolutely same situations as Italians. Noun brothel we use as a name for a place with - let call them call girls - but we also refer it to the situation, where nothing has its rules. As you said - a mess. But you see, Italian got upset, but you could easily use it in Slovakia, as it is frequently used in colloquial language without feeling uncomfortable as it is not so hard word. Of course, you cannot say it to the boss. So are the differences among nations - on the same thing one nationality can laugh, the other feels upset or even shocked. There is one charming diplomatic word about these multicultural pitfalls - misunderstandings:)
Well, concerning British humour on the aeroplane during decompression. That was an experience. It happened on British Airways flight from Vienna to London . After one hour I felt strange weakness and suddenly masks dropped out. All people were nailed to their seats from horror, looking around what is going on. Stewardess shouted on us to put eveything on the floor, fast our seatbelts and put masks on. Then they dissappeared. I was very much afraid, as the plane started to lose the height. I also noticed there was coming smoke from my mask. I turned to a man sitting beside me - and asked if I can hold his hand. It made me feel I am not alone if I have to die. He smiled as said "Of course". He was British businessman as I later learned. His hand was like ice, his face pale, but did not say anything. After about ten prays I asked him:"Do you smell smoke from the mask, too?" He answered:"Yes. Maybe the pilot is smoking." So it was what I call a good sense of English "dry" humour :)
After that accident we exchanged several postcards and he encouraged me not to stop flying :) However, since that time I hate aeroplanes.

I'm not surprised!

Wow that is a lot of snow, lovely photographs of you ,the deer and the cats, though I agree with Bjs and only want to see pics on here, lol.
Having a chuckle at the comments about the different meanings in our sayings, here in GB we often have to explain the meanings of our local lingo as often we don`t understand one another, even though we are all conversing in our native english, this blog could turn into a very entertaining one,lol..

To hop in on the mis-use of foreign language : when we first moved here, even though the building and decorating of the casa was finished, there were serious delays in connecting us to electricity, and as we moved in October the weather was then getting colder and colder ...... One evening our lovely neighbour called round to see if we were warm enough and were managing with our quite large supply of candles for light, and offered us the use of one of her bedrooms as it would be warmer. I merrily said that we were going out for a meal (nowhere to cook yet!) then on our return would go straight to bed which would be 'caliente' - meaning once in bed we would be warm. I wondered why she giggled as she glanced at Partner, then beat a hasty retreat. No-one had explained to me the difference between 'caliente' and 'calor' in terms of heat - I had apparently told her the bedroom would be HOT in sexual terms!!!! Ooops!

What a good description - white hell ... lol I can't think of a better name for it.
I enjoyed seeing the deer, and the cats are lovely :o) I hope it's gone now.

Nariz, and wasn´t it hot? :) :)
It reminds me friends of my mother - she was psychiatrist, he was famous novel writer, just married with one child. They bought lovely stone manor house in vineyards, which was designed by famous Slovak architect from the 19th century, the odl furinture designed by him was included. Beautiful, but cold and also without electricity. She once narrated to my mom how wonderful days those were withou electricity. They were living just as previous generations - went to sleep early, woke up with sunrise. Heating was no problem. Love heated them just enough :)

During socialism my father worked as agricultural engineer at plantation. He started to cooperate with one small British company, producing small harvest machines, finally the farm bought several machines from them. Two workers were sent from the UK to us. Father invited them to us for lunch. He wanted to introduce them our domestic vine and champaign. While they were listening he raised the bottle of champagne above the table and said:"Please, give me your goblets, I will inject you the best shampoo you have ever drunk."
I immediately burst to laugh, but I appreciated that they both had stone faces. You know, good education is good education, lol.

lol

I have to laugh at this since I had similar problems in Portuguese.
Nariz: Try the difference in the Spanish word "preservativo" and the same word in Portuguese. I had a Spanish friend who forgot the Portuguese and used the Spanish when describing some preserves he had made of carrots. Everyone thought he had put little condoms on the carrots.

LOL:)

Exactly the same problem here, Wylie - exactly the same word, exactly the same meaning, exactly the same mistake.......The word I have to stop short and remember afresh is "conservanti" instead of "preservativi". Hours of hilarity!

Not very keen on the snow but love the photo of the cats.

By the way, what is correct in English? To preserve or to conserve fruits/vegetables?

Hi Clarice, thank you :)

We usually say "Preserve" Katarina, but "conserve" isn't wrong: we usually use that as a noun meaning some sort of jam:- i.e. "Strawberry conserve". Then again, you can also say "Strawberry preserve." It's all very complicated. Sorry!
English is the most infuriatingly difficult language to learn and to explain. Daughter, who teaches business, legal and medical English to Italians says that it has loads of rules and proceeds to break every single one in as many ways as possible........
I am full of admiration for you, and think you write it very, very well.

So do I! Well done Katerina. But just to be a little pedantic here - a 'conserve' is a jam, but a has large pieces of fruit in it, whereas what is called a 'jam' has the fruit all mushed down. A 'preserve' is generally related to pickles and chutneys which can also be referred to as 'jams' but are used with savoury dishes. You know what? I wish I'd never started this! It even sounds silly and confusing to my ear! Just carry on regardless, Katerina - you're doing splendidly and I wish my Spanish was as good as your English. :o)

Ditto my Italian - have had to try phoning an Italian courier this morning to complain. They keep telling me that my address doesn't exist. Then that we have our address wrong. Well, the house has been here since 1856, and we've been here since 2005, and this is the only address we have ever had, so not sure how they explain that one. Got the inevitable long list of pre-recorded options which I could barely understand, and then got cut off! Very difficult, expensive and quite unhelpful and unfriendly. These are the times when I feel like moving back to the UK......With my Amazon parcels. Blood pressure now demonstrably high and torn-out hair all over the floor.

Stick in there, Jan! We were told by telefonica for ages that our address didn't exist so how could they possibly give us a telephone line???? Turned out "someone" had made a single digit error on the postcode. Once it was corrected, telephone line was given. Why not get your feisty little friend Maria to give them an earful - I bet they'll capitulate immediately! (lol)

Thank you Nariz, I like your comments, especially those on my English :)

Gattina, ask Italian courier to check your address at Bermuda triangle, it could be teleported there.

I think you're right about the Bermuda triangle, Katarina. There are now 2 parcels missing, and I looked on Google today - there are 41 reviews of this particular courier in Bologna - SDA, all of them giving the lowest possible rating and calling them "Thieves" "Liars" "Incompetents" "Criminals". I am not alone in having my goods do a disappearing act - others have had their signatures forged, their goods stolen or left out in the rain. No-one had left a single even mildly positive review. I am going to cancel the rest of my Amazon purchases, because they cannot or will not guarantee they won't send them to Italy using this bunch of B*****ds. Very, very, VERY angry.

That's a shame, Jan! Being an ex-pat, I know how good it feels to receive something new in an immediately understandable language. Perhaps Amazon will use the postal service instead of a courier if you ask them to send to a central PO where you could collect?

Today I received this mail:

Hello!,

Good day to you, I am Mark Harris, a citizen of the United Kingdom. I
work with the National Lottery Commision. I have a urgent business
proposal for our mutual benefit worth £8,497,985(Eight Million Four
Hundred And Ninety Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred And Eighty Five pounds).
Please get back to me if interested for more details.

Best regards,
Mark Harris
mharris2@shqiptar.eu

If anybody from you wants millions, here you have contact :)

I do hope you aren't taken in by this scam, Katarina! No, of course you aren't - you're FAR too intelligent!

That´s why I am offering contact for free, Gattina :)

I like also loterries, which announce to you that you won, but first have to send them some money for transaction. Lol.

NOt so sure about the LOL, K., some poor deluded people believe these, and lose money.

I wish it to all greedy people. For their own sake.

I regularly used to receive messages like that when I lived in Britain and would reply saying "Oh, that's wonderful! Just take your 'administration fee' out of my winnings and send me the rest." I never received a penny of course, nor did I expect to! It's good that we all air our grievances about these scams because the more people who know - the less heartache there'll be, and the 'scammers' will have to think up ever-more tricky scams that we will then be alert to. Nasty people!

Katarina, you did more than I will do - if I don't know any mharris, I will delete without opening. If you open it, that's how the even nastier people plant worms and malware to steal ID's and bank accounts.

Yes, I know Wylieintheazores, thank you. That is standard computer safety policy. That is my bad habit :)

Thanks everyone - have been unwell this week and this thread has really cheered me up! Goy is great!

If it is true, i am happy.I am unwell just now :)