Alpha Heroes & Spitfire Heroines discussion

Do you ever a read a book where the author throws in a few lines from another language here and there but doesn't really explain what's meant (ie translate) thinking that everyone's a linguist or a polyglot? This sort of thing bugs me so I thought why not start a thread where you can write what was said and maybe someone who speaks the language can help you out:

I was reading Roxanne St Claire's Kill Me Twice and the hero spoke Spanish. Does anyone know what these words mean:

Despacio
Despiértate (does it mean "wake up"?)

Despacio: slowly

Despiértate: wake up or arouse

No hablo espanol, East? :-)

Thanks Kathrynn :D Nope, I only took a year of Beginner's Spanish at university so what I do know is limited to tourist lingo and some irregular verb conjugation (lol!) 8-)

I think you need to be watching some "Dora the Explorer"!:D Then you'd get your Spanish lesson!:)

LOL! Where I am Auntee Dora speaks French and teaches English (lol!)

Here too only it's Greek instead of French

Darn that Dora gets around!:)

In Texas, we are becoming northern Mexico...We have all Spanish commercials once in awhile now and some businesses are all in Spanish.

Almost everywhere there are Spanish/English signs...

LOL Stamatia --Dora is surely a world traveller ;)

That's cool Kathrynn to have the double commercials. Great way to teach a language.

Spanish is definitely taking over in the US. A lot of the signs (especially in WalMart--have you noticed?) are in English and Spanish.

And East, most anything that comes with printed directions is in English, Spanish, and French.:)

Auntee, here most printed directions arrive in English and Chinese!! No one speaks Chinese here though 8-)

Good one! I'm sure that really helps!:D

Okay, I came across this phrase today. The hero is a Cajun and of course speaks French. I'm pretty sure I know what this means, I just want some confirmation--"fils de pute"? Swear word, right?

My highschool french is rusty, but i think "fils" means child. I'm sure East knows for sure. LOL. Just wanted to see if I was close. 'son of a bitch'?

According to my Firefox translate extension, Auntee, it means "son of bitch"...I knew the first two words, but not the third, though I could guess (they didn't teach those words in my high school and college french ;)...fils is masculine and means son (fille is the feminine and means daughter), de = of, and pute = bitch.

That's what I thought.:) I was pretty sure about "fils", but had never heard of "pute". lol!
"Pute" sounds like a swear word anyhow!

East??

Son of a whore or whoreson, literally. The equivalent today would probably be "son of a bitch," though that has somewhat less force since it's become more of an expression and less of a personal insult on one's parentage.

Hope that helps, Auntee. :)

Oh yeah, new_user, that helps! Thanks!:)

"Son of bitch" it is in modern French otherwise like new-user said especially if you're reading a historical. Look at the things were learning at GR--perfect cocktail conversation ;D

Thanks East. Hope to have more swear words for you to translate.:) With the book I'm reading it's very possible!:)

LOL, East!

LOL! ;)

Hey you Gaelic speakers (!) anyone know what "Uist" translates into English? I'm thinking it's like "Damn" or something??

Google Translate doesn't give me anything for that word and searching Google just told me that it is a group of islands in the Outer Hebrides.

Checking an online Gaelic dictionary for "uist" returned me this, East: "Hist! Silence!" Hope that helps. :)

Ah, so it's today's "SHUT UP!" or a strong "SHHH!" I see ;) That works. Thanks NU ;)

Don't you love when you get those kinds of translations Isis (lol!)

Eastofoz wrote: "Don't you love when you get those kinds of translations Isis (lol!)"

East, I just started Skye's To Catch A Thief and there was a mention of Uist...but this time it was the Islands. How weird is that?

LOL! What are the oddds (!!)

I know! What a weird coincidence.

I wouldn't have known what they were referring to either, if you hadn't asked about it.

Does anyone know what "Haud yer wheesht!" means? I think it´s Gaelic but I´m not sure. Based on the context of the scene where I read these words, I´m guessing something like a less-than-polite "Wait a minute!" but it would be nice to know for sure.

LOL, Dina, "Haud yer wheesht!" apparently also means "shut up." Who knew there were so many different ways to say it? LOL. "Wheesht" is like "shush," sound and meaning.

Wow, I'm learning stuff. I love this, LOL.

LMAO, it looks like those Gaelic warriors like everyone "nice and quiet".

What exactly is a "Cyprian's Ball" (historical romance) and why is it called "Cyprian"???

A cyprian's ball is an event where gentlemen go to meet lightskirts (prostitutes, courtesans).

Thanks Danielle. Now does anyone know why "Cyprian" is used? Makes me think of Cyprus or something (lol!) Maybe Stamatia knows, she's in Greece :)

Cyprian is used because there used to be a sect dedicated to Aphrodite on Cyprus. ;)

Aha! I knew there was a Greek link somewhere! Thanks NU :D

its always made me think of a colour::blue::cyprian blue:: bright like mediteranean sky::sounds lovely::i have an old dictionary::and the only explanation is::*resident of cyprus*::obviuosly too prudish to add any other meaning ha ha ::

LOL. No prob, good intuition. ;)

new_user wrote: "Cyprian is used because there used to be a sect dedicated to Aphrodite on Cyprus. ;)"

You go, New User!

Adrienne wrote: "its always made me think of a colour::blue::cyprian blue:: bright like mediteranean sky::sounds lovely::i have an old dictionary::and the only explanation is::*resident of cyprus*::obviuosly too pr..."


Yeah, maybe so. :)

Remember, in polite society at the time (mostly the beau monde) it was all about saying something without saying it. (Hear no evil, see no evil).

Cyprians were generally courtesans (the demi monde), not your run of the mill prostitutes, or light skirts.

Anyone speak any Spanish? The book I'm reading now has a love scene where the hero is speaking Spanish to the heroine, and I've been able to translate most of it except for one phrase: "Tomalo. Tomalo todo."
I have a pretty good idea of what he's saying, but I'm not 100% sure. Any ideas?

That means "take it all," Auntee. LOL. Hot, hot. Don't tell me that's in the Victoria Dahl book? I may have to give her a look-see after all, LOL. ;)

Thanks new-user! Oh yeah, you guessed it, that's from Start Me Up. Verry hot book with all those Spanish phrases.:D

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

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

LOL!!!

If anyone needs anything translated from "Afrikaans", give me a shout :)

Thanks Lu :)

Anyone know what a "Corinthian" is? It's not a foreign(non-English) word, but I've seen it lately and have no clue. Thanks!

Ladiibbug wrote: "Anyone know what a "Corinthian" is? It's not a foreign(non-English) word, but I've seen it lately and have no clue. Thanks!"

Brings to mind that old TV commercial with Ricardo Montalban(sp?), "...rich Corinthian leather...":)

Actually, the definition you may be looking for is--"a lover of elegantly luxurious living; sybarite", or, "a wealthy man about town", or "a wealthy devotee of amateur sports; or, "a yachtsman".
Or it may refer to a type of architecture.
Do any of those fit?