What are the best mondegreens (misheard lyrics) in popular music?
A few I remember from my youth - which is as well, because it would be so immature if I still found these funny. Sooooo immature..."I can see you... your bra-strap's shining in the sun" - Don Henley, The Boys of Summer"Sue Lorley, Sue Lorely, Sue Lorely, I feel Sue Lorely" (an Eighties UK newsreader) - Police, So Lonely"All I do is shine his face... All I do is shine his thing" - Take That, Pray"Young girl, with eyes like potatoes" - Madonna, La Isla Bonita"We, Ass-spirits in the material world" - The Police, Spirits in the material worldBut then, I named a quiz team I was in, "The Norfolking ways" and the quizmeister didn't seem to notice. We didn't win. Norfolking way.
Why do so many writers here hate romance with a passion?
Because it's one of the most predictable genres, most of the books in it being riddled with cliches. I used to read romance, the Marian Keyes, chick lit type, then I gave up because I realised that when you've read one, you've read them all. The only book I can really stomach is the first Bridget Jones. There's literally nothing new. It's the same plot recycled over and over, any twists have already been done to death. It's also not realistic to me. Most relationships in romance are lovey dovey, with the girl getting the handsome guy who promises his entire life to her ad they live happily ever after, never fighting, always loving and agreeing...unless me and my boyfriend are unnaturally horrible to each other, that's not how relationships are. BQ 1: What is the first thing you think of when I say 'repulsive'? Fish. I eat them so I can have my revenge on them for being so disgusting and ugly. BQ 2: Have you ever... - Fancied that you had an alter ego Nope. - Fancied that you had a muse (literally, a separate mind in your head) Nope. - Named this muse and schizophrenated madly with it (ha! I made a verb.) No, although I had friends like that. My god, they were annoying. - Re-written more than 10k of your writing (was it a painful?) Not that much, but I have had to rewrite a good chunk. It was very painful. - Hugged yourself (not on the inside, I meant physically)...Was it in public? I don't think so... - Spilt a drink that wasn't water all over yourself in public Not myself, but on my 18th birthday, both my boyfriend and my brother spilt their drinks over me by accident. Both were beer :( - Lied shamelessly about your age online Not really. - Made someone cry without intending to (why would you even intend to do something like that?!) I don't think so. - Wondered if you could get away with murder No BQ 3: Do you ever think about the possibility of creating a Mary Sue character that doesn't ruin your entire story? Are you up for the challenge? A Mary Sue has no place in my story. They always ruin it. BQ 4: Do you feel completely un-photogenic (like me?) I have a naturally miserable face. Seriously, you should see my attempts at smiling.
What are some examples of proverbs and sayings in French that are frequently used in conversation?
The French language is rich in subtle, beautiful idioms. French idioms can be specific in the sense that either a literal translation might diminish its meaning or they are untranslatable i.e. lack a close English equivalent.laissez-faire - the policy of leaving things to take their own course, without interfering.noblesse oblige = with great priviledge, comes the responsibility of being benevolent.la pièce de la resistance - the highlight of one's work, a masterpiece.l'appel du vide - call of the void is the literal translation.à la - in the style of.bel esprit - fine mind.coup d'état - the government was overthrown.coup de foudre - love at first sight.The following words have no English one-word synonyms. In order to translate these, one needs to use multiple words.dépaysement - the feeling of being an immigrant or foreigner; feeling deracinated.l'esprit d'escalier - when one comes up with a good reply/comeback too late.foie gras - self-explanatory.Un ange passe! - an awkward silence in the middle of a conversation.How subtle and beautiful is this expression!Le fond de l'air est frais - It refers to pleasant, spring-like weather, when it feels warm enough that you might think summer isn't far off. But it's deceptively nice: in fact, the air is colder than it seems, with a superficial warmth hiding the cool air "behind" it. So le fond de l'air est frais is the weather equivalent of la beauté est quelque chose de superficiel (beauty is only skin deep). *My favourite untranslateable idiom is à fleur de peau/eau which means close to the skin's or water's surface. The phrase itself is very poetic. A fleur de peau appears in the expression ''Les émotions sont trop à fleur de peau i.e. Emotions are running too high''.A fleur d'eau evokes gently caressing the water with one's fingertips or ''affleurer''.À bon entendeur, salut. This is a proverb that can be translated uneasily by the following: If you can understand what I mean, beware!Note: I found some of these examples on the internet, but I've added the ones I knew already too.* Le fond de l'air est frais - French ExpressionUntranslatable Words20 awesomely untranslatable words from around the world