Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2011 November 9

= November 9 =

Request for French translation
Can someone please translate User:Hurricanefan25/Med2011 from French to English? Thanks.  HurricaneFan 25  01:14, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
 * If a Frenchie doesn't happen to show up here, you could try Google Translate and at least get a shot at it. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 02:21, 9 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Do you mean 'fan' as in 'somebody who likes [hurricanes]', or 'fan' as in 'electrical equipment to cause wind [or hurricanes]'?  KägeTorä - (影虎)  ( TALK )  06:11, 9 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Whoops, I thought you were asking how to translate your username...  KägeTorä - (影虎)  ( TALK )  06:13, 9 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Those are fairly long posts. The first two paragraphs are an official severe weather warning concerning strong rains and flooding in the Var department of southern France. It lists expected wind speed and precipitations for various localities for the night of November 8-9. The next item is the official definition of "précipitations intenses" (severe precipitations, which includes both snow and rainfall in French). It then includes an FAQ which describes several historical instances of severe precipitations, the type of damage caused, and how they can be predicted. It's a document for the general public aimed at explaining some of the technical terminology that is included in these weather warnings. Hope this is helpful. PS to BBugs: the term "Frenchy" is a bit derogatory, especially when a Canuck who can tell a curveball from a knuckleball can do the job as well... --Xuxl (talk) 08:53, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

Savoy teeth
In this song, lyrics here, we learn that "you'll have to have them all pulled out". The obvious reference is to "teeth", but except for the line "you'll have to have them all pulled out", there are no other similar references. Is this perhaps a literary device with a name? I can think of words describing this—"implication" comes to mind, but I think that is just a description of what takes place. Does anybody know of any other terms to describe an utterance in which a crucial element is left out but is clearly understood? I think that is what is transpiring in this case. One would almost have to conclude that the omission of the word "teeth" serves some literary purpose in this instance. The only purpose that comes to mind is that omitting the word "teeth", leaves open the possibility that it is something other than "teeth" that are being referred to. Bus stop (talk) 20:57, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
 * It is an allusion: "It is left to the reader or hearer to make the connection." As to purpose, yes, a little bit of ambiguity. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:03, 9 November 2011 (UTC)


 * The oddity about "you'll have to have them all pulled out after the Savoy truffle" is that the lyrics don't provide any clue as to the significance of the "them" in that line. It is not as if we find previous reference to "teeth" or "choppers" or "pearly whites". I think allusions provide basis for knowing the object being referred to. In this case we are forced to fall back on our knowledge of sugars and dentistry and tooth decay in order to supply the missing term. Bus stop (talk) 22:28, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
 * One could call it an example of noema. Deor (talk) 23:45, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

In the song "Yesterday", by The Beatles, lyrics here, we find:

"I said, Something wrong, now I long for yesterday."

I believe that "Something wrong" really means "Something is wrong".

I'm sure this would be called "poetic license". Does this fall under the heading of any other literary device? Perhaps "elision"? Bus stop (talk) 20:27, 11 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Nah, what it's called is "bad transcription of lyrics" (online sites are notoriously bad for lyrics). The line should read "I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday". - Nunh-huh 21:01, 11 November 2011 (UTC)


 * (EC):I can't agree that there is a missing is. I said (a completely stupid thing, like 'yes, that skirt does make your ass look big'), now I wish it was yesterday before I said that.  -- LarryMac  | Talk  21:04, 11 November 2011 (UTC)