What would the translations be to some of the sayings...

[42Bonzo88]

    RAND AL THOR's thread "The Light Illumine you" gave me an idea. I would like to have some fun with this. Lets take some of the slang and try to figure out what either the Randlanders meant by thier sayings or what you would interpret them to be.

 

 

  For instance "Mother's milk in a cup" I have tried to rack my brains as to why that would be slang.

 

Any ideas to this one or some of the others?

[Majsju]

Before you post anything in this thread, remember that DM is a pg13 site...

[42Bonzo88]

    Thank you for reminding, because most things I've wondered about would have to be censored. ;D

[Loreina]

You refer to these as 'slang'. But 'mother's milk in a cup' is IMO clearly a profanity. What sorts of things are considered profane in a culture? Many of our 'bad' words/phrases have to do with bodily functions that are not considered a proper subject for conversation in mixed company. In the Two Rivers culture I think it is safe to say that the preferred mode of reception of mother's milk would be from the mother's body, not in a cup. Having 'mother's milk in a cup' would be an unnatural occurrence, and I think Randland people would consider such an unnatural practice bad or maybe even disgusting. Or it may be construed as the mother denying food to her child, which would also be a bad thing. Or it may be that even such an oblique reference to the female anatomy is considered rude and crude in the Two Rivers culture.  :)

 

And I just thought of another one. Perhaps the phrase refers to the gross act of a grown person still drinking mother's milk, albeit from a cup. At least, it sounds gross to me.  :)

[42Bonzo88]

    Very well said. I was thinking along the same lines but couldn't figure out how to say it without getting in trouble. Any ideas for "Blood and Bloody Ashes"?

[Celdiruen]

I always imagined that to be something like what the British say - Bloody Hell.

 

Technically, if someone is bleeding, something bad is happening. If there are ashes, something is burning. Bloody ashes, even worse. So from this I come to the conclusion that Blood and Bloody ashes is a reference to something bad/tragic happening, which in turn becomes a sort of curse phrase.

[Loreina]

Thank you 42.  :)

I agree, Celdiruen. And it seems to me that this would be especially meaningful for people who have farms, herds, and homes built mostly of wood. *nods*

 

 

[The true source]

I dont know i always accosiated bloody with the F bomb because of how freqently and how diversly its used lol.

[Kaznen]

One I could never wrap my head around....

 

"Bloody buttered onions"

 

I get the bloody part, I just don't get what's so bad about buttered onions.

[RAND AL THOR]

I wish I knew what Alteima was saying in Book 8. It merely says that she was letting loose a string of curses that would have mad a wagon driver's mouth go dry. That was just awesomly amusing without even knowing precisely what she said.

 

I am already laughing at the posts on this thread. So logical and yet so funny!

 

I agree about the mother's milk part. Weird to drink it out of a cup. But then again, a cow is a mother in a way and we drink cow's milk out of cups! How biased! ;)

 

I believe the Pit of Doom is associated with fire so that may have a  link to the 'ashes' part.

'Tell Gareth Bryne that he can rot in the Pit of Doom!' (siuan) would directly translate to : Tell Gareth Bryne he can rot in Hell! (I would suppose).

 

One of the things I love about WoT is the existance and use of fake swear words. It makes the books more realistic while not offending anyone and also while not getting the book jammed onto adult shelves etc...

[42Bonzo88]

    One of my favorite parts is Elayne. Here she is Daughter Heir to Camelyn all prim and proper, and as a little girl she listens to and remembers swear words she learned from the guards etc. So, here she is trying to win her throne and something upsets her and "MOTHER's MILK IN A CUP!!" Laugh my #^$ off!

[Loreina]

One of the things I love about WoT is the existance and use of fake swear words. It makes the books more realistic while not offending anyone and also while not getting the book jammed onto adult shelves etc...

  I was thinking the same thing!

 

Kaznen, I also can not think why buttered onions should be offensive.  :)

[The true source]

"Kaznen, I also can not think why buttered onions should be offensive. "

 

It deffinitly wouldnt be very tasty.  :-X

[42Bonzo88]

    Well, some people look at Onions as not good by themselves (please refer to Shrek) so maybe "buttering" is trying to put on something good over something bad to cover up the badness.

 

    Look at all the sayings of Siuan Sanche and Lini (Elayne's old maid) and try to figure out all those too. Jordan's unique ability to capture not just different people, but thier entire cultures, is just amazing to me.

[CUBAREY]

I dont know i always accosiated bloody with the F bomb because of how freqently and how diversly its used lol.

 

I do not know, maybe its because I'm an anglophile but I always assumed that RJ was using "bloody" in the same way its used (or was formerly used) in England. Similar to how F*** is used in America to depict not a sexual act but as showing intense feeling.

[Loreina]

On the contrary, true; buttered onions are very good, yum!

I like that explanation 42; it makes sense. :)

 

Apologies to those who already know this. It is for the benefit of those who are not anglophiles.  ;)

The English oath "bloody" comes from the practice of swearing oaths on God's Blood (meaning the sacrificial blood of Christ). "zounds" also comes from a similar oath "by God's wounds" (refering to the wounds Christ received during his imprisonment and crucifixion). Because of the commandment not to take the Lord's name in vain, these were considered powerful oaths. Using them indescriminately was considered a profane act that jeopardized one's immortal soul. Therefore such use of said oaths would convey intense feeling. After all, by using them, one is risking eternal damnation. *nods*

 

On the other hand, the 'f' word, like other crude references to certain body parts, functions, or by-products, is meant to insult or offend the listeners or a designated person. Such a willingness to shock or offend produces the desired result: people understand that intense feelings are involved. So intense that you are willing to risk being thrown out of the tribe.

 

Which brings me back to the subject at hand.  ;) We know these words and phrases indicate intense feeling. The question is why? What is it about them that does this? What do they mean?

[balefireruinssteaks]

some of them seem funny but self explanatory.

 

"SHEEP SWALLOP!" for instance, seems like sheep sh*t, ya know?

 

"bloody buttered onions" - I thought of a friend of mine from back home in Oz, and I was saying something about here in Texas how they have iced tea, and he was like "iced tea!?!?!  that's disgusting!!" so maybe it's a cultural thing, like the idea of putting ice in tea was sort of horrendous, just as perhaps buttering onions would be disgusting for someone in...I don't know...Ebou Dar or something.

 

I'd be curious, with all its intricacies, how some of the Old Tongue curses that Sammael used translate.

[42Bonzo88]

  Not only Sammael's sayings, but Mat's also.

[cheyjade]

... I was saying something about here in Texas how they have iced tea, and he was like "iced tea!?!?!  that's disgusting!!"

 

I've lived in Georgia for 14 years, and STILL don't like iced tea. I'm getting used to it though - I can tolerate it, barely, if I have to.

 

I've always equated Blood and Ashes with G** D***it, and Blood and Bloody Ashes with G** F***ing D***it.

[Aaronjw]

I can't rember any buttered onion curses.  What chapter of what book was that in?

[BoltWalt]

    RAND AL THOR's thread "The Light Illumine you" gave me an idea. I would like to have some fun with this. Lets take some of the slang and try to figure out what either the Randlanders meant by thier sayings or what you would interpret them to be.

 

 

   For instance "Mother's milk in a cup" I have tried to rack my brains as to why that would be slang.

 

Any ideas to this one or some of the others?

It sure paints a picture of disapointment...

[cheyjade]

I can't rember any buttered onion curses.  What chapter of what book was that in?

 

I don't remember chapter/book, but it was the scene on the docks in Ebou Dar. Mat is being chastised by Elayne for chasing after Tylin, and he tries to explain that it's the other way around.  He realizes exactly what he's saying, to the bloody Daughter Heir of Andor, a Lady, and gets all flustered.  "Bloody buttered onions!"

 

 

 

[Loreina]

*lol* That's true Bolt.  ;)

 

I'd forgotten that chey, thanks!  :) Maybe the slippery nature of the buttered onions reminded him of the slippery nature of his explanation.  ;D