[Lexicog] stereotypical beliefs and lexicography

[Fritz Goerling]

The Russians and Rumanians say "That's Chinese to me"
The French: "That's Hebrew to me"
The Germans: "That's Spanish to me"
The Poles: "I'm listening to a Turkish sermon"

Fritz Goerling




  «So would it be true to say that Pg. "Isso é chinês para mim" = Eng.
  "It's all Greek to me" (which means 'incomprehensible')?»

  Yes, Patrick, it would be true to the Greek.


  «"work like a slave / work like a Black" were common expressions in my
  youth, but I think they've been driven out by poltical correctness.»

  Now that you mention it, it is interesting that we keep using these
  expressions in spite of political correcteness, although I pay attention
  to my audience when I use them. We have some variation "trabalhar que
  nem um preto" (work like a Black), "trabalhar que nem um mouro" (work
  like a Muslim), "trabalhar que nem um galego (work like a Galician); all
  these expressions mean "to work very hard".
  We also use: "rir que nem um preto" (laugh like a Black), meaning
  "laughing very loud".

  Margarita




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