[85165] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: New (old?) pun? (was: Here's a fun one: )
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Doq)
Thu Nov 20 21:30:47 2008
From: Doq <doq@embarqmail.com>
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
In-Reply-To: <C305E6BD33E2654DAE1F8F403247B6A6916A89F551@EVS02.ad.uchicago.edu>
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:27:55 -0500
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
The problem with this translation is that spurs go on the BACK of your
boot, and if you squat, you stab yourself in the butt. Boot spikes go
on the toe of your boot, and if you squat or sit or whatever, there's
no danger of poking yourself with the boot spike.
In other words, if you use any of these translations for "Don't squat
with yer boots on," while talking to an actual Klingon, you might find
out what those boot spikes actually do.
Doq
On Nov 19, 2008, at 4:10 PM, Steven Boozer wrote:
> mor'taH:
>>> A friend wanted some cowboy sayings translated [...]:
>>>
>>> Don't squat with yer spurs on.
>>> jIba'Qo' DaSpu'lIj
>>>
>>> jI/ba'/Qo' Daspu'/lIj
>>> you/sit/don't (on) Bootspike/your
>
>
> Voragh:
>> I would use {ba'choH} "sit down" here:
>>
>> DaSpu'lIjDaq yIba'choHQo'!
>> Don't sit (down) on your bootspike!
>>
>> I had another idea.
>> [....]
>> Although worn on a different part of the boot, {DaSpu'} is nearly
>> perfect
>> cultural equivalent for "spur". If you want to get the imagery
>> right,
>> though, you could coin a new word, e.g. *{va'nuchpu'} "heel (of
>> foot) +
>> clawlike spike".
>> [....]
>> And since it doesn't really matter whether you jab yourself in the
>> {Sa'Hut} (buttocks) with one spur or two, you could drop the optional
>> plural suffixes to make it even pithier:
>>
>> DaSpu' DatuQtaHvIS, yItorQo'!
>> While you-are-wearing a bootspike, don't kneel!
>>
>> va'nuchpu' DatuQtaHvIS, yItorQo'!
>> While you-are-wearing a heelspike, don't kneel!
>>
>> The anatomical implications still aren't quite right, but I think
>> this is
>> as close as I can get.
>
> I think I've discovered another of Okrand's Spanish puns.
>
> There was an article today in the local Spanish-language newspaper
> on Chicago's continuing war against the pigeons which stated that
> putting *redes* (nets) and *púas* (spikes, prongs) on ledges have
> both failed. Checking the dictionary at:
>
> http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=pua
>
> I discovered that in Chile and Venezuela (and probably elsewhere)
> *púa* can mean "spike" *en zapatos de atletismo*! So, Klingon
> {DaSpu'} is actually a Euro-pun (German-Spanish)!
>
>
> --
> Voragh
> Canon Master of the Klingons
> (Quot hominess, tot sententiae -- Terence)
>
>
>
>
