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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
In reply to:
The boys who worked as assistants to printers were called "printer's devils" because they got ink on their faces from carelessness, as well as on their hands.
Thanks for this story, wwh.
Suededevil. I first read it as "Sue, de devil," but later realized Sue was male, not female, so I began to read it as "Suede Devil," but had no idea what "suede devil" might be. After all, as wwh has pointed out, there were printers' devils, so perhaps there could be counterparts in the preparation of suede.
But I like this sue as verb proposition--I like the idea of "Sue the devil."
I hope Suede will explain the name.
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 20
stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 20 |
wow hey guys! I never predict that I've been plunged into controversy.Hey i feel so honored, for real haha
Well "Sue da devil" ,ur interpretation is really creative
I appreciate u very much.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
re: isn't vermilion also the name of a red dye?
yes, i think so, (see more in next post, in responce to Dr Bill) but red ink is also used in China (and in Japan) for offical documents.
the "chop"-- a peice of carved caligraphy, that is commonly used as a signature, (an anglasized name, closer to the chinese name of what i call a chop was discussed-- but i forget the term.) Most usually, signatures are inked in red, to signify they are names. (just as red ink was used in religious text calendars to signify special holy days.)
It makes me wonder about the meaning of the adage, since red is also a lucky color... does it mean that those who work with the clients (and their red inked signatures) are more likely to be lucky in business (as opposed to those who work with the black ink inventory and billing?)
tell us more you suede devil!
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
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Dear of troy: your red holy days on calendar, reminds me of phrase "red letter day" meaning
news of some propitious event.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 161
member
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 161 |
translating a proverb is a daunting task. it rarely works because there is always an English proverb of approximately same meaning, a foreigner doesn't know it and it is not easy for a native speaker to associate your translation with one.
for example, I and my boss were discussing something and I told him that there is a Russian saying
Do not try to divide the skin of a bear, which is not killed yet
(a word to word translation).
A couple of days later he returned the saying
Do not skin a bear that is not killed...
P.S. I though that the nick was sure devil
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Do not skin a bear that is not killed...
Never heard this before; and doesn't sound like colloquial English. One "translation" I can offer is "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched."
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 161
member
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Joined: Jun 2002
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yes, that what I mean by an English proverb equal to the one in a foreign language. but there is a Russian saying about chikens too, so "the bear story" is different.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
I reckon the moral of the bear proverb relates to the danger associated with trying to divide the skin of a bear while it is still alive! Off hand I can't think of an English equivalent that has quite the same frisson.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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What's the Russian one about chickens?
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Re:The etymology would not make osculation more
appealing. The root is said to be "vermis" = worm.
several different terms for red are rooted in the "vermis" root... Many red dyes were first extracted from the boiled shells of insects. ---Just as lacquer is. (and it too has a redish tone.)
nowdays there are several red words that go back to the same root. (but all my dictionaries are still in storage.... its driving me crazy!)
carnilion is another 'red' red word, the front half from carn(e) -flesh, and the back have from vermilion!
red food coloring used to made from the same boiled insect shells... but now days, the most common red dye is red dye #2, which is a coal tar extract. (mmm, coal tar! drool... as Homer Simpson might say!)
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