The official language thread

[Frenzie]

@PiecesOfKate

So a bit like ‘throwing caution to the wind’, maybe. Or ‘grab the bull by the horns’.

Jumping in feet first, maybe.

[PiecesOfKate]

@milanfahrnholz

Thinking of this?

No, just saw you typing and assumed

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

just saw you typing

So you have a drone over my house too!

[PiecesOfKate]

RETRACT THE DEVICE! RETRACT THE DEVICE!

WTAF. Discourse is now trying to correct my grammar. Do you know who I am?

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

Do you know who I am?

[Someone]

@PiecesOfKate

WTAF. Discourse is now trying to correct my grammar. Do you know who I am?

Or your browser?

[Guga]

@Ema

My ex boss was an unintentional genius in mangling common sayings

This reminds me of the (in)famous Trapattoni quote.

There’s an obscure Italian saying - “non dire quattro se non l’hai nel sacco”, literally “don’t say four if you don’t have it in the bag”, which obviously means “don’t publicize results you didn’t fully achieve yet”.

However I guarantee that 95% of the Italians only know the “cat” variant, “don’t say cat if you don’t have it in the bag” (non dire gatto se non l’hai nel sacco) which is actually a misquote by Italian football coach and professional gaffeur Giovanni Trapattoni. The quote has been made famous by an Italian TV show focused on funny stuff from the world of sports, and it stick so strong because the original saying wasn’t well known to begin with. So the misquote was even funnier for everyone.

[PiecesOfKate]

@Someone

@PiecesOfKate

WTAF. Discourse is now trying to correct my grammar. Do you know who I am?

Or your browser?

No, Discourse. It doesn’t like my use of an incomplete sentence. I guess it’s to try and weed out spam.

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

It doesn’t like my use of an incomplete sentence.

What gives?

[milanfahrnholz]

@milanfahrnholz

@PiecesOfKate

It doesn’t like my use of an incomplete sentence.

What gives?

Seems to work for me…

[PiecesOfKate]

@Guga

However I guarantee that 95% of the Italians only know the “cat” variant, “don’t say cat if you don’t have it in the bag” (non dire gatto se non l’hai nel sacco) which is actually a misquote by Italian football coach and professional gaffeur Giovanni Trapattoni.

That’s like our ‘she let the cat out of the bag’, which means ‘she revealed the secret’. I wonder if the two got mixed, resulting in the misquote?

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

‘she let the cat out of the bag’

Literally the same in german, btw.

[PiecesOfKate]

@milanfahrnholz

Seems to work for me…

Really? That’s odd. It comes up with a message when I try and post it.

How did you test it without posting it?

Edit: oh, you mean with your example? That’s kind of a question though so it probably doesn’t mind that.

[Guga]

I highly doubt Trapattoni knew about an English saying.

I mean, he’s the guy who created “ich habe fertig”. Ask the Germans.

[tasse-tee]

@Guga

“don’t say four if you don’t have it in the bag”, which obviously means “don’t publicize results you didn’t fully achieve yet”.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

[Someone]

@Guga

… a misquote by Italian football coach and professional gaffeur Giovanni Trapattoni.

Oh, he left some very famous common sayings in Germany. For example the wrong “Ich habe fertig.” (It has to be “Ich bin fertig.” = “I have finished”) or "Schwach wie eine Flasche leer!“ (“Weak like an empty bottle” - I have no idea what he meant with that :)).

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

How did you test it without posting it?

Is “what gives?” a complete sentence?

[Gffp]

@Guga

which is actually a misquote by Italian football coach and professional gaffeur Giovanni Trapattoni.

Are you sure about that?

Anyway a funny clip

Trapattoni - conferenza stampa Bayern - Strunz con sottotitoli in italiano.

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

oh, you mean with your example? That’s kind of a question though so it probably doesn’t mind that.

That odd

[PiecesOfKate]

@milanfahrnholz

@PiecesOfKate

oh, you mean with your example? That’s kind of a question though so it probably doesn’t mind that.

That odd

Discourse hates me is this the equivalent of a horse’s head in my bed?