Discussion
Loading...

Discussion

Log in
  • About
  • Code of conduct
  • Privacy
  • Users
  • Instances
  • About Bonfire
Information Is Beautiful
Information Is Beautiful
@infobeautiful@vis.social  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

It's all <insert complex language> to me (regional variations)
https://www.instagram.com/languages.eu

A colorful map of Europe illustrating the phrase equivalents for "It's all Greek to me" in various languages. The map categorizes countries based on their expressions for incomprehensible language, highlighting cultural differences: "Greek": Common in English-speaking and nearby countries like the UK, Ireland, and France. "Chinese": Used in most Central and Eastern European countries like Germany, Poland, and Hungary. "Hebrew": Found in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden. Unique phrases: Some regions have distinct metaphors, such as: "Volapük" (a constructed language) in the Netherlands. "Arabic" in Italy. "Patagonian" in Bosnia. "Railway station" in Denmark. The map playfully explores linguistic diversity and cultural idioms for describing confusing language.
A colorful map of Europe illustrating the phrase equivalents for "It's all Greek to me" in various languages. The map categorizes countries based on their expressions for incomprehensible language, highlighting cultural differences: "Greek": Common in English-speaking and nearby countries like the UK, Ireland, and France. "Chinese": Used in most Central and Eastern European countries like Germany, Poland, and Hungary. "Hebrew": Found in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden. Unique phrases: Some regions have distinct metaphors, such as: "Volapük" (a constructed language) in the Netherlands. "Arabic" in Italy. "Patagonian" in Bosnia. "Railway station" in Denmark. The map playfully explores linguistic diversity and cultural idioms for describing confusing language.
A colorful map of Europe illustrating the phrase equivalents for "It's all Greek to me" in various languages. The map categorizes countries based on their expressions for incomprehensible language, highlighting cultural differences: "Greek": Common in English-speaking and nearby countries like the UK, Ireland, and France. "Chinese": Used in most Central and Eastern European countries like Germany, Poland, and Hungary. "Hebrew": Found in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden. Unique phrases: Some regions have distinct metaphors, such as: "Volapük" (a constructed language) in the Netherlands. "Arabic" in Italy. "Patagonian" in Bosnia. "Railway station" in Denmark. The map playfully explores linguistic diversity and cultural idioms for describing confusing language.
  • Copy link
  • Flag this post
  • Block
Muiris
Muiris
@Muiris@mastodon.ie replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone in Ireland saying it’s all Greek to me. We usually say “It’s all double Dutch”.

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Rastal
Rastal
@Rastal@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful "Gobbledygook" is used in #uk and is a much more interesting word!

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
PaGe42
PaGe42
@page42@fosstodon.org replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful in Dutch, if something is unclear we indeed say it is Chinese to me. But if something is very clear, we say there is not a word of French in it.

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
bit
bit
@bit@ohai.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful Wonder how the Chinese say it.

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Olga Lovick (she/her)
Olga Lovick (she/her)
@transitionalaspect@fnordon.de replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful The Spanish villages in Czech and Slovakian also remind me of "böhmische Dörfer" (Bohemian villages) in German, which are "things that the speaker knows nothing about".

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
SvenTetzlaff (翁 辞文)
SvenTetzlaff (翁 辞文)
@sventetzlaff@literatur.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful "Rede ich Chinesisch oder was?" - Do you understand!? (Greek is an option.)
"Das kommt mir Spanisch vor?" - This is suspicious.
"Ich versteh’ nur Bahnhof!" (Train Station - Not Railway!) - I don't get it.

🤘 Ansonsten: 我听天书! 🤪

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Sebastian Laube
Sebastian Laube
@sebastianlaube@layer8.space replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful I love that German uses railway as a language.
It's our love language 😁

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Alexander Ruoff 🇪🇺
Alexander Ruoff 🇪🇺
@ruoff@norden.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful Apart form "ich verstehe nur Bahnhof." we also use "Das kommt mir spanisch vor."

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block
Brynawel
Brynawel
@Brynawel@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@infobeautiful

It's not railway, it's train station for us.

"Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof."

  • Copy link
  • Flag this comment
  • Block

bonfire.cafe

A space for Bonfire maintainers and contributors to communicate

bonfire.cafe: About · Code of conduct · Privacy · Users · Instances
Bonfire social · 1.0.1 no JS en
Automatic federation enabled
Log in
  • Explore
  • About
  • Members
  • Code of Conduct