Turino Olympics

[barfle]

Originally posted by DavidS:
The Russian brand name is Lada.
A friend of mine once enquired at their showroom whether they had A/C. Reply: "Yes, you can wind the window down!"
Skoda is the old Czechoslovak bomber manufacturer now owned by VW.

Obviously, my memory didn't serve. You are correct on all counts I know anything about.

[barfle]

Originally posted by treebeau:
P.S. Been to Roma, Firenze, and Venezia. Had some really good ICE CREAM there. Oh, they probably have a different word for THAT too !!

Been to Firenze, Venezia, Milano, Pisa (seems to be the same name, for a change), Bergamo, Verano, and San Marino (the country, not the place near Pasadena).

And even though some folks use the Italian name for ice cream around here, it just ain't the same stuff.

[DavidS]

FIATs are reputed to suffer from OVERHEATING! I just don't get it - they are made in a country part of which has a sub-tropical climate!
(I once had a brand-new Jap car overheat on me in mid-winter because the fan motor control thermostat stuck.)
"Service manual says replace every 30k" - probably means "every 30 kilometers".

[barfle]

Originally posted by DavidS:
FIATs are reputed to suffer from OVERHEATING!

Including their owners' husbands!

[BigJon@Work]

I wish we'd use the local names for countries as well. I think it might make us more sensitive to international issues instead of the ugly American syndrome.

My childhood hobby of stamp collecting was strange until I figured out what was going on with country naming. Anybody know off the top of their heads what Hungary called itself?

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by BigJon@Work:
I wish we'd use the local names for countries as well.

Don't go overboard with your sensitivity stuff. You live, variously, in the Estados Unidos, Vereinegen Staaten, and other things depending on the location and native language of the speaker. We're already following the normal practice.

[Shapley]

BigJon,

Do you mean Magyarország?

I think Southern California is definitely in the Estado Unidos, although Northern California would likely go by the Chinese pronunciation.

Here in Missouri, I suppose we would have to know what the India...er...Native Americans called it. Probably something unpronouncable. Problem is the original inhabitants (near as can be told), the Mound Builders, didn't leave any decendants or written language to guage it by. Is there a statute of limitations on how far back we go to find the original name?

V/R
Shapley

[OperaTenor]

Originally posted by barfle:

And even though some folks use the Italian name for ice cream around here, it just ain't the same stuff.

And another thread goes................GELATO!

[barfle]

Originally posted by BigJon@Work:
Anybody know off the top of their heads what Hungary called itself?

Magyar? How about Finland? Norway? Sweden? Spain? Switzerland? Holland?

How insulting is it to the Germans that we use a French word for their city of Köln? What about Munich?

[barfle]

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:
You live, variously, in the Estados Unidos, Vereinegen Staaten, and other things depending on the location and native language of the speaker. We're already following the normal practice.

Yeah, but the words "United States" do translate into other languages because they have individual meanings beyond beyond a local word that usually means something like "here" when you get down to brass tacks.

[barfle]

Originally posted by Shapley:
Here in Missouri, I suppose we would have to know what the India...er...Native Americans called it. Probably something unpronouncable.

I think they called it something like "mizoorah."

Many of our state names come from native languages, although New York and New Jersey clearly don't qualify.

[Shapley]

Barfle,

I'm aware that Missouri is the Anglicized form of a Native American word for the river that flows through our State. I was looking for the Native American word for the territory now known as the United States of America.

I remember reading a book about dinosaurs to my son when he was about five years old. In the book, it tells us that two hundred million years ago, before there were people, all the land on the Earth was formed into one continent, called Pangea. My son asked "If there weren't any people around, how do they know what it was called?", which I thought was a pretty good question. I told him that that's what we call it now, but that it was probably called "Roar" (Making a dinosaur noise), since the Dinosaurs were the only ones who would have called it anything. I thought I was being cute, but apparently my son thought it was a good answer.

Ah! Back in the days before my son figured out that I just make up a lot of crap!

V/R
Shapley

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Magic googlefinger says: 'Named after the Missouri Indian tribe. “Missouri” means “town of the large canoes.”'

[Shapley]

Selma,

Thanks. I always thought it meant 'mud to thin to plow, water to thick to drink', referring to the river by that name.

Barleby.com says it is from the French translation of the Illinois Indian word for 'those that have dugout canoes'. Whatever it's origin, it must have to do with canoes.

V/R
Shapley

[shostakovich]

My childhood hobby of stamp collecting was strange until I figured out what was going on with country naming. Anybody know off the top of their heads what Hungary called itself?

-------------------------------------------------------
Shap did a great job on spelling the answer. I would have gotten it wrong. I also recall "Magyar kir Posta" and "Magyar kir aly Posta". Those might have been air mail (plane or pigeon).

---------------------------------------------------------

Magyar? How about Finland? Norway? Sweden? Spain? Switzerland? Holland?


Suomi, Norge, Sverige, Espana, Helvetia, Nederland.


-----------------------------------------------------
I gave up collecting before 1960, but the educational value was immense. It was many years later that I was able to answer the question of why some European countries used the Roman alphabet and some used Cyrillic (or near Cyrillic). It turns out the Roman alphabet came from conversions by Rome and the others from conversions by Constantinople (directly or indirectly).
WOC (as close as I can get with my keyboard)

[shostakovich]

I haven't been watching much, but my wife insisted I watch a certain performance she taped. It was a Chinese couple skating to "One Fine Day". They were great. I attribute the performance to the use of Puccini. Better than drugs.
Shos

[Catmando]

Ok, I know the conversation got sidetracked from the Olympics to Fiats and the spelling of Turin and Torino, etc.

I must respond to Treebeau's comment "Curling is just plain dumb."

I respectively disagree. For someone just learning the game of curling, I know that it must seem a bit odd. However, curling is a great game, filled with alot of skill and strategy. I guess if one could describe curling in one sentence, it would be "shuffleboard on ice".

I'm from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Curling is huge is Canada, and it is among the most played winter sports, especially in provinces like Manitoba and Saskatchewan. From very young to seniors, men to women, it can be enjoyed by many people and it is not an expensive sport to get involved with.

Where I'm from, Winnipeg is considered by many to be the Mecca of curling.

Even where I grew up, in a small village of less than 50 people, we had a curling rink!

Hurry hard!!! Enjoy the Olympics everyone!

Go Canada go!

Ray

[treebeau]

Hey there rayzor17 !! Ya NOOBIE !!
Welcome to what others call "the pit" (dunno why). Long time posters on thie BBB know to take my comments as tongue in cheek. I hardly ever post anything that is to be taken completely serious.

Quite a while back there was a contributor named Eric Michaels who REALLY enjoyed curling. He started a thread on curling and it was fun banter (any moment now one of out long time posters will resurrect that thread...you'll see).

Anyway, stick around. This can be a serious (and fun) place. And even seriously fun !!

Regards,
Tim B.

[treebeau]

Just noticed you're from Winnipeg...the place that sounds like a promotion for a "pirate contest."

Regards,
Tim B.

[Catmando]

Hey Tim,

Believe me, I'm used to both curling and Winnipeg jokes and pokes.

Most people call us "Winterpeg", but I like your imaginative concept more.

I'll answer the following questions about Winnipeg before they are asked, for all my friendly neighbours down in the U.S.A.:

1) Where is Winnipeg? 6 hours north of Minneapolis.

2) No, we do not live in igloos.

3) Polar bears do not roam our streets.

4) We actually do have wonderful hot summers!

Cheers, eh!

Ray