This post was actually not going to handle about linguistics. Instead I intended to write about a new MP3 player I bought (my first). As I started formulating the text in my head I got stuck with a Swedish idiom “fallit till föga”. How the H do you translate it and still retain the idiomatic meaning? Can you? I know that in some instances there are corresponding idioms in the Swedish and English language; “comparing apples and oranges” vs. “jämföra äpplen och päron” (comparing apples and pears). But is there one for “falla till föga”? I guess I could trawl through Wikipedias list of English idioms but I don’t think my boss would think that is time well spent.
The review of my new iRiver T20 will have to wait until I managed to wrap my head around the English language.
What? You mean that “fall to few” is not proper English?
Actually, I don’t really use that idiom in Swedish so I can’t really help you out. But, as this is a post about linguistics I would like to say: “handle about”? Isn’t that a little too Swenglish?
Posted by Caroline on September 22nd, 2006