Small questions thread

[gRomoZeka]

I decided not to start a new thread every time I want to ask a nonsensical question, so I'm going to ask them here.

Feel free to do the same.

Numero Uno:
They go to the heart of what it means.
Does it mean "докопаться до сути"?

[scotcher]

Yes.

[Ken Watts]

In English I think there is a slight difference:

get to the bottom of sth
to discover the truth about a situation:
I'm not sure what is causing the problem, but I'm determined to get to the bottom of it.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define. ... &dict=CALD

heart (CENTRE) . . .
noun
1 [S] the central or most important part:
The demonstrators will march through the heart of the capital.
A disagreement about boundaries is at the heart of the dispute.
Let's get to the heart of the matter.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define. ... &dict=CALD
I don't know if there is a difference in Russian:

5. (вникать) get* to the bottom of;
войти в суть дела get* to the heart of the matter;

http://get-translation.com/dictionary.p ... 0%A2%D0%AC

[scotcher]

Yeah, strictly speaking "get to the heart of..." means to identify or isolate the most important aspect of a situation, wheras "get to the bottom of..." means to solve a mystery of some sort, but I reckon there is so much overlap between the two that they are almost synonyms.

[gRomoZeka]

Thank you, guys!
Ken Watts, it's an interesting nuance, I didn't know that. But it would be hard to convey this difference in Russian. Like scotcher said these meanings very much over overlap. I'll stick with "суть дела" so far, because it can (roughly) mean both.

[Leof]

Nice to see another good idea economing the space. I hope that my question will be answered as well.
Sooo

I've just thought that WOW could actually mean the Wonder Of the World. So when you exlame WOW it means you see the new wonder of the worlds. Is it true?

[ZelyeUrsuli]

Nice to see another good idea economing the space. I hope that my question will be answered as well.
Sooo

I've just thought that WOW could actually mean the Wonder Of the World. So when you exlame WOW it means you see the new wonder of the worlds. Is it true?

Nope. It comes to us from Scottish, I think. It's just an exclamation.

It also stands for a lot of things.

[Оля]

I wonder what English speaks the guy who's the presenter of 'Euro.com magazine' on the Euro2008 official site. Could someone please listen to him a bit?
It's impossible to give a direct link to some clip, but this is the main page, and I think almost every clip there starts with his 'introduction':
http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/magazine/index.html

I maybe wrong, but he doesn't sound British to me, and it would be strange if he had turned out to be an American (in Europe, on the European championship ). So he must be non-native... (?)

P.S. And please correct my mistakes!!!

[Ken Watts]

I wonder what English is being spoken by the guy who's the presenter of 'Euro.com magazine' on the Euro2008 official site. Could someone please listen to him a bit?
It's impossible to give a direct link to some clip, but this is the main page, and I think almost every clip there starts with his 'introduction':
http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/magazine/index.html

I may be wrong, but he doesn't sound British to me, and it would be strange if he had turned out to be an American (in Europe, on the European championship ). So he must be a non-native... (?)

P.S. And please correct my mistakes!!!

I could be mistaken, but his accent sounds a bit like an Australian. I could only listen to a couple of introductions and then the site went down for me.

[ZelyeUrsuli]

I'd say English.

[Оля]

I'd say English.

I'm sorry, I didn't det your opinion... Is he a native? Is he British?... Or what?

[ZelyeUrsuli]

A native English speaker? I'd say so.

And I think his accent is English - as in England. A Brit.

[Оля]

I still can't believe his English is British...

If someone of our Brits could listen to the man and say something about his accent, it would be great.

[ZelyeUrsuli]

What do you think it is? Just curious.

I think it is some sort of British. I'd pinpoint it to that of English.

But the only difference in English accents I can tell is cockney and not cockney.

[scotcher]

If I had to bet money on it, I'd say that he is a Dutchman or a Scandinavian with exceptionally good English. It's certainly an English accent, but I don't think he's a native.

That said, it's so subtle I could easily be wrong.

[Оля]

What do you think it is? Just curious.

I thought he was a non-native with a very good English, indeed.
Well, first of all, I think his r in "third", "bird" and words like these is sort of American.. or at least it doesn't seem British to me, but it's obviously that I know about the British accent not too much. Pity.

[TATY]

He almost sounds like a native Britisher, but I don't think he actually is. What's his name?

[Rtyom]

What exactly is "convalescent home"? Is "sanatorium" synonymous with it? Thanks.

[Leof]

Good God! Nobody answers Rtyom's question! How чёрствые are the people!
I have a question too and now am not sure if it would be answered ever.

Anyway. I've got you under my skin. - the phrase which I hear when lissten to Frank Sinatra and also Madona (I do not listen to Madona, just have heard those words in her song).

Could you tell me please, how can it be translated into Russian?

Thank you!

[Оля]

Лёва, мне кажется, это значит что-то типа "ты достал меня до самых печёнок".

P.S.
Just of curiosity: are my corrections ok?

the phrase which I hear (I've heard?) when listening to Frank Sinatra and also Madonna