Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2009 July 2

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July 2

Three-character Chinese expression?

I'm kind of curious as to what the writing at File:Tee Shirt Slogan Sir Donald Tsang @ Demon Protest July-01-2009.jpg means. I found out the three individual characters (I think), but I have no real idea what they mean in combination. Thanks for any help... AnonMoos (talk) 06:08, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

勿當奴 -- "do not be a slave". It's a pun because 當奴 is a Cantonese transliteration for "Donald", as in Donald Tsang. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 23:21, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Ok, thanks... AnonMoos (talk) 19:58, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I need an English to Chinese translation for a first date with a woman who moved here from China

I'm a retired wikipedian (I'm too perfectionistic, but I shall someday return once I get therapy for handling trolls better without getting flamebaited) and I met a woman who lived in China until 3 years ago, and came here for her schooling. I can write Hangul very well, and some Hanja, but never practiced written Chinese. I do not want a "google sounding translation", nor something too real. I am meeting her this weekend and want to give her a self-written message in her own language, and something which a first date might say. I am not asking for a love letter, but just a short two sentences of a messsge she might receive in China. I am not doing this to be a romantic Romeo, but just to be thoughtful. I would like to know what to write her, and what it means. Nothing over the top, but just something friendly and thoughtful that might remind her of her own culture. I might include a small, miniature rock fountain as a gift along with the message, or some colorful informal arrangement of flowers. The most important thing I want to know is what the message means, and if it's appropriate. I write Hangul very well, and I shall have no problem writing my short two sentence or three sentence letter in written Chinese. 74.5.237.2 (talk) 15:33, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Not only are you asking the Reference Desk to help you smooth-talk a girl, but you want us to do it in Chinese? Tempshill (talk) 23:21, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

And I will bet that a number of the Ref Desk's regulars are more than capable of doing it, too! // BL \\ (talk) 23:42, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

I'm up for it! What would a Chinese woman like to hear from someone she's just met? Perhaps: 我想告诉你我很高兴认识你。我希望我们快当朋友。万事如意。Translation: I want to tell you that I'm very happy to meet you. I hope we will soon be friends. The last four characters are an idiom - "10,000 things as you wish". Steewi (talk) 00:43, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Thank you so very much. I send my wikilove to all three of you! 74.5.237.2 (talk) 09:13, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I would change the second line from "我希望我们快当朋友。" to "我希望我們會很快成爲朋友" to convey the intended meaning. "快-verb" by itself often means "almost" rather than "will... quickly". --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 07:14, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

I would skip the rock garden and flower arrangement, both of which are more Korean-Japanese than Chinese. Perhaps a gift of tea (loose leaf) would be better. DOR (HK) (talk) 02:49, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

You are such a saddo--Quest09 (talk) 10:45, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Clabber Girl

This is a brand of baking products, and I've always wondered just what a "clabber girl" is. Clabber is apparently a food made from milk (something like cottage cheese). So, was a clabber girl someone who made this food, delivered it, or ate it ? (I'm thinking someone who made it, similar to a "milk maid".) And, did this company formerly sell clabber ? Any other explanation for this brand name is also welcome. StuRat (talk) 11:14, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

To paraphrase Brian Griffin, "I don't know what a Clabber Girl is, all I know is that I want her dead." +Angr 14:32, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

I was going to write an answer, but it would have been quite similar to what this person has already said, so I'll just direct you there. (See also here and, especially, here.) The "Clabber Girl" is just the girl in the picture on the label, like the "St. Pauli Girl" on the beer label and other similar iconic females. Deor (talk) 15:25, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. So, I was close. They didn't actually sell clabber, but rather sold a product to replace it (as a leavening agent for baking). StuRat (talk) 17:18, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Resolved

StuRat (talk) 23:55, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

meaning of symbol '/' ie (oblique) when used in english language

When we write 'A/B' whether it means 'A or B' , 'A and B', or 'A and/or B' 122.169.91.37 (talk) 14:26, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

I think it means "and/or." Bus stop (talk) 14:29, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

I'd say it usually means "or" and/or "and/or", but it could vary depending on context. +Angr 14:29, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

More possibilities are given at Slash (punctuation)#In English text. Algebraist 14:36, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

Okay but does “and/or” mean “and and or”, “and or or”, and/or “and and/or or” in this context? — CharlotteWebb 09:25, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

You just wanted to write that sentence. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 19:55, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Infinite regress? ~AH1^(TCU) 00:12, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

What's this Japanese Commercial Saying?

• this one —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.23.140.167 (talk) 16:38, 2 July 2009 (UTC)

The young girl is repeating the word Tzpri(tsuppri). Tsuppari is a Sumo technique which is a series of hand thrusts as they do in the Pritz/Pretz commercial. And by repeating the word, it is supposed to be heard as Pritz. Oda Mari (talk) 18:46, 2 July 2009 (UTC)