Explaining a cliche

Our translator/interpreter Dino asked us today what "Push the Envelope" was supposed to mean. Like me trying to figure out Bosnian expressions, in this one he know what each of the individual words means but not the whole. He speculated that he had to do with bribery since it sounds like someone sliding a cache of money across a table to someone. Drew explained no, it was an expression from aviation, referring to the usual spaces up, down and across that a plane could go. Going up to the limit -- or beyond -- is a bold test of what's possible. I didn't know the origins of this idiom either.

Writing Stop

STOP is the only word in Arabic I can write. I see it everywhere driving around, of course, but it puts me in mind of a little snake stretched out in the road after getting hit by a car. The two dots over its "head" and one on its belly look like those cartoon symbols for dizzy spell. Anyway, every time I see these signs I think of my mother who for unknowable reasons detests snakes.

Tom, Dick or Harry -- Algerian version

The word for "everyman" here, akin to our Tom, Dick or Harry or John Q. Public is -- not surprisingly -- Mohamed.

Yell out that name and more than one man is highly likely ti turn around in response. Think of yelling out Tony or Rose at a Scaringe family reunion -- same idea. Other popular boy names are Samir and Zine El Abidine.

The wife of the great prophet of Islam supplies one of the most popular woman's name here -- Aicha (eye-eee-sha). Other very common names also have religious connections: Halima, meaning gentle or mild, and Nur al Hudda, meaning clear path. I've met one of each even in my short time here. Other pretty but more modern names here are Lamia, Nabila and Samira, Imane, Rym.

Tzeghrit

It looks like I had my fingers on the wrong letters of the keyboard but this is the word for that distinctive African woman's sound of joy -- a trilling wail of a cheer that you'll hear at graduations, weddings, football games. Men can do it too, but it's better sounding from women. And I have no idea why it's as uniquely African as drum beats.

I still cannot pronounce the word. It's in three parts -- like Tzcha--ghr--it -- but that's not it. For short you say you-you-ing. And here's how you do it.

Put the tip of your tongue against your bottom front teeth and hold it there. Then yell the word YOU raising your voice as loud as you can. Practice. And get a crowd of women around you doing the same. Formidable!

Calling on God and the devil

I love the way greetings in Arabic are almost religious. Salam ali koum -- peace be with you -- people say. How are you? good? then Hamdulilah-- thank God.

God comes in play also whenever plans are being made for the future. You'll meet this deadline? We will talk again tomorrow? Inshallah -- God willing.

The devil gets his due too however, I've discovered. We have issued repeated reminders to editors to be sure to put photo credits on all the pictures they use. One of them smiled at my latest nagging and told me, "Unless the devil makes me forget, I will put credits on all the photos."

Word of the Day

I have collected vocabulary for years, as my kids might recall. To dissuade them from using swear words they'd heard I told they could use the bad words as soon as they learned all the good ones. And I stayed ahead of them for a long time. But here's a cool new one on me. It's from Word of the Day on the Internet which this week is taking vocabulary from the opinions of senior federal appeals court Judge Bruce M. Selya, who is known for his distinctive writing. How's that for obscure?


HABOOB

(huh-BOOB) noun A violent dust storm or sandstorm, especially in Sudan[From Arabic habub (strong wind).]

"What appellant labors to portray as a robust haboob is not even a gentle zephyr. The house, we think, is sturdy enough to withstand the prevailing winds." Excerpt from opinion of the court (Selya, J.) in Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp. 1988.

Translation Charades

Nadir has been translating articles for us so we can see what reporters are turning in as raw copy. We keep seeming to have conversations like this one Tuesday morning:

Nadir: "What do you call it in English when you are running out of blood?"
Me: "Uh, bleeding, maybe?"
Nadir: (with a look of disgust) No, no (pantomining a needle going into a vein.)
Me: Oh, anemia.
Nadir: Right!