Nick Prosch online

New word(s): 9 terms for being sick

Friday, January 1st, 2010 | Language, Quirks, Vocabulary | 3 Comments

What’s a better way to celebrate new year’s eve than attending your bro’s wedding (congratz again, Tim and Thilo), having a hip hop battle where you ruin your wedding suit’s trousers and discussing the vast variety of words for “throwing up” with an English army man. A great night indeed!

I was pretty proud I already knew 7 words – impressing the crowd, embarrassing me performing the appropriate gestures with my new friend from the UK to each way. Jo taught me one more, to honk. My wife then gave me the last one, which I first didn’t take as a way to do it but more as a descriptive term – but people really say something like “to be sick on the floor”.

Okay, enough of an introduction, here is my list of words for being sick:

1. throw up – the well known term
2. vomit – slightly informal
3. puke – colloquial

The “sound” descriptive ones (my favourites!):

4. barf – a big shot straight forward
5. hurl – like a barf, but done in an 120°+ horizontal angle
6. huee – the sound you make just before you ralph! (dont know the spelling though)
7. ralph – the sound you make after a few huees!

New since last night:

8. honk – new word from Jo, I am sorry I forgot the appropriate occasion for this one
9. be sick – new word from Liz

Impressive, right? Don’t take me wrong, I am not specially attached to this topic, it’s just a fun thing to discuss at a late night party with a few drunkards. Dictionaries even provide a few more terms, but that’s kinda like cheating. Consider giving it a try next time you are at a party with a few friends that don’t mind talking about, well, being sick

Tags: fun, party, wedding

New word: placeholder

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 | Language, Quirks, Vocabulary | No Comments

I was pretty astonished finding out that this false friend is none.

If you are German, think for yourself whether you would have guessed that “placeholder” is indeed the correct translation of “Platzhalter“.

Tags: false friend

New word: scurvy

Thursday, May 21st, 2009 | Language, Quirks, Vocabulary | No Comments

I came across this one watching “The IT Crowd” (hilarious, don’t miss out on it even if you are only remotely connected to an IT job) – Jen is babbling about herself being the employee of the month, when Roy asks Moss about a former employee of the month, Richmond:

Roy: What ever happend to Richmond?
Moss: He got scurvy! (looking aghast)
(laughter…)

Well, I have to admit that I didn’t get the joke, maybe because I am not a native speaker … is scruvy used for kids only? Or is it a word used in a specific situation? Whatever, I just learned a new word … even if it just for my passive vocabulary due to not fully understanding the meaning.

Review: Gran Torino (2008)

Sunday, December 28th, 2008 | Language, Movies, Reviews, Vocabulary | 1 Comment

Holy sh*t! This one really blew my mind! First a word about Mr. Clint Eastwood, whom I want to give some kudos here. When I was a kid I associated the name Clint Eastwood with a gunslinger, nothing more, nothing less. He proofed me so very wrong, thankfully, just remember the Oscar winning Mystic River or Million Dollar Baby (not my piece of cake, though).

This time we see him as director, producer and main character. Again, you might think what could come out of an ordinary gunslinger being the sole responsible person for a movie? Right, horseshiat you say, but this one is definitely an exception that proves the rule!

Imagine yourself being an elderly war vet (gunslinger, anybody? jk) living in a suburb that becomes more and more of a slum. Gangs, bullies and some gooks (just using the term from the movie, no offence intended) moving into your old neighbour’s house. And then, one night, they step on your perfectly mowed lawn, smashing your precious garden gnomes …

This is just a very basic description of the story, no Gran Torino mentioned yet. I did this on purpose, not to spoil anything. I just want to make sure you get the idea and hopefully be teased enough to go see this masterpiece on the big screen! Try to see it non-dubbed, I wonder how they will translate all these wonderful swear words.

Perfect, a pollack and a chink!

How are you doing Martin, you crazy italian prick?!

Walts! You cheap bastard! I should have known you come in, I was having such a pleasant day!

Now, what’d you do, ruse some blind guy outta his money, gave him the wrong change?

Who’s the nip?

Oh, he’s the pussy-kid from next door, I’m just trying to man him up a little bit.

Hmm.

You see kid? Now that’s how guys talk to one another.

A must see! Thanks Mr. Eastwood!

9.5/10

Tags: clint eastwood, friendship, life and death, racism, revenge, war

Review: Vollplayback Theater “… and Justus for all” Tour: Die bedrohte Ranch (33)

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 | Reviews, Theatre, Vocabulary | No Comments

Radio plays performed on stage, that is what the Vollplaybacktheater (VPT) does. The “tapes” are played back and the artists perform what is happening in the play. You can imagine, that this opens a whole new perspective on theatre as well as on radio plays. VPT plays are simply hilarious and a really good way to spend spare time.

Vollplaybacktheater - Don't miss it!

My first VPT session was “Die drei ??? und die rätselhaften Bilder”, since then I have been an abiding attendee, mostly premier shows. But beware, this stuff is not necessarily suitable for kids, even if it may look like it, the main audience’s age is 30+ – people who listened to these plays when they where kids.

Check out this short clip to get an idea what I am talking about:

9.5/10 – legendary!

Tags: die drei ???, vollplayback, vpt

Legolize me!

Monday, October 27th, 2008 | Gadgets, Language, Misc, Vocabulary | 2 Comments

Not quite accurate, but still funny, my legolized alter ego:

Nick Prosch legolized

You want to try legolizing yourself? Reasonably Clever host the mizer (another artificial word created by the web…). To all the headhunters out there: the tattoo is fake and I wanted to be a rock star all my live 8)

Tags: alter ego, lego

NSD5: The terrible twos

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 | Misc, Vocabulary | 1 Comment

Day 5 is just as day 4. I want to commit an act of defiance and smoke. It’s not really a physical pain any more, merely something missing. And why should I keep myself from something I want to do? That doesn’t make any sense. Reason still overrules custom and I am sure that these ambiguous feelings will cease sooner or later.

Tags: non-smoking

New word: vaccination

Sunday, October 5th, 2008 | Language, Reviews, Series, Vocabulary | No Comments

Gosh, what should I say about this one? Okay, I admit it, I watched a hospital series … my wife loves Emergency Room and now we gave House a try. I tried with her for the first couple of episodes. This is what I got from it. Not a flu, just a vaccination. Now I am immune to all episodes that will follow. Boooring! Story is basically Dr House standing in front of the elevator overhearing some seemingly unimportant comments and then miraculously having the cure at hand. COME ON! Even though I have no idea about meds, this must be so hilariously dull for someone remotely professional. As I am writing this there are already 5 seasons out there. Hmm, maybe it will be getting more interesting, meanwhile I will start over watching X Files again

Tags: x files

New word: fraternity

Monday, September 15th, 2008 | Language, Vocabulary | No Comments

My wife helped me with this word while we where watching Revenge of the Nerds (1984). From the context it was clear that it is some kind of community. She even told me the related word, sorority. Crazy what a lot of reading and English language and literature studies do to your active vocabulary… kudos to her!

New word: binder

Thursday, September 11th, 2008 | Language, Vocabulary | No Comments

I came across this word watching 24.

Jack Bauer:

Gimmie that binder, NOW!

It’s a fairly easy word, I just never had to use it. And if someone asked me what an “Ordner” (im Sinne von Aktenordner) was – I would have had no idea.