English from Brasil #47 | The One Where Nubbin Meant Something Else
(a lesson from and with F.R.I.E.N.D.S.)
Na edição anterior: English from Brasil #46 | Lost in Translation (Like a Tapir in the Wild!)
Hello, hello!
Um causo
Como você chama a primeira e a última fatia do pão de forma?
Eu chamo de “bunda”!
A bunda do pão. E, claramente, cada pacote de pão tem duas bundas.
Aqui em casa, gostamos de comer rolls e baguettes. Meu marido adora a pontinha desses pães. E ele tem uma palavra em inglês para se referir a elas: nubbin.
Eu, que aprendi essa palavra da forma mais natural possível (comendo pão e descobrindo que sou proibida de pegar a pontinha da baguete, já que elas são um direito dele!), nunca precisei de uma tradução ou explicação.
Nubbin era a pontinha do pão. Ponto final.
Ou pelo menos, era o que eu pensava.
Anos depois, assistindo Friends, me deparei com uma cena que fez meu mundo virar de cabeça para baixo. Nubbin não significava apenas a pontinha da baguete.
(Preparei uma aula para você ver nubbin em outro contexto e assistir um pedacinho de Friends!) 👇🏽
A quote
"You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over."
A lesson
Are you a Friends fan?
Of course, I knew about the show—who doesn’t? But I had never watched all the seasons in order until a couple of years ago.
In the scene below, the group learns something unexpected about Chandler—and Joey has a funny misunderstanding about the word nubbin. Let’s watch and see what happens!
🎓 Vocabulary Preview
Before watching, learn or revise these words and phrases:
🍿Watch & Enjoy
❓Comprehension Questions
Answer the following questions:
Why does Monica say Chandler has a third nipple?
How does Joey react to learning the word nubbin?
What does Chandler sarcastically say his third nipple does?
What does Ross say about third nipples in some cultures?
How does Chandler joke about these cultures?
So, nubbin turned out to mean more than just the end of a baguette! That’s the fun of learning languages—you pick up words naturally, but every now and then, they surprise you! Did you already know the word nubbin? Have you ever had a funny misunderstanding with a word in another language? Let me know!
By the way, Google can’t translate this either:
A question
Do you think every language has words that don’t exist in other languages?
FIVE Random Things
🍷What do you think about going to a restaurant alone? [link]
🔡 Proud moment! I am officially a TED talk translator (I have been for some months, but only now some of my work has been published. I am so glad I can volunteer my time and expertise to help spread ideas on topics I care about) [link]
🏠 What are your third places? [link]
🎧 I’ve been listening to this song on repeat for days [link]
👶🏽 Boy, girl, dog? I am pretty sure this is not the best order… [link]
Se você gostou dessa edição, encaminha para os amigos?
See you next week! 👋🏽
Karen Rito
English from Brasil 🌎✨
