Judy thanks, the farm's been haunting me
KS
On 14/01/2008, judy prince <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Might be of further interest, Mark:
>
> In 1956 from HEFLIN author _USAF Dictionary_, p 198:
>
> " 'Buy a farm' - to crash . . . This expression is in allusion to the notion
> that the owner of a farm takes advantage of a crash on his land to collect
> heavy damages."
>
> In 1955, _AS_ XXX, p 116:
>
> "'Buy the farm, buy a plot' Crash fatally. (Jet pilots say that when a jet
> crashes on a farm the farmer usually sues the government for damages done to
> his farm by the crash, and the amount demanded is always more than enough to
> pay off the mortgage and then buy the farm outright. Since this type of
> crash {i.e., in a jet fighter} is nearly always fatal to the pilot, the
> pilot pays for the farm with his life.)"'
>
> Judy
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Weiss" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:07 PM
> Subject: untranslateable phrases
>
>
> > Or, j'en ai marre, j'en ai ras-le-bol (or just ras).
> >
> > But it was a serious question about the history of what I assume are
> > Americanisms. Really. Robin?
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >>That should be "je n'en peut plus supporter," natch. Way rusty in French.
> >>
> >>
> >>>Well, meaningless if translated directly, though there are ways to say
> >>>them in the argot of other languages.
> >>>
> >>>I'm curious about the origins of:
> >>>
> >>>I've had it (je l'ai tenue?), in both its meanings--I can't put up with
> >>>any more of this (je ne peut plus supporter ceci), and I've bought the
> >>>farm (j'ai achete la ferme)
> >>>
> >>>I've been had (j'ai ete eu?)
> >>>
> >>>Mark
> >>
> >
>
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