English as She is Spoke

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skip0110

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From this site:
This 1883 book is without question the worst phrasebook ever written. The writer, Pedro Carolino, who was Portuguese, did not particularly speak English, nor did he have a Portuguese-English dictionary available. Instead, he worked with a French-English phrasebook and a Portuguese-French dictionary. The results, I'm sure you'll agree, are staggering.
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There is a page with some idioms. I thought we could have some fun and see if we can decode any. They seem pretty hard. I've done some easy ones.





  1. The necessity don't know the low. (Necessity don't know the law -amp88)
  2. Few, few the bird make her nest. (Make your own bed. -Solid Lifters)
  3. He is not valuable to breat that he eat. (Not worth the air he breathes?)
  4. Its are some blu stories. (This is gossip. -pupik)
  5. Nothing some money, nothing of Swiss. (There is no money that doesn't belong to the Swiss. -evilgenius788)
  6. He sin in trouble water. (He fishes in troubled water -amp88)
  7. A bad arrangement is better than a process. ("A bad arrangement is better than a good trial"? -amp88)
  8. He has a good beak. (He has the gift for gab? -Solid Lifters / He is nosey -PS)
  9. In the country of blinds, the one eyed man are kings. (In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. -Lamboracer/ROAD_DOGG)
  10. To build castles in Espagnish. (To build castles in Spain -amp88)
  11. Cat scalded fear the cold water. (Curiosity killed the cat -Lamboracer / Scalded cat fears cold water -DiabolicalMask / Cats hate water -PS)
  12. To do the fine spirit. (Do a good deed daily. -Solid Lifters)
  13. With a tongue one go to Roma. (When in Rome, do as the Romans do -Omnis / If you've got a tongue, you can go to Rome -DiabolicalMask)
  14. There is not any rnler without a exception. (Every rule has an exception)
  15. Take out the live coals with the hand of the cat. (Handle hot coals quickly. -Solid Lifters)
  16. A horse baared don't look him the tooth. (Don't look a gift horse in the mouth)
  17. Take the occasion for the hairs. (Grab life by the horns -skip0110/Omnis/evilgenious788 or maybe Let your hair down)
  18. To do a wink to some body. (Tip someone a wink -amp88)
  19. So many go the jar to spring, than at last rest there. (Many came, few stayed. -evilgenius788)
  20. He eat untill to can't more. (Eat 'til you spue! -Solid Lifters)
  21. Which like Bertram, love hir dog. (if you move in with a woman, you're going to have to put up with her [sic] pets -pupik)
  22. It want to beat the iron during it is hot. (Strike the iron while it's hot. -Solid Lifters)
  23. He is not so devil as he is black. (Not so much evil, as he is dark. -PS)
  24. It is better be single as a bad company. (It is better to be alone than around bad company -ROAD_DOGG33J)
  25. The stone as roll not heap up not foam. (Rolling stones gather no moss)
  26. The shurt him the doar in face. (Shut the door in his face)
  27. He has fond the knuckle of the business. (He found the trick of the trade. -evilgenius788)
  28. He turns as a weath turcocl.
  29. There is not better sauce who the appetite. ( There is no finer food when you're starving. -Solid Lifters)
  30. The pains come at horse and turn one's self at foot. (The pain will stop you in your tracks. -Solid Lifters)
  31. He is beggar as a church rat. (Poor as a church mouse -amp88)
  32. So much go the jar to spring that at last it break there.
  33. To force to forge, becomes smith. (To force to forge, goes well to the blacksmith. -PS)
  34. Keep the chestnut of the fire with the cat foot. (Walk quickly over hot coals. -Solid Lifters / Stoke the fire with a cat-claw? -PS)
  35. Friendship of a child is water into a basket. (A child's friendship rarely lasts. -evilgenius788)
  36. At some thing the misforte is good. (All dark clouds have a silver lining? -evilgenius788)
  37. Burn the politeness. (no need for politeness -pupik)
  38. Tell me whom thou frequent, I will tell you which you are. (You are who you associate with)
  39. After the paunch comes the dance. (A full stomach makes for a content face -amp88)
  40. Of the hand to mouth, one lose often the soup. (Between the hand and the mouth the soup is lost)
  41. To look for a needle in a hay bundle. (Looking for a needle in a haystack)
  42. To craunch the marmoset.
  43. To buy cat in pocket.
  44. To be as a fish into the water. (He takes to it like a fish to water -PS)
  45. To make paps for the cats.
  46. To fatten the foot. (To broaden your horizons -PS)
  47. To come back at their muttons. (To get even. -Solid Lifters)
If you get one, let me know which number it is to facilitate editing the first post.
 
13. When in Rome, stick your tongue out at the Romans.
 
To the one language is been accompanied by in Rome I used altavista babel fish and did it backwards and straight from portuguese to english and go this for 13. Not saying omnis is wrong juts showing you what i did,
 
LOL. Guys, I was just joking. It's most like the, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" saying.
 
Omnis
LOL. Guys, I was just joking. It's most like the, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" saying.
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:lol: I'm sure there are plenty of idioms/phrases I don't know....(fixed)
 
1 - Should be "Necessity don't know the law" (from the Latin necessitas non habet legem - necessity has no law)
15 - Hire a cat to do the house work ;)
 
15. I don’t ****ing speak this language.

Right? :D

I can’t figure any of them out.
 
23. Not so much evil, as he is dark.

[edit]

46. To broaden your horizons?

[edit 2]

23. :

After some investigation, I've come to the conclusion that what he meant was:

"Just because he is black, is does not make him evil."
 
Lamboracer
In the country of blinds, the one eyed man are kings Semms good to me the way ti is
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If one person backs you up (or you get an internet source) I'll buy it.
 
skip0110
If one person backs you up (or you get an internet source) I'll buy it.
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I found this on cardplayer.com

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."
 
47. is something about sheep. perhaps, "Coming back/Returning to their Sheep"
 
#11 is just like that. "Scalded cat fears cold water"

#13 is "If you've got a tongue, you can go to Rome". Meaning that, just talking, you can go anywhere.

#17 is something like "grab a good change by the hair"

#29 means that there's nothing that makes food more delicious than your appetite.
 
28. He turns as a weath turcocl.

He runs like the wind blows? He's as hard as a rock? I have no idea what the hell a weath turcocl is!
 

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