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Posts by Teffle  

Joined: 26 Aug 2010 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 8 Dec 2011
Threads: Total: 22 / In This Archive: 18
Posts: Total: 1318 / In This Archive: 980 		From: IRL
Speaks Polish?: Nie - odrobineczke

Displayed posts: 998 / page 28 of 34
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Teffle   
4 Oct 2010
News / Poles DO return to the UK [39]

Get out of the EU than. But could Poland govern itself without supervision by the EU?

Less to do with governance than a helping financial hand.

Like big beneficiaries before them (most notably Ireland) there is no way, now that they are knee deep in the various funds available to them, that Poland would ever leave the EU without being forcibly kicked out.
Teffle   
4 Oct 2010
UK, Ireland / English Films..What Do Poles Think of Them? [33]

You have to look at the bigger picture with the music though Sid - not just the last 15 years or so!

IMO England really excels at two particular type of comedy - the surreal (From Goons & Python via young ones & Not the Nine O'clock News right through to Spaced & Peep show) & the grotesque/cringeworthy (Alf Garnet through Basil Fawlty & Rigby to Alan Partridge & David Brent)
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Love / Unmarried couples in Poland = pathology [310]

Wow.

Spoke to a Polish friend about this - she said with a wry slightly embarrassed smile that it was possible to get around this requirement.

I didn't pursue it as with her being a fairly staunch catholic and me agnostic, it was bound to end in an argument.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

They sound familar mafketis.

By the way, do the teachers on here provide cultural advice too? Conventions re etiquette/customs etc? I do as some of the subtle differences can be confusing & surprising.

E.g. a woman I know answers the phone as part of her job - she mentioned that it drove her mad having to ask who was calling. She considered it impolite or very casual of the caller not to say in the first place - I had to explain that the norm (at least here) is:

Hello can I speak to mr X?

Can I ask who is calling?

It's Mr Y from Z company

One moment please

She found this a bit unusual.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

Do Germans have any sentiment for Hungarians? And vice versa?

This cannot be answered unfortunately.

Apparently, there is no recorded example in the world of anyone having met a Hungarian.

The CIA are currently carrying out an investigation to ascertain whether or not the so-called country of Hungary actually exists.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

I'd like to think we're like the French, but unfortunately we're too polite...

Ha ha - no, not the French at all. At least not in my opinion.

If anyone, I'd say the Germans - although I've a sneaking suspicion that not too many people from either country would agree.

But of course that's only because they can't see the wood for the trees.

: )

By the way I'm talking really the English here rather than the British as such.

overall greatness

LOL - I love this by the way!
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Disco Polo - No No No No No! [95]

Just had a listen. Probably what we would call "euphoric dance" I guess?

It's awful but as f stop says, certainly not a uniquely Polish form of awful.

If there is indeed a backlash to this in Poland, well done on your taste Poland I say!
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
History / No Nazi puppet regime in Poland? [45]

Meaning it was, as a country, sacrificed, crucified etc.

Probably not that everyone has a beard and likes turning their cheeks to get them slapped for example.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

It says - as I understand it - that "do you have" is neutral, whereas "have you got" may be emotionally-stricken.

Yes, and a good way of putting it. Although I stress that it's my understanding/feeling about it. It's not always 100% clear with English - the language is just too flexible and accomodating sometimes ; )

But from a certain point of view, this "entrance door" is quite a specific one - "the only one", if I may quote you - it it is the entrance door of the house to which my friend was searching the key for.

Sorry, you are correct really. The syntax of your original post didn't make it initially obvious to me.

In front of the entrance door to their house, should I ask my companion, the owner of the house, who is nervously seeking something, presumably the key, in every one of his pockets

This would be more normal maybe. Other alternatives too of course but either way, the connection of the door to the house, to make it specific, should be made at the earliest opportunity.

By the way, your English is very good.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

Don't compare the Irish always with us Poles,

You don't find any similarities apart from the drinking?

I'm surprsed as it is a comparison I hear regularly - from Poles too I should add.

What if you exclude Slavic countries?
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

During the war Winston Churchill said, "The Poles are like the Irish, only more so."

Ha - first time I've heard that! Not sure what to make of it. Sounds more like an insult than anything but was possibly intended as a morale booster.

Finns - that's another group that are supposedly similar to the Irish. No idea myself.

Right, so far a bit of a vote for Poles & Slovaks maybe? Nobody seems to object much to this one...but possibly only because they don't know any Slovaks!
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

that's good idea...

I can't do it though : /

No certainly not. Czech are consider by Poles as Germans in disguise ;D

Ha ha - fair enough - didn't know that!

My type is Hungarians. What do you think about it?

No idea. I know very little about Hungarians and have only ever met one of them.

Never heard the comparison before though.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

It's a funny one. Both are used widely. Strictly, "Do you have...." is probably the more correct form but "Have you got..." certainly doesn't sound bad or anything.

To me, there is slightly different emphasis too - "Have you got..." implies a bit of seriousness or urgency or even purpose - depending on the situation. Like "Have you got your ID/passport with you?"

With "Have you got time?" there is a subtle implication that the speaker thinks that you may not.

"Do you have time?" is a little more laid back.

Those are my thoughts on it anyway.

In different contexts though there are other differences.

In front of an (or is it: the) entrance door

It's an. Because it's any door, you are just giving an example of one. The would be a specific one, either already referred to, or the only one.
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

For the Irish I would say undoubtedly, we are closest to the Scottish in many, many ways. Although of course there are differences too.

I've often heard it said that the Poles and Irish are similar and I agree to an extent - I think the Irish are certainly more similar to the Polish than most other Europeans anyway.

Poles and Czechs maybe? (their "funny" language aside!)
Teffle   
1 Oct 2010
Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

I think the Lidl near me is falling apart at the seams.

Rather than have a Spanish/Greek/Polish week - which they have done in the past - they seem to just have random jars and packages of stuff from a variety of countries/cuisines dotted all around the store, remnants of the last promotion. Every week is Indian/Polish/Japanese/Thai/Spanish week it appears !
Teffle   
30 Sep 2010
UK, Ireland / More "exotic" verb+noun collocations for advanced student of English? [8]

to shrug -- wzruszyć ramionami

Oh ok, thanks. Is it a direct equivalent though? I was told there wasn't one. Does the above not just mean "lift shoulders" or something? maybe not.

Anyway, on the other stuff, you misunderstand - I'm looking for the English collocations in order to teach to a Pole. e.g. you don't throw aspersions but castthem etc
Teffle   
30 Sep 2010
Life / The Polish national 'brand' [21]

...Polish mistakes with being associated with conservatism

There you go, fixed that for you ; )
Teffle   
30 Sep 2010
Life / The Polish national 'brand' [21]

"Empires couldn't pull us apart. What makes you think you can?"

LOL - I'd love to see this on a T-shirt!