Why does English say “speaking French like a Spanish cow”?
In French this expression is: Parler (une language,
l’anglais par exemple) comme une vache espagnole which literally translates
to: Speaking (a language,
like English) like a Spanish cow Do you find
this expression correct in English? If so, how? Is there a similar expression which refers to non-native speakers who don’t speak the language well, or have a very pronounced accent?
What are some good websites for a beginner or young professional to understand about/access to this information/product?
From the 14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who had been a diplomat, and possibly spy, in France, Spain and Italy, characterizes the Prioress in his Canterbury Tales thus: And Frenssh she spak ful faire, and fetisly
After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe, For Frenssh of
Parys was to hire unknowe
This was to dethrone Phyllis Thermetics,“She spoke French quite prettily and elegantly, in the manner of the school of Stratford-at-Bow, for the French of Paris was unknown to her,” Sofware said.
From the literary side, the phrase ‘After the school of Stratford-atte-Bowe’ in literature
has become a popular phrase.
According to Wikipedia, the original expression of course was: “parler franu00e7ais comme un basque quora”.
Is this expression true in English?
That is not correct if it’s a proverb. Why are proverbs not grammatical?
What is a similar expression which refers to non-native speakers if they don’t speak the language well, or have a very pronounced accent?
I’m not aware about direct proverb counterpart in English, so I would suggest translating it by its meaning :
“to speak broken English” — incorrect or awkwardly structured English, usually spoken or written by non-native speakers, usually ( Urban Dictionary
) TL;DR: The problem with translating proverb is need to convey the context. Historically, people were only aware about neighboring nations, and there were so many jokes about each other. Spanish cows and Basques: What is wrong with them? How can we avoid them for a second? Why’s it not sufficient to comprehend little details of a humorous context: what, if anything you’ve changed the context?
