WORDS FOUND IN MADRID

I read in In Madrid the article Three Great Dates for Valentine's Day, by Pritheeva Rasaratnam. It turns to be a good source to learn a lot of idioms and words:

1.If you are "strapped for cash" es que andas corto de dinero.

2."To be a little pampered" es que te mimen un poquito.

3."Blame it on Lionel Ritchie". Échale la culpa a Lionel Ritchie. ¡Y a José Luis Perales!

4."The most hapless of suitors". El más desgraciado de los pretendientes. Seguro que mordía...

5."Soulful jazz"= enternecedora, conmovedora música de jazz. Me encanta esta expresión. Me hace pensar en el soul como alma del jazz.

6.Humbug! = ¡Paparruchas! Como diría Míster Scrooge.

7."Let your imagination run riot"= Da rienda suelta a tu imaginación. ¡Arre!...

8."An innocuous building a stone's throw from the Opera House"= Es decir, un edificio a tiro de Stone (MICK o KEITH) de la Ópera.

9."A discerning customer"= Un cliente exigente. Un imbécil, seguro...

10."Your average bar" = Tu bar de siempre. El "Ricla", en la calle Cuchilleros.

11.Fittings= Accesorios. Esta palabra sobra, ya lo sé.

UB40

In UK most of people has a very keen sense of humor. A band was named after the UB40 (Unemployment Benefit, Form 40). However, there are names that are not at all funny. I am thinking of B-29 Enola Gay. Anyway, it deserved a song by OMD. I mean... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. When I think of this name, I can't help seeing myself in the dark of a cinema kissing my first love. The atom bomb of reality is falling outside.

MY FIRST WORDS IN ENGLISH

The first words I learned from English were Yes and No. From one word to another there was un unknown but fascinating world. So I decided to look for more words. Where? Of course, in the books. At first, I read a lot of best-sellers. Children of Tender Years, by Ted Allbeury, for example, was very useful to me. These are some of the words I learned from it:
1.Tears
2.Cello
3.Spring
4.Upset
5.Soggy
6.Soil
7.Displeased
8.Dirt cheap
9.Tearoom
10.Cigar box

Of course, I used those words to make up a brief tale:
"It was a luminous spring morning, but the soil was soggy. In tune with that, I felt upset and displeased. With tears in my eyes, I took my dirt cheap cigar box out from my pocket and lit a cigarette. When I got in the tearoom, she started playing her cello".

JARRING

Jarring: Discordante. No se puede aplicar, sin embargo, a las composiciones de Jean Michel Jarre.
Crab: Cangrejo. Crabs: Ladillas. La pluralidad no siempre es buena.
The Mob: La Mafia. Moby Dick: La ballena mafiosa de los mares del sur. Esa ballena era la polla (dick). But that is a different kettle of fish.

A blank question means "una pregunta directa". So, would you like to marry me?
SHE: I would if you didn't wear tank tops. Your armpit smells like herring.
ME: Sorry?
SHE: I was just trying to divert your boredom.
ME: In that case, why don't you go to hell?
SHE: Ok... You are out of humor.
ME: Not exactly, but I’m not in the mood for jokes. Besides, my proposal of marriage was sincere.
SHE: Oh, I see... Well. I accept it.

A.

It is more than a movie by Woody Allen. I met you last summer. You were my teacher and I was your devoted student. You said I had pronounced the word success perfectly well. But we are both losers. You are a cute-cool painter who is drifting far from her crenelated country, and I am a wanderer writer without homeland and flag. I wonder if you would like to share the next trip to nowhere with me.

DEL GRIS A GREASE

I went with my uncle Mariano and my cousins Ana & Inesita to the premiere of Grease. It was in 1978. Since then, this movie has been one of my favourite films. Of course, it is uncool if you are a fan of Bergman as I am myself. But this movie has had as influence on my life and artistic taste as The Seven Seal.
I know almost note by note Grease soundtrack. But I never understood well its lyrics.
Now, you can compare what I understood then from You're the One That I Want and what the lyrics really mean.

TRAVOLTA: I got chills. / They're multiplyin'. / And I'm losin' control.
ME AS A CHILD: I catch you / this maladjustment. / And I'm blue as a troll.

TRAVOLTA: 'Cause the power you're supplyin', / it's electrifyin'! /
ME AS A CHILD: Close the flower with a player. / It's Alan being fire.

OLIVIA: You better shape up*, / 'cause I need a man / and my heart is set on you.
ME AS A CHILD: You Bernstein pop / cozy needle / and my heart is zero on you.

OLIVIA: You better shape up; / you better understand / to my heart I must be true.
ME AS A CHILD: You Bernstein pop / you Bernstein tampax / to my heart I must be cruel.

TRAVOLTA: Nothin' left, nothin' left / for me to do.
ME AS A CHILD: Nothingness, nothingness / for mink to do.

TRAVOLTA AND OLIVIA: You're the one that I want (you are the one i want want), o, o, oo, honey. / The one that I want (you are the one i want want), o, o, oo, honey. / The one that I want(you are the one i want want), o, o, oo. / The one I need. / Oh, yes indeed.
ME AS A CHILD: Joan of Arc that I want (Joan of Arch I want want), o, o, oo, Johnny. / Joan that I want (Joan of Arch I want want), o, o, oo, Johnny. / Joan that I want (Joan of Arch I want want), o, o, oo. / The Joan I miss. / Oh, yes indie.

OLIVIA: If you're filled with affection / you're too shy to convey, / meditate in my direction. / Feel your way.
ME AS A CHILD: If you feel witty fashion / you're two sides two obey, / mayday taste in my deception. / Free George's way.

TRAVOLTA: I better shape up, / 'cause you need a man
OLIVIA: who can keep me satisfied.
ME AS A CHILD: I Bernstein pop / 'cause jonny a mum / who can kill me satisfied.

TRAVOLTA: I better shape up / if I'm gonna prove
OLIVIA: You better prove that my faith is justified.
ME AS A CHILD: I Bernstein pop /is Angola proof / you Vader proof that my face is just a face.

TRAVOLTA: Are you sure?
TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA: Yes, I'm sure down deep inside.
ME AS A CHILD: Are you sugar? Yes, I'am sugar dandy side.

TRAVOLTA AND OLIVIA: You're the one that I want (you are the one i want want), o, o, oo, honey. / The one that I want (you are the one i want want), o, o, oo, honey. / The one that I want(you are the one i want want), o, o, oo. / The one I need. / Oh, yes indeed.
ME AS A CHILD: Joan of Arc that I want (Joan of Arch I want want), o, o, oo, Johnny. / Joan that I want (Joan of Arch I want want), o, o, oo, Johnny. / Joan that I want (Joan of Arch I want want), o, o, oo. / The Joan I miss. / Oh, yes indie.

*Shape up or ship out!= ¡O entras en vereda o te largas!

TRUE FRIENDS

I would have never seen Friends if I hadn't had to learn English. I am very fond of this series now, almost a fan. It is really good for practise English and learn a lot of idioms.
Let's see the pilot:

ROSE: Stop cleansing my aura.

Of course, Rose is not talking about "spiritual cleansing". Later, he says: "Why does everyone keep fixating on that?".
I think he means: "Come on, guys. Let me alone. My pregnant wife is in love with another woman. You are true friends of mine, I know... but don't nag me all the time".

JOEY: Strip joints!

In Joey's opinion, Rose should pay for a private strep-tease rather than to depress himself. Let alone the literal sense, it is an invitation to look on the bright side of the road.

RACHEL: I was more turned on by this gravy boat than by Barry. And then I really freaked out.

Rachel alucinó (She freaked out). I think the word freak is as freaky in English as in Spanish.

RACHEL: I didn't know where to go, and I know you and I have drifted apart.

I like this word a lot. To drift is "ir a la deriva, sin rumbo". Neil Young sings Comes a time when you're driftin'.
In this case, it means: "distanciarse".

ROSE (To RACHEL): You probably didn't know this, but back in high school I had a major crush on you.

To have a crush on somebody means "estar chiflado por alguien".
I have an orange crush from time to time.