Newsgroups: bit.listserv.words-l
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 21:42:00 JST
From:         Akio Tanaka <TANAKA%JPNSUT20.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject:      Gleanings (67)

[ 1 ]
Natalie wrote (2 Nov 92):

nm) This topic reminds me of something I meant to ask you a couple of days
nm) ago, Akio.  I recently heard somebody from Japan say that there really
nm) aren't many "dirty words" in Japanese -- that about the only insults were
nm) expressions that correspond roughly with English "You're stupid" or
nm) "You're an idiot."  If that is true, why do you think it's true?  Does
nm) it reflect significant cultural differences?
nm)   --Natalie (maynor@ra.msstate.edu)
====================================
Natalie,

Well, I consulted _The Underground Dictionary_ by Eugene E. Lundy,
translated and re-edited by Katsuaki Horiuchi, Kenkyusha, 1975, Tokyo.

You won't believe this, but there are about 900 Japanese words listed
for the word 'copulate (fuck)', and about 1,200 words for 'vagina (cunt)'.
There are actually lots of "dirty words" in Japanese.  This, however,
doesn't mean that these words are used for insults.  If you use one of
those words, all you get is blank stare and perhaps *giggles* :-) a few
seconds later.  If you want to insult someone in Japanese, you just say
'baka' (idiot), 'aho' (moron), or 'chikusho (animal)'.  And if you want
to emphasize them, add 'kuso' (shit) as a prefix, perhaps.  Why aren't
sexual terms used for insults in Japanese, while they are used in English?
Interesting.  I might start doing a research on it.

[ 2 ]
Neal wrote (2 Nov 92):

nt)   What, no gleaning for 'Texas Leaguer'?  That's a poorly-hit
nt)   semi-flyball that goes over the infielders but not far enough for the
nt)   outfielders to get to.  The Texas League is and has long been a minor
nt)   league, where apparently such hits were common.  It's one of several
nt)   types of 'seeing-eye singles,' hits that weren't well-hit.

nt)     neal    traven@pittvms
==============================
Neal,

I didn't glean it, because I knew about it.  In Japanese baseball,
it is used thus: 'tekisasu sei no hitto' (hit of Texan nature).
Japanese baseball terms are a mixture of English, Japanese English
and Japanese.

[ 3 ]
Steve Karlson wrote (3 Nov 92):

sk) Is it true the Shinkansen run 38 fast trains in an hour?
============================================================

Steve,

Let me quote from the latest timetable of the Shinkansen.

*Westbound Shinkansen trains leaving Tokyo Station from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM*

           Tokyo    Nagoya     Kyoto    Shin-Osaka    Hiroshima    Hakata

[Hikari]    9:00     10:52     11:36         11:52
[Hikari]    9:07     11:00     11:44         12:02        13:39     15:04
[Hikari]    9:10     11:08     11:53         12:11        13:58
[Kodama]    9:14       (Local -  14 stops)   13:26
[Hikari]    9:17     11:15     12:00         12:18        14:12     15:48
[Hikari]    9:25     11:27     12:13         12:31   13:34 (Okayama)
[Kodama]    9:28     12:20  (Local - 10 stops)
[Hikari]    9:35     11:30     12:16         12:34        14:18     15:38
[Hikari]    9:42     11:38     12:30         12:46
[Kodama]    9:49       (Local -  14 stops)   14:06
[Hikari]    9:53     11:45     12:33         12:49
[Hikari]   10:00     11:52     12:36         12:52

*Hikari = 'light', Kodama = 'echo'

Timetable is about the same for every hour.

38 trains in an hour???  Even rush hour trains on the Yamanote Line
in Tokyo run only 24 trains in an hour.

By the way, Steve, do you read the travelogues by Paul Theroux?

[ 4 ]
Gleanings - Number 67.  Thank you very much.

Last week's mail

3-4           Nov         92        548.5 KB
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Akio Tanaka/9 Nov 92
====================
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