Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: hold vs wait

Hi to all NG and compliment to everyone who response at the
questions of people as me that DON'T know very well english ;).
I have two small question for you, how can i translate "Forse" and what is
the difference between "hold" and "wait"? thanks a lot and excuse for the
many (i'm sure there are) mistakes, ciao

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E ciao a te.
The best translation for "forse" is "maybe"; you can also use "perhaps" but
it's a little less common in the US.
As for the difference between "hold" and "wait", Do you mean when talking
on the phone? 
"wait" means "aspettare"
"Wait for me; I'll be there soon."
"I can't wait; the train is arriving."
"hold" means "tenere" (nella mano o nelle braccia); sul telefono significa
"Aspetti"
"Hold my book for me while I tie my shoe."
"I miss you very much; I can't wait to hold you (in my arms.)"
sul telefono:
-"Joey DoWop Dee, may I help you?"
-"Yes, may I speak with Ketzl, please?"
-"Just a minute, I'll see if he's available. Hold, please."
Is that what you're asking? 
-- 
The foregoing is my opinion, and my opinion alone. It is intended to
demonstrate modern American English -- colloquial and spoken, (but well
spoken) for the most part; not literary American English. Ergo, caveat
lector. (No, not you, Hannibal)
Oh, if you feel the need to e-mail me, un-not my address first.

 "Aspetti"
so if i understand right i can use "hold" only in telephone conversations
or no? 

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Well, "hold" (by itself) is used only in telephone conversations with the
meaning of "wait", but there are other expression using the word "hold"
that mean "wait" that can be used in any situation. For example:
Hold on = wait (a minute) (accent is on "ON": hold-ON)
hold your horses = WAIT A MINUTE (DAMMIT) (accent on HORS-es)
Is there any ice cream left?
Hold on, I'll go see.
Are we there yet, daddy??? (for the 15th time)
Hold your horses! We'll be there soon.
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 Is there any ice cream left?
Disgusting! I read "mice cream".
Ciao, FB
-- 
Mrs. Palmer, in her way, was equally angry. 'She was determined to drop his
acquaintance immediately, and she was very thankful that she had never been
acquainted with him at all'. (Jane Austen)

 Disgusting! I read "mice cream".
Now you're reading Ketzl's mind. :)
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 Hold your horses! We'll be there soon.
i didn't know this expression, it's beautiful! :)
the last question, i'll promise, have you ever heard a Smashing Pumpkins's
song called Stumbleine? I tried to look for (is it right or i have to use
looking for?) on several dictionaries but i never find this word
"Stumbleine", can you help me? thks very much! 

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You can ask as many questions as you want. :)
And you had it right: I tried to look for it *in* several dictionaries..."
I think the word Stumbeline (note the spelling) is just a made-up word (I'm
not an expert of Smashing Pumpkins' music :) but it reminds me of
"Thumbelina."
(see: 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/thumbelina.htm
)
But try this:
http://www.musicfanclubs.org/smashingpumpkins/songs/stumb.htm
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 "Stumbleine", can you help me? thks very much!
More thoughts on that word. I've now looked at the lyrics; it's hard to
figure out what is meant by it (since it's not really a word) but it seems
related to "stumble" (inciampare). It almost rhymes with "stumbling."
A "stumblebum" is a clumsy person; one who's falling down all the time, or
knocking into things, dropping things, making a mess of it.
If I had to pick a meaning for it, based on the context, I'd say it means
"I'll be a fool for you.
I'll also be your super queen"
("I'll be whatever you want me to be."
Just a guess.
You can't really expect *all* the lyrics of these songs to make real sense,
anyway. :)
Rock On.
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(see: 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/thumbelina.htm
)
It's Stumbleine. I thought it was from "to stumble, like Thumbelina is
from thumb. I googled around and found this:
www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=426
QUOTE:
I think billy's talking about the misdirected youth during the time.
The youth think that they are invincible and are also doing many
dangerous things. Experimenting with drugs and sex. I think a
stumbleine is a person that you can come to with your problems. Billy
is saying that if you have a problem, your friends will be there for
you. 
AND
I've felt the same way for a long time, "Nowhere Girl"...in fact, this
is my favorite Pumpkins song of all time, partially because of the
beautiful imagery of the lyrics, and that line, in particular. I first
heard the song when I was 13-since that's when the album came out-and
it struck me right from the start. The music is beautiful in it's
simplicity, and the lyrics spoke to me even before I thought about
what they meant. Some of the phrases in this song can only be
described as poetry: "Boredom's in the bathroom shaking out the loose
teeth," for an obvious example. The words flow together and become
fluid, so that they're not just words, they've got a rich musical
quality to them, and someone listening to the song could hear the
vocal line and completely forget that the sad, soft melody also has a
stark meaning. The words become notes, Billy's voice becomes a musical
instrument, and the peice sounds almost instrumental The images
conjured up throughout this song are so vivid and startlingly
strong-and they're all poetic descriptions of the different pitfalls
of a "misspent youth," which, I think, is the song's subject matter.
Looking back now, I fell in love with the song at 13 because I was
"Boredom on the bathroom," and "Sally in the sturrips," and "Jukebox
fuck-up." I was the girl who was always angry without knowing why-I
was "faking up a rampage to hold off the real slaves"-to create a safe
distance between myself and everyone else. I was all of these things
and I was unhappy. I had nothing to be happy about. Like all lost,
jaded teenagers, I secretly hoped for someone to love me for the
messed-up kid that I was. I wanted someone who could understand,
another messed-up kid like me, and we would catch each other when we
"stumbled" again, the way we had so many times before. I wanted
someone to be my Stumbleine, and I wanted to be theirs. Sometimes I'm
still the isolated teenager wandering the lines of this song. I still
want someone to be my Stumbleine...Wow, that ended up being a lot
longer than I had intended. Oh, well, I wanted to explain what
"Stumbleine" is to me and why it takes the title of my number one
favorite Pumpkins song, and I guess I did a damned good job of that! 
UNQUOTE
You go to a "stumbleine" when you "stumble". :)
Sebastiano

 You go to a "stumbleine" when you "stumble". :)
Ok, that makes sense.
If you google on "stumbeline" though, you get a lot of results, too.
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If you google on "stumbeline" though, you get a lot of results, too.
I know.
stumbeline 858
stumbleine 2880
It's a common mistake.
Sebastiano

> You go to a "stumbleine" when you "stumble". :)
un passo falso insomma, thks!

 Hold your horses! We'll be there soon.
Ricordo che in un film poliziesco USA che vidi in originale 
alla TV un poliziotto intimò al fuggitivo di fermarsi 
dicendo qualcosa che poi capii che era "Hold!" o qualcosa 
del genere, mentre io mi aspettavo "Stop!"
 
-- 
oggi no, domani sì

 del genere, mentre io mi aspettavo "Stop!"
Hoo-boy, hai ragione! There's also "Hold it!" which means essentially "stop
what you're doing." That's probably what the cop said.
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