Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: On account

Ciao!
Sto traducendo dei sottotitoli. Mi sono imbattuto nella frase: "We liked
setting down in the evening to do the accounts, something which my wife
particularly looked forward to on account of her feet".
Non riesco a capire cosa voglia significare "do the accounts" e "on account
of her feet".
Grazie a chiunque mi voglia aiutare

, JollyGood wrote...
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Buona sera. Dev'essere "We liked *sitting* down in the evening..." per 
essere corretto, (scusa l'inglese) except if it's a colloquialism; i.e., 
if they're trying to show that the speaker is not well educated.
"Do the accounts" means "pay the bills," "write out checks," "balance the 
[checking/savings/bank] accounts."
"On account of" means "because of." His wife must have a problem with her 
feet, and looks forward to the time when she can sit down [after a hard 
day.]
-- 
I am Joey's Cat
Un-not my address, too, if you wanna reply.

In un attimo di lucidità, Ketzl DoWop Dee scrisse:
First of all, thanks for replying.
|| Buona sera. Dev'essere "We liked *sitting* down in the evening..."
No it is definitely "setting". Can it be translated as "accomodarsi,
mettersi comodi la sera"?
|| "Do the accounts" means "pay the bills," "write out checks,"
|| "balance the [checking/savings/bank] accounts."
Fair enough..
|| "On account of" means "because of." His wife must have a problem
|| with her feet, and looks forward to the time when she can sit down
|| [after a hard day.]
That's great. I did not think about this meaning!
Thanks again!

 
Yes, it can. As I implied, people do use "to set" meaning "to sit", but 
it's not gramatically correct. In your view (and I agree) using "setting 
down" does imply more than just "sitting down"; it also implies "getting 
comfortable." However, be aware that it's not correct English.
You can "set something down" on a table (a book, a plate, etc.) but 
*tecnically* you can't "set down on a table (or a chair)" meaning "sit 
down." 
Perhaps the word was "settling down"? That carries the exact meaning you 
mentioned.
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of her feet".
aggiungo solo che mi sembra evidente e intenzionale il gioco di parole
tra sedersi fare i conti (to do the accounts) e sedersi on account of
(because of) i piedi stanchi ecc
sono certo che proprio il gioco di parole ti aveva fuorviato e fatto
sembrare la traduzione difficile perchè
"to do the accounts" e "on account of" si trovano in tutti i dizionari
decenti  alla voce account.
rollerbd
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It's a pun. accounts - finances, account - because 
-- 
              O      __
      ___   /\     / / O  
     /__ \   | \   /  |
    O  /  \ /   \./   |       Loki
        |________ |
 

 comfortable." However, be aware that it's not correct English.
You're right, "to set down", according to you as well as 
wordreference.com
(Collins) and 
www.m-w.com
 (Merriam Webster), cannot mean "to sit down" or
"to settle down".
Yet, look what I found out reading a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay. I'll
quote the entire poem, why not? (the relevant part is between asterisks):
-----
Tavern
I'll keep a little tavern
  Below the high hill's crest,
*Wherein all grey-eyed people*
  *May set them down and rest.*
There shall be plates a-plenty,
  And mugs to melt the chill
Of all the grey-eyed people
  Who happen up the hill.
There sound will sleep the traveller,
  And dream his journey's end,
But I will rouse at midnight
  The falling fire to tend.
Aye, 'tis a curious fancy --
  But all the good I know
Was taught me out of two grey eyes
  A long time ago.
-----
What do you think? Did she deliberately use a familiar, yet incorrect
expression? Or does it sound poetic to you, rather than familiar?
Bye, FB
-- 
L'importante è che risplenda tu, sola primadonna e immarcescibile leggenda
del tuo pianerottolo.
Lucangel

 expression? Or does it sound poetic to you, rather than familiar?
Well, it's lovely; thanks for copying it.
I think you have it: she used "familiar" (related to "family") language 
that lends a warm, comforting and nurturing tenor to the poem. *And* it 
is poetic in addition to being familiar.
And lest we forget: it's poetry. Wonderful genre, but when learning to 
speak a language, caveat! Same as "Opera Italian": lovely to hear, but I 
don't think I want to learn to speak Italian that way.
If, on the other hand, you want to write that type of poetry (from a 
different era altogether) by all means...
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