German: LS-Schalter
Short for Leistungsschutzschalter, "power protection switch" or, in actual English, circuit breaker. Which I know, and yet it's always so easy for the brain to bail and give you "LS switch" as a translation. Stupid brain!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
éhomi
Hungarian: éhomi
As in éhomi vércukor; my wife and I have been collaborating on some medical translations lately. The state of Hungarian online dictionaries is not so fantastic as I'm used to with German. SZTAKI (the university) has a really good resource, but if a word isn't in there, you're on your own, and SZTAKI's dictionary is largely business- and technology-related. Medical, not so much.
Turns out it's fasting, as in fasting blood sugar. Duh. Obvious after the fact.
As in éhomi vércukor; my wife and I have been collaborating on some medical translations lately. The state of Hungarian online dictionaries is not so fantastic as I'm used to with German. SZTAKI (the university) has a really good resource, but if a word isn't in there, you're on your own, and SZTAKI's dictionary is largely business- and technology-related. Medical, not so much.
Turns out it's fasting, as in fasting blood sugar. Duh. Obvious after the fact.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Schubskid
German: Schubskid-Anlage
In English, this is called a skillet system. There was just one Linguee hit and honestly I thought it had to be wrong. Skillet system. Who makes these words up? (The automotive industry, turns out.)
In English, this is called a skillet system. There was just one Linguee hit and honestly I thought it had to be wrong. Skillet system. Who makes these words up? (The automotive industry, turns out.)
Monday, December 3, 2012
Nutzen
German: Nutzen
One of those tricky words. Normally - by far, "nutzen" means "use" and "Nutzen" means "benefits" - but in printing of cardboard where multiple blanks will be punched out of a large sheet after printing, "Nutzen" are "blanks".
It took me a really long time to figure that one out, too.
One of those tricky words. Normally - by far, "nutzen" means "use" and "Nutzen" means "benefits" - but in printing of cardboard where multiple blanks will be punched out of a large sheet after printing, "Nutzen" are "blanks".
It took me a really long time to figure that one out, too.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
c.s.
Spanish: c.s. (in pharmaceutical documentation)
This is an abbreviation for cantidad suficiente, a "sufficient quantity" of an excipient to make up a given volume. In English, of course, we use Latin, so q.s. is the corresponding abbreviation.
This and more are waiting for you at the utterly tremendous Tremedica glossary of signs and symbols used in Spanish medicine. I wish I'd found this glossary years ago.
This is an abbreviation for cantidad suficiente, a "sufficient quantity" of an excipient to make up a given volume. In English, of course, we use Latin, so q.s. is the corresponding abbreviation.
This and more are waiting for you at the utterly tremendous Tremedica glossary of signs and symbols used in Spanish medicine. I wish I'd found this glossary years ago.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Löschen
German: Löschen (von Fracht)
Today I learned that "Löschen" doesn't always mean deletion or putting out a fire. For some reason, it also means to unload freight. I mean, come on, how does that make sense?
Languages are cool.
Today I learned that "Löschen" doesn't always mean deletion or putting out a fire. For some reason, it also means to unload freight. I mean, come on, how does that make sense?
Languages are cool.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Grüner Star, grauer Star
German: grüner Star, grauer Star
This blew my mind. Grüner Star is glaucoma, grauer Star is cataracts. Why? I have no idea! Is glaucoma green? According to this history of ophthalmology ... maybe.
This blew my mind. Grüner Star is glaucoma, grauer Star is cataracts. Why? I have no idea! Is glaucoma green? According to this history of ophthalmology ... maybe.
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