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From: wyatt@cfa.UUCP (Bill Wyatt)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Call for Proper Noun Idioms
Message-ID: <157@cfa.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Dec-85 11:41:45 EST
Article-I.D.: cfa.157
Posted: Sat Dec 21 11:41:45 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 05:57:57 EST
References: <161@aero.ARPA>
Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Lines: 30

> I am interested in idiomatic expressions in English and other languages
> that uses proper nouns, from linguistic and cultural perspectives. The
> classic English examples,
> 
> (1) It's Greek to me.
> and the VP
> (2) To carry coals to Newcastle

From _Native_Tongues_, by Charles Berlitz, Grosset & Dunlap, 1982:

English: It's Greek to me.
French:  It's Hebrew to me. [also] That's lesser Negro.
Spanish: That's Chinese to me.
German:  That seems like Sapnish to me.
Russian: That's Chinese grammar.
Italian: You're speaking Turkish.
Polish:  I'm hearing a Turkish sermon.

The chapter is entitled "The View from the Tribe" and tells how
the various groups view outsiders, blame them (linguistically) for
problems ranging from misunderstandings to disease. C.f.:

syphillis:
In England: The French Pox
In France:  The English sickness [or] Spanish gout [or] Neapolitan sickness
In Germany: The French disease
In mainland Greece: The Corinthian sickness
-- 
Bill    UUCP:  {harvard,genrad,allegra,ihnp4}!wjh12!cfa!wyatt
Wyatt   ARPA:  wyatt%cfa.UUCP@harvard.ARPA