12.29.2008

GOOD RIDDANCE TO 2008?

(Já vai tarde?)
Is 2009 welcome? Que sera, sera! (See lyrics below)
1. A deliverance from or removal of something unwanted or undesirable: “He took it easy as a good riddance for both sides” (Charles Dickens). “Before you say say good riddance to 2008, there are three things you should consider doing.”
2. The act of ridding or getting rid of something useless or used up: disposal, dumping, elimination, jettison: riddance of household pests.
3. The act or process of eliminating: clearance, elimination, eradication, liquidation, purge, removal. See keep/release.

QUE SERA, SERA (Doris Day)
(Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 re-make of his 1934 film "The Man Who Knew Too Much" starring Doris Day and James Stewart.)

When I was just a little girl,I asked my mother, "What will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? "Here's what she said to me: "Que sera, sera,Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see.Que sera, sera,What will be, will be."

"When I was just a child in school,I asked my teacher, "What will I try?Should I paint pictures"Should I sing songs? "This was her wise reply: "Que sera, sera,Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see.Que sera, sera,What will be, will be."

When I grew up and fell in love.I asked my sweetheart, "What lies ahead? Will we have rainbows Day after day?" Here's what my sweetheart said: "Que sera, sera,Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours to see.Que sera, sera,What will be, will be."

Now I have Children of my own. They ask their mother, "What will I be?" Will I be handsome? Will I be rich?" I tell them tenderly: "Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be; The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera, What will be, will be. Que Sera, Sera!"

12.27.2008

CHRISTMASTIDE / MISTLETOE / EPIPHANY

Christmastide: Época de Natal. The season of Christmas, especially the festival celebrated from Christmas eve to the eve of Epiphany, January 5.

Epiphany: Epifânia. In many Christian churches, a yearly festival, held January 6, commemorating both the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi and the baptism of Jesus; an appearance or manifestation of a god or other supernatural being. Also called "Twelfth Day" (12 noites após o Natal). A moment of sudden intuitive understanding; flash of insight. (Vivi algum tempo na Itália, na região do Vêneto, a poucos quilômetros de Veneza, em Oderzo. Lá, a Epifânia é uma festa de celebração da morte e renascimento da natureza, representada por uma bruxa boa [La Befana], que distribui doces para as crianças. As vitrines trazem diversas figuras de bruxas e as pessoas decoram suas casas com uma bruxa.)

Mistletoe: Visco. Às vezes confundida com o azevinho (holly). A semi parasitic green shrub with thick green leaves and waxy white berries used as Christmas decoration in English-speaking countries, where it is believed that it has the magical powers of granting the right to kiss anyone standing beneath it. The tradition in England is that, after every kiss, a berry is plucked from the twig and when the last berry is removed, the twig's powers are exhausted. The powers of American mistletoe last much longer. It is difficult to dissociate mistletoe from the act of kissing: "This pickle makes me pucker up more than a tree full of mistletoe." But during the holidays, avoid insults like: "I would sooner eat the mistletoe than kiss him." If someone rubs you the wrong way, rather than resort to crude language, in keeping with the holiday spirit, simply say: "As I walk away, kindly note the mistletoe attached to my coattail”.
Source: YourDictionary

12.22.2008

FALL FOR

to be strongly attracted to someone and start loving them(sera que é daí que vem o nosso “caido/caidinho por”?)

E.g.1: They fell for each other immediately, and got married 3 months later.
E.g.2: He's unhappy because he's fallen for a girl who loves someone else.

This phrasal verb can't be separated.
Source: Knights English

12.19.2008

CONE OFF

(nas férias, possivelmente encontraremos cones nas estradas)
to close an area like a road or part of a road using large (orange) plastic cones in order to stop people driving on or using this part.

E.g.1: There were long traffic jams on the M25 (motorway round London) because police had coned off 2 lanes after an accident.
E.g.2: There will be road works on this part of the road. The workmen will cone it off very quickly.

This phrasal verb can be separated.
Source: Knights English

12.18.2008

BURN ONE’S BRIDGES

To leave all of your friends and acquaintances behind; to cause permanent damage in your relationships.

1) Even though you're quitting your job tomorrow, try not to burn your bridges. You never know when you'll need help in the future.
2) There may be a conflict of interest if I work with both companies. Of course I don't want to burn any bridges, so I should choose one company and let the other know that I can't work with them.

Etymology: People form bridges to their past. If you forget or insult your relationships, you burn your bridges and cannot go back. (How true!)

12.15.2008

PERIPATETIC / SEDENTARY

(Eu preciso mudar: deixar de ser "sedentary and take up peripatetics")

Peripatetic (adjective) 1) On foot, walking from place to place. (2) Relating to the methods and thought of Aristotle, who conducted discussions while walking. )The word gains a capital when you're talking about philosophy. A peripatetic is someone who rambles on foot; a Peripatetic is an adherent of Aristotle.

Since the word remains the same whether it's an adjective or noun, there are a lot of applications. With a focus on health, one might say "I've taken up peripatetics as part of my exercise regime." On the contrary, "I told the guy at the garage to get my car ready quickly—I'm no peripatetic." The philosophical use would look something like "Eighteenth-century French dramatists had a largely Peripatetic approach to crafting plays."

Etymology: Greek peripatetikos from peripatein "to walk up and down," from -patein "to tread."
Sedentary (adjective): Not migratory, settled, as "sedentary birds;" doing or requiring much sitting, as "a sedentary job;" attached, as "sedentary barnacles."The adverb is "sedentarily" and the noun, "sedentariness." The word is obviously related to "sediment," "sit," "seat," and "settle," as well.

It is a near antonym of "active" when referring to people.Some of us lead sedentary lives or work at sedentary jobs (that require long spells of sitting), but today's word may be stretched to, "An around-the-world cruise sounds good but your mom and I have become sedentary birds who don't migrate very far any more." Indeed, it can even reach sentences like, "Riddley travels a lot but he has such a sedentary mind that he only visits the haunts of English-speakers when he is abroad."

12.12.2008

PINUP

Ouvi hoje, no noticiário, que faleceu a primeira pinup, Bettie Page, a que deu origem ao termo. E não é que o site Wikipedia já estava atualizado? Veja: “Bettie Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was a former American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. She was also one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine.” Como suas fotos passaram a ser penduradas (pinned up) na parede, surgiu o termo “pinup girl”.
1. that is or can be pinned up on or otherwise fastened to a wall a pinup lamp
2. (informal) designating a person whose sexual attractiveness makes her or him a suitable subject for the kind of pictures often pinned up on walls; such a person, picture, etc. (calendar girl, playmate, centerfold girl, gatefold girl; see nude)
She was China's first pinup girl and later Hong Kong's premiere sex phone girl.
It's a virtual pinup calendar that could have used some more variety.
Source: Your Dictionary

12.10.2008

CURRY

O “curry” de hoje não é aquela delícia indiana que é o prato típico da gastronomia inglesa. Aqui, é um verbo: "curry", que significa bajular, lisonjear, persuadir/dissuadir: to curry somebody out of some thing: persuadir/dissuadir alguém de fazer alguma coisa. (to coax and cajole personal benefit with flattery)

We can curry acquaintance with people in high places or curry forgiveness for forgetting to bring home the curry. We can curry friends, goodwill, jobs, so long as we do it with the sycophancy (adulação) of a good toady (bajulador, puxa-saco).

The delicious Indian curry dishes? Unrelated. That "curry" comes from Tamil kari, a relish for rice. And this "curry" is unrelated to the noun "curry" of English hunting lore, referring to the leftovers from dressing the kill awarded the hounds for their restive (obstinado) duty. This word comes from French "curée", itself from cuir "hide, skin." Today's word not only has a colorful history; it has multiple personalities and other meanings too.

Suggested Usage: "Today's word has so many flavors it is difficult to avoid using two in the same sentence: "Nothing curries the affection of Madhu better than a bowl of good Indian curry." There is, in fact, much to be curried with curry, "Saroya took her husband to a fine Indian restaurant to curry (obter, conseguir com adulação) his approval of a new car for her."
Source: Your Dictionary

12.07.2008

LIBRA/POUND - PEQUIM/BEIJING – BOMBAIM/BOMBAY OR MUMBAI ?

Estávamos eu e uma pessoa prestes a viajar para Londres conversando sobre a vida em Londres e preços e coisas e tais quando ela me interpelou: “Por que você diz ‘pounds’? A moeda de Londres não é a libra?” Pois é, ao chegar em outro país às vezes nos surpreendemos com a mudança nos nomes a que estamos acostumados. Quem vai ao “Disneyworld” aprenderá que o Pateta é o “Goofy”, Margarida é “Daisy Duck”, Tio Patinhas é o “Scrooge McDuck” (veja a lista em http://stp.ling.uu.se/~starback/dcml/chars/). Lembrei-me disso ao ler o blog do Danilo Nogueira do dia 3/12/2008, sobre topônimos (http://tradutor-profissional.blogspot.com/).

12.05.2008

ORAL / VERBAL

Traditionally, oral means spoken (an oral examination) and verbal means related to words (verbal reasoning).
But 'verbal agreement' is the idiomatic term for one that is spoken, not written. There is no ambiguity here since an agreement necessarily involves words.
Another idiom is 'non-verbal communication', the use of gesture and body language instead of words; effectively this means unspoken since it is only used of people in face to face contact, who can observe one another's physical behavior.
Source: Your Dictionary

11.28.2008

PREVENTION / PRECLUSION >< ADMISSION / INCLUSION

(noun) the act of preventing or excluding something (perempção; preclusão, impedimento) >< (aceitação, confissão, inclusão)

  • preclusion: “The preclusion of spousal testimony resulted in the charges being dropped."
  • prevention: "One of the purposes of international recognition of judgments is the prevention of repetitive litigation in several jurisdictions."
  • admission: "The admission of the testimony led to a conviction."
  • inclusion: "The law requires inclusion of students with disabilities in all assessment programs."


Other forms of the word

  • preclude (verb): "The gag order precluded the attorneys from discussing the case with the media."
  • preclusive (adjective): "Administrative decisions can have a preclusive effect on lawsuits for wrongful termination."

Related concept

  • estoppel (perempção; preclusão, impedimento): an impediment which precludes proceeding with a certain cause of action or presenting a certain fact or issue in litigation. "Collateral estoppel is a doctrine whereby a party is prevented from raising a legal issue that has previously been determined as between the parties."

11.23.2008

KE / KEURO

1 KEuro = 1.000 Euros
A salary of 23KE = um salário de 23 mil euros

11.14.2008

DISCLOSE >< CONCEAL

disclose (verb): "The parties agree not to disclose the contents of this agreement to any third party."divulge: "As a rule, a bank is not permitted to divulge information about its customers."
disclosure (noun): "The Prime Minister's stance against disclosure is threatened by...". Public policy considerations favoured disclosure rather than confidentiality." concealment (noun) : "The defendant was found guilty of fraud by concealment."

reveal: "The documents revealed that the builder knew that the construction failed to meet industry standards."

conceal (verb): to hide, to keep secret, to withhold from disclosure. "When he applied for a driving licence in England, he concealed the fact that his Mexican driving licence had been suspended."
conceal assets: to hide cash or other assets from a governmental authority. "In this jurisdiction, it is a crime to conceal assets from the court during divorce proceedings."
conceal the facts: to hide the truth. "One of the purposes of corporate governance statutes is to prevent companies from concealing the facts about intra-group transactions."
conceal sources: the refusal of a journalist to reveal the source of his or her information. "The court found that the reporter's right to conceal her sources was unequivocal in this case."
Source: Translegal and other

11.13.2008

EDGES / BOUNDARIES

Pushing Your Edges - Gently
by Suzie Heumann

“Don’t reject anything you are experiencing. Meet it instead with a brief moment of non-judgmental awareness – touching it and letting it be.” From Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships by John Welwood.
Tantric practice invites us to push our boundaries, just a bit, so that we experience something new and unique, not about the ‘thing’ we do but about the way in which we experience and then handle the situation. There is a profound practice that is essential for any Tantrica – nonjudgmental witnessing.
It looks like this: “I’m noticing that I’m beginning to raise my voice.” or “I’m really feeling grateful and happy right now.” Period. Nothing more - nothing less. It isn’t: “I’m raising my voice and that’s going to get me in trouble.” That statement is judgmental and inflicts a little ‘ding’ on your psyche whenever you speak it to yourself. In the same respect, it isn’t this either: “I’m really feeling grateful and happy right now and I deserve it.” Yes, you deserve it but even adding that piece to the simple acknowledged presence of the ‘feeling’ contains elements of judgment.
This is a practice that helps you pay attention to how you are feeling, to what your gut is telling you. You already know, in your psyche, that that means you are becoming angry or that you are feeling proud of being deserving. You can go on to simply notice that fact. Don’t judge your self, don’t think about what you should-of, could-of done, don’t do anything to take yourself out of the ‘feeling’ mode of the witnessing.When this ‘witnessing’ becomes second nature it will nurture your spirit and lead you to greater understanding of who you are. There is no higher goal in life than to find out the details of the real you. That is the beginning of a beautiful relationship – you loving you!"

11.11.2008

PAYOFF / KICKBACK / BRIBERY / BAKSHEESH

*payoff* (Slang) =
1: A final payment or reward.E.g.: What's the payoff for finishing school? There are no good jobs even if you have your degree.
2: A bribe or illegal contribution of money to another; to bribe someone. E.g.: I wonder how much of a payoff the policeman got for not writing him a speeding ticket. You can't trust anyone these days--everyone has been paid off in one way or another.

Kickback = a return of a part of a sum received often because of confidential agreement or coercion. E.g.: Every city contract had been let with a ten percent kickback to city officials.

Hush money is an informal term for financial incentives or reward (bribery) offered in exchange for not divulging information.

Baksheesh is a Persian word, written بخشش and originating from the Pahlavi (Middle Iranian) language. It is a term used to describe tipping, charitable giving, and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and South Asia.

11.10.2008

PROCURAÇÃO

Veja no link abaixo: Aspectos lingüísticos da procuração "ad judicia".
NBR 6023:2002 da Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas(ABNT), o texto científico publicado em periódico eletrônico deve ser citado da seguinte forma:
VIANA, Joseval. Aspectos lingüísticos da procuração "ad judicia". Disponível em http://www.abdir.com.br/doutrina/ver.asp?art_id=911&categoria=Linguagem%20Forense

11.08.2008

CAVEAT EMPTOR

“O comprador que se cuide." (Por conta e risco do comprador)
A Latin term that means “Let the buyer beware”. It is typically used in reference to consumer transactions.
The legal principle that, unless the quality of a product is guaranteed in a warranty, the buyer purchases the product as it is and cannot hold another liable for any defects. Statutes and court decisions concerning products liability and implied warranties have substantially altered this rule.
Source: YourDictonary

DISCLAIMER (ISENÇÃO DE RESPONSABILIDADE)

This Internet site is for guidance only and does not unless stated otherwise form part of any contract or obligation. It is subject to change without notice. It intends to suggest possible meanings or translations for certain words but accuracy is not guaranteed. You should always check to see that information of any sort is up-to-date and correct before relying on it. The reader should never assume that information supplied on this website applies to any specific text without consulting other sources. Caveat emptor (Let the reader beware!).

TICKTOCK

tique-taque ou tiquetaque = ticking sound made by a clock / the heart.

11.07.2008

BREACH

BREACH = A breach is a party's failure to perform some contracted-for or agreed-upon act, or his failure to comply with a duty imposed by law, which is owed to another or to society.

ANTICIPATORY BREACH = (arrependimento contratual; ocorrência de tentativa de violação) breach committed before the arrival of the actual time of required performance. It occurs when one party by declaration repudiates his contractual obligation before it is due, so that he refuses to honor the contract. The repudiation required is 'a positive statement indicating that the promisor will not or cannot substantially perform his contractual duties.' A repudiation will justify a demand by the aggrieved party for an 'assurance of performance.' Or an action for relief in a breached contract.

ANTICIPATORY REPUDIATION = a refusal by one party to a contract to perform his or her future obligations under the contract that is expressed either by a clear statement of refusal or by a statement or action that clearly implies refusal . Where the anticipatory repudiation is by the party's conduct rather than by declaration it is called VOLUNTARY DISABLEMENT. For example, if A promises to give B a unique sculpture in exchange for B painting A's house, but A then sells the sculpture to C before B completes the job, this act by A constitutes an anticipatory repudiation which excuses B from completing the job. Once the sculpture has left A's possession, there is no way that A can fulfill the promise to give the sculpture to B. See:"The Convention on the International Sale of Goods: Anticipatory Repudiation Provisions and Developing Countries". Upon breach of contract, the aggrieved party is entitled to damages and, depending upon the nature of the breach, may also be discharged from performing its remaining obligations under the contract. May these same remedies be invoked prior to the time that performance is due if a party obligated to perform states that it does not intend to perform or cannot perform or if it becomes apparent that the party obligated to perform cannot perform? The doctrine of anticipatory repudiation responds to this question. Hochster v. DeLaTour, involving a courier discharged by his employer prior to the time employment was to start, is the classic case on anticipatory repudiation. Short of an indication that one party does not intend to perform or will not be able to perform, the other party nevertheless may become insecure about the prospect of receiving the benefit of its promised performance. For transactions in goods, where there are reasonable grounds for such insecurity, U.C.C. 2-609 provides a right of the insecure party to demand and receive adequate assurance of performance from the other.

EFFICIENT BREACH = breach of contract in economic theory in which it is more profitable for the breaching party to breach the contract and pay damages than to perform under the contract

MATERIAL BREACH = a breach of contract that is so substantial that it defeats the purpose of the parties in making the contract and gives the non breaching party the right to cancel the contract and sue for damages. Whether a breach is material is a question of fact. Under the Restatement (Second) of Contracts, a material breach gives rise to the right to suspend performance but not to cancel the contract until there is a total breach.

PARTIAL BREACH = a breach of contract in which the breaching party's nonperformance is minor and gives rise to the right to sue for damages but not to suspend performance or cancel the contract, since it does not substantially impairs the value of the contract and does not give the injured party cause to abandon the whole contract. For example, you order a white yacht, and the seller delivers a yellow yacht; you may seek damages for the cost of painting the yacht white.

TOTAL BREACH = a breach of contract under the Restatement (Second) of Contracts that is so substantial that it gives rise to the right to cancel the contract and sue for damages.

BREACH OF DUTY -= a failure to perform a duty owed to another or to society; a failure to exercise that care which a reasonable man would exercise under similar circumstances.

BREACH OF TRUST = a violation by a trustee of a duty which equity lays upon him, whether willful and fraudulent, or done through negligence, or arising through mere oversight and forgetfulness.

BREACH OF WARRANTY = an infraction to an express or implied agreement as to the title, quality, content or condition of a thing sold or bailed. A warranty is a guarantee and is breached when the thing so guaranteed is deficient according to the terms of the warranty. A seller may be liable for a breach of warranty even without any negligence or misconduct.

action for breach = ação por violação
anticipatory breach = (arrependimento contratual; ocorrência de tentativa de violação) occurs when a party indicates in advance, by words or conduct, that it does not intend to fulfill an obligation when it falls due under a contract. (withdrawable)
breach of bank secrecy = violação de sigilo bancário (sentido negativo)
breach of close = invasão de domicílio
breach of confidence occurs when a person who has been entrusted with confidential information uses that information improperly 370
breach of confidentiality = violação de sigilo
breach of confidentiality = violação de sigilo
breach of contract / default / noncompliance = inexecução da obrigação, violação de contrato, dano de confiança, culpa contratual; inadimplemento; incumprimento do contrato, quebra/rompimento de contrato, inadimplemento contratual, falta de cumprimento de um contrato ou qualquer de suas condições, culpa contratual, quebramento, ruptura
breach of duty to take care / negligent bailee / unfaithful depositary inbreach of duty / = violação do dever de vigilância (faulty bailee depositário infiel)
breach of peace; tumult; street riot; brawl. arruaça
breach of prison = fuga da prisão
breach of representation. incumprimento de representação
breach of rules of procedure (penalty for) = sanções processuais
breach of the right to jurisdictional protection by the courts = violação à irrecusabilidade da jurisdição estatal
breach of trust, betrayal of confidence, detournment, embezzlement, treachery; perfidy = abuso de confiança, aleivosia
breach of warranty of authority occurs when an agent indicates that it is authorized to act for a principal when it is not.
constructive breach of contract. incumprimento implícito
damage resulting from breach of contract. prejuízo positivo
defense of breach of contract. exceção do contrato não cumprido
direct inducement to breach of contract occurs when the defendant directly persuades a third party to break its contract with the plaintiff
indirect inducement to breach of contract occurs when the defendant indirectly persuades a third party to break its contract with the plaintiff
knowing or fraudulent breach = violação dolosa ou fraudulenta
material breach = violação significativa; grave infração contratual
perfect law; law that sanctions breach with nullity = lei perfeita
willful breach = violação intencional
Source: Various

11.04.2008

EE / ER

ee is widely used in the payroll processing industry as an abbreviation for employee (cf. er (employer))
E.g.: Pennsylvania Unemployment EE
Source: Answers.com

INVITE (SOMEONE) ROUND

convidar = to invite someone to visit you in your house.

E.g.1. John and Sue have invited us round to their house for dinner on Friday.
E.g.2. Shall we invite the new neighbours round for coffee?
This phrasal verb can be separated
Source: Knights' English

11.03.2008

PINK SLIP (USA) / P45 (UK)

Pink slip: Notice of termination of employment; a note from your employer telling you that you've lost your job. (USA)
P45: In the United Kindgom and Ireland, P45 is the reference code of a form titled Details of employee leaving work.

In the 1920's, large corporations developed color-coded paper communication systems. Pink paper was used to send the message "you're fired."
1) I think our boss enjoys handing out pink slips.
2) The factory is closing next week, and all 500 employees received pink slips today.
3) On June 27, 2007, the day of his resignation as Prime Minister, Tony Blair jokingly remarked during his final Prime Minister's Questions about receiving his P45: “I received the following communication by urgent letter yesterday: “Details of employee leaving work: Surname Blair. First name T”
4) "A hora do bilhete azul pode ser cor-de-rosa... Investe-se de forma a tornar o tão temido bilhete azul em algo menos traumático para o funcionário. "
Source: Knights English and Other

10.31.2008

ACCREDITATION

(noun) Credenciamento
“accredited" = "ACCREDIT -> To supply with credentials or authority; authorize": credenciado, autorizado, certificado, registrado (contador, por ex.)

to bring into credit or favor
to authorize; give credentials to an accredited representative
to believe in; take as true
to certify as meeting certain set standards colleges may be accredited by regional associations
to attribute; credit an action accredited to him

The use of the participle "credentialed" to refer to certified teachers and other professionals is well established (She became credentialed through a graduate program at a local college), but its more general use to mean "possessing professional or expert credentials" is still widely considered jargon.
Source: Your Dictionar and other

10.29.2008

SNAP UP

Um verbo que veio a calhar (como é mesmo “veio a calhar”? - to come in handy) hoje, Dia da Feira Escandinava.
to buy something quickly before other people buy it, because it is cheap (bem, as coisas lá não são that cheap, but, anyway, it’s charity)

E.g.1: These new toys are very popular, so I snapped one up before the shop sold them all.
E.g.2: My friend is very mean; he goes on holiday at Christmas then snaps up all the cheap gifts in the January sales and gives them to his friends as late Christmas presents (a cavalo dado...)

(This phrasal verb has more than one meaning; it can be separated.) Source: Knight's English
So, go to Feira Escandinava (Clube Pinheiros – Av. Faria Lima) and snap up everything you can! (not my case, baby, my thing now is “the simple life” but, some smoked salmon from time to time is rather nice)

10.28.2008

HOUSEWARMING PARTY >< HOUSE COOLING PARTY

A housewarming party is a party held on the occasion of moving into a new residence. It is an occasion for the hosts to present their new home to their friends, and sometimes for friends to give gifts to furnish the new home. Housewarming parties are generally informal; usually there are no planned activities besides a possible tour.

Welcome to my house warming party on Saturday. OPM*!
*OPM: oma pullo mukaan, i.e. bring your own booze. A Finnish expression that is used in an invitation. If service is limited to beer, cider and non-alcoholic beverages, the invitation may encourage people to bring their own alcoholic drinks with them.

A house cooling party is a party to celebrate moving out of a place. Opposite of "House Warming Party". Instead of guests bringing gifts for your new home, they can be given things you want to get rid of.
“We're moving out of our place next month, so you're invited to our house cooling party this Saturday. Please bring your own bag, and be prepared to go home with some lovely parting gifts.”
Source: "YourDictionary" and other

YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER = YOUR BETTER HALF

cara-metade
When your significant other is a computer!
It’s the relationship you spend more time on than any other. It has deepened even during the past few years. When things go wrong, you become enraged and tearful and attack inanimate objects — but you’re willing to spend hours making things right.
Obviously, we’re talking about your relationship with your personal computer.
Consider this: In a survey earlier this year, 64 percent of Americans say they spend more time with their computer than with their significant other. Meanwhile, 84 percent said they were more dependent on their computer than they were three years ago.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21154311/

Finding your Better Half
If coding is not your forte, I would highly recommend finding your better half. This means you should team up with a freelance coder or a company who specializes in web design so you can get clients sites up quickly!
Source: http://www.youthedesigner.com/2008/02/20/finding-your-better-half/

DISMISS >< ALLOW

(verb) to send away or dispose of, causing a matter to be removed temporarily or permanently.
"The court dismissed the claim without prejudice."

Antonym: allow: "After hearing the defendants' objection on the grounds of jurisdiction, the court decided to allow the claim."

dismissal (noun): "The defendant filed a motion for dismissal of the plaintiff's action."
Common phrases

dismiss with prejudice: to dismiss a case and disallow the plaintiff from refiling the action. This would occur in the event that the court finds that there are no legal grounds for the action. "Since the court found that the plaintiff's lawsuit had no merit and was filed solely for the purpose of harassing the defendant, the case was dismissed with prejudice."

dismiss without prejudice: to dismiss a case but allow the plantiff to refile the action. This occurs, for example, if the plaintiff has filed an action in a court that does not have jurisdiction over the matter or where the plaintiff incorrectly identifies the defendant. "A patent claim filed in a court of general jurisdiction will be dismissed without prejudice, and thus the plaintiff can refile the action in the patent court."
Source: translegal

10.27.2008

NEOTERIST >< MISONEIST

Neoterist: Someone who has a PDA, a cell phone with e-mail and Web access, a laptop with DVD and ZIP drive. (neoterista, novidadeiro)
Misoneist: Someone who dislikes anything neoteric—especially gadgets that buzz or ring during chamber music concerts. (Misoneista, "dinossauro", detesta mudança)

E.g.: "Let's do something neoteric and eat out all weekend." If you love restaurant dining, accuse your significant other of misoneism at the suggestion that you stay home for a meal every now and again.
Source: YourDictionary

10.25.2008

QUALIFICATION / ABILITY / APTITUDE / ELIGIBILITY >< DISQUALIFICATION, INABILITY, INAPTITUDE, LACK

qualificação / capacitação / habilitação / aptidão
The act of qualifying or the condition of being qualified.
Qualification = entitlement
1. A quality, ability, or accomplishment that makes a person suitable for a particular position or task.
2. A condition or circumstance that must be met or complied with: fulfilled the qualifications for registering to vote in the presidential election.
3. A restriction or modification: an offer with a number of qualifications.
4. Reference in the audit report (por exemplo: uma "ressalva" / "exceção") to a material limitation placed on the auditor's examination or to uncertainty regarding a specific item in the financial statements. See also Qualified Opinion, Report. A restricting or modifying element:
condition, provision, proviso, reservation, specification, stipulation, term (often used in plural). Informal string (often used in plural). See limited/unlimited.
without provisos or qualifications = sem ressalvas ou emendas
qualified acceptance = aceitação com ressalvas
unqualified / without qualification = sem ressalvas
5. Reservation in a proposed agreement making the agreement unenforceable unless a specified condition is met.
6. Technical competence to perform a particular job, such as passing the CPA examination and meeting experience requirements in order to be licensed as a certified public accountant.
The quality or state of being eligible:
eligibility, fitness, suitability, suitableness, worthiness. See ability/inability.
A particular attribute, quality, property, or possession that an individual must have in order to be eligible to fill an office or perform a public duty or function.
For example, attaining the
age of majority is a qualification that must be met before an individual has the capacity to enter into a contract.
IN BRIEF: Any skill that fits a person for some work.The term qualification may refer to:
·
Professional certification (also called simply qualification) = ·A certificate of having passed a course such as a GCSE.
·
Product certification (also called product qualification)
·A process of deciding the running order in many
racing events, and other sport.
·
Qualification problem of non-monotonic logic.
procedural qualification claim = pedido de habilitação processual
qualification of goods = qualificativo de mercadoria
Antonyms:
Motion For Disqualification: Exceção de impedimento e suspeição
Disqualification: Descredenciamento, desclassificação, incompetência (court)
non-qualification: não qualificação
Source: Answers.com


10.22.2008

SWEAR IN

Definition: to make someone promise to do their duty truthfully either at the beginning of a trial in a court of law or at the beginning of a new official appointment.
E.g.:
The jury was selected and sworn in on Monday and the trial started on Tuesday.
The court often swears the jury in the day before the start.
The new president will be sworn in next week.
I was sworn in as Public Translator in the year 2000.
My group of public translators was sworn in in the year 2000.

10.21.2008

COB

Algumas vezes encontramos "XYZ, Inc. cob as "ZZX", ou seja, "XYZ, Inc. carrying on business as "ZZX", ou seja, atuando com o nome de "ZZX".

10.18.2008

MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE = CONTRADICTORY >< RECONCILABLE

(adjective) two things that cannot be simultaneously true: "The message that green business and profit are not mutually exclusive has become a favorite of the former Vice President."
Synonym: contradictory: "The articles of association and the shareholders' agreement contain contradictory provisions."

Antonym: reconcilable: "The member state's Companies Act was reconcilable with the new EU directive and thus it was not necessary to amend the national legislation."

Related words and concepts - Mutual means having the same relationship each to the other, or directed and received by each toward the other, or possessed in common, and is often used in these phrases:

mutually acceptable: acceptable to both parties. "Following extensive negotiations, the parties were able to reach a mutually acceptable solution."

mutually beneficial: good for both parties. "Parties enter into co-operation agreements when they find that pooling their resources will be mutually beneficial."

mutual mistake: the situation whereby two parties enter into a contract based on the same mistake of fact. "In most jurisdictions, payments made as the result of mutual mistake are fully refundable."

mutual assent: joint agreement. "By mutual assent of the parties, the proceedings were stayed pending appointment of a new arbitrator."
Source: Translegal

10.16.2008

COMINGS AND GOINGS / IN AND OUT

andanças, movimentações (movements), atividades
Ex.:
"He's in and out of the office; I can't keep up with his comings and goings."
"In her job on the school board, Mrs. Smith keeps track of all the comings and goings in town."

SYCOPHANT

puxa-saco (?)
Definition: Someone who flatters people of influence in hopes of having some influence spent in her direction; a person who seeks to further himself by licking the boots of his superiors; a "yes man."
Usage: The rather worn joke goes something like this—Lackey: "Yes, boss, whatever you say, boss." Boss: "'Yes? Yes? Why do you say 'yes' to whatever I say? What kind of sycophant are you?" Lackey: "Um, what kind do you want me to be?" The noun is "sycophancy."

SKIVE OFF

matar aula (?)
Definition: to avoid work or study by not going to the place where you should do it. (UK informal)
E.g.1: I don't feel like working today. I'm going to skive off and spend the day at the beach.
E.g.2: I skived off college yesterday, but my tutor saw me drinking in the bar!

10.12.2008

MUGWUMP

ser "do contra" (?)
A mugwump (noun) behaves mugwumpishly (the adverb), is positively mugwumpish (the adjective) for engaging in mugwumpery (the noun).
Definition: A person who acts independently, whose position is distinct from all other positions on an issue; in particular, a politician who acts independent of any party.
Usage: This is a word that sounds odd, even in English. However, it has been used as a verb without suffix or prefix, as to mugwump on a controversial issue.
"Jiggs is an old mugwump who threw his vote away on the Save-the-Platypus Party in the last election." The difference is that a mugwump is a political rebel of sorts—any sort: "Zelda, you're just a mugwump; you never want to do what the rest of the family does."
Source: YourDictionary.com

10.10.2008

QUORUM

(noun) the minimum number of persons required at a board meeting or general meeting in order for business to be conducted. E.g.: "The charter required a quorum of two-thirds of the shareholders to vote on new issues of shares."

Other forms of the word/phrases
quorate (adjective) - having a quorum. "An election will be held at the next quorate board meeting."
have a quorum: "The meeting could not be held because we did not have a quorum."
constitute a quorum: "The board could not resolve on the new share issue because there were not enough members present to constitute a quorum."
Source: Translegal

10.09.2008

SELL OUT

Definition: to sell all examples of a particular product in a shop, so there are none left for customers to buy. (vender tudo)
(This phrasal verb has more than one meaning)
E.g.1: I'm sorry, we've sold out of bread - we'll have some more tomorrow.
E.g.2: I couldn't get any Cheddar cheese - the shop had sold out.
Source: Knights English

ADAMANT

Definition: (Adjective) Absolutely unyielding on some issue or principle and totally impervious to pleas or reasoning. (definitivamente contra, bater o pé)

Usage: An "adamant" is also a noun meaning a stone impenetrable in its hardness or any extremely hard substance. The adjective has an adverb "adamantly" and a noun "adamancy."

Suggested Usage: Are you failing to alienate your kids? Here is a good way to encourage them to leave home: "I am adamant that you will not see that tattooed idiot with the riveted ears and the motorcycle again!" (Seriously, be flexible and accommodative—accept the tattoos if the motorcycle goes.) "She adamantly refused to board the plane to Europe."
Source: YourDictionary

10.03.2008

OUST / REMOVE

Afastar / remover

Shareholders of the US Publishing Company have ousted Nancy Smith, its 75-year-old chairwoman, after voting to bar directors older than 73 from their board. Mrs. Smith, chairwoman of the parent company since 1974, contended that the move on Wednesday violated Federal age discrimination laws and state corporation law. She said she would ask a court to overturn the action.

John Barney, president and chief executive of US Publishing, commended Mrs. Smith for her years of leadership as he took over as chairman, adding that her removal "does not herald a change in ownership, direction or policy."

The removal of Mrs. Smith came after the privately held family company changed its bylaws in a special shareholders meeting. Mrs. Smith, who owns 26 percent of the company's shares, cited clashes with other family members as part of the reason for her removal. Outgoing chairwoman Smith might even try explaining why she said her own shareholders would be "mental" if they didn't accept her decisions.
(Names changed)

9.29.2008

COOL

Não, este "COOL" não é o dos descolados, da brisa fresca, do relax. É uma sigla: "On September 30th, country of origin labels, also known as COOL, will become commonplace in the U.S.
Meat, poultry, produce and some nuts sold in the U.S. will require a label that states the product's origin."

"rótulos de país de origem"

9.27.2008

STONE

plural: stone. (Abbr. st.) A unit of weight in Great Britain, 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms).

E a tradução? Uns recomendam que se mantenha "stone", outros, como o termo não é de conhecimento e uso geral no Brasil (e libras também não) , fazer a conversão. Assim, "I need to lose 4 stone", ficaria: "Preciso perder 25 kg" (4 x 6.4 = 25,6) (arredondado, porque ninguém diria "preciso perder 1 kg e 223 gramas", por exemplo.

- If you are not exactly 8 or 7 stone, you would say 8 stone 3 or 8 stone and three pounds.

- Women will put on a staggering 15.5 stone in their lifetimes, according to new research. But don't worry, dieting means the average British woman will also lose 10 stone.

- Lose Half Stone In a Week With a Healthy Diet! (Pois é o que estou tentando fazer!)

( Potatoes, for example, were traditionally sold in stone or half-stone (14-pound or 7-pound quantities).
(In the United States and Canada, where stone as a unit of weight is generally unknown, people would normally describe themselves as weighing "158 pounds" (using the same amount of weight as in the previous example).
Source: Various

9.25.2008

GLASS CEILING

teto de vidro; barreira invisível; preconceito; discriminação

An unacknowledged discriminatory barrier that prevents women and minorities from rising to positions of power or responsibility, as within a corporation. This term describes the discrimination that women and minorities often experience when trying to advance into an organization's senior management levels.
- Mary knew she'd never be promoted--she would never get through the glass ceiling (ela nunca conseguiria atravessar a barreira da discriminação; ir além do teto determinado para uma mulher).
- Women are everywhere these days. Breaking so-called glass ceilings, making decisions of state, even appearing on a major American political party's national ticket.

Grammar Tip: AND

Retain "and" before the last item in a series, even though that last item consists of two words joined by "and": We need to increase our expense budgets for advertising, staff training, and research and developent.
(NOT: We need to increase our expense budgets for advertising, staff training, research and development.) (research and development = R&D = expressão composta por duas palavras unidas por "and")
Note: Never use "and" before "etc."
Source: YourProofreadNow

9.24.2008

FANNIE MAE / FREDDIE MAC

Com a crise mundial, a todo momento ouvimos repórteres falando "Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac", i.e.: os "apelidos" da Associação Hipotecária Federal (Federal National Mortgage Association) e da Sociedade Federal Hipotecária de Crédito Habitacional (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation-FHLMC), ambas dos EUA.

9.23.2008

IBAN / BIC / SWIFT

Códigos usados em transferências bancárias internacionais
IBAN = International Bank Account Number
BIC = Bank Identifier Code
IBAN/BIC = somente para bancos DENTRO da União Européia.
SWIFT = Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Para bancos de qualquer outra parte do mundo Ex.: Bradesco [Brasil], banco na Argentina, etc.
Para que seja possível fazer uma transferência para um banco no Brasil, é preciso informar o SWIFT do banco brasileiro, mais o número da agência e o número da conta.

9.18.2008

AMEND / AMENDMENT

(verb) to change or revise a law or contract.
"After the victim had died from the stab wounds inflicted by the defendant, the prosecutor amended the indictment, which had charged the defendant with assault, to charge him with murder."
Synonyms: modify / alter
modify: "The parties modified the contract by changing the rates and delivery times."
alter: "There was no evidence to show that the contract had been altered as alleged by the plaintiff."
amendment (noun) the change made to a law or contract. "The 26th amendment to the US Constitution set the voting age at 18."
to amend a statute - to change a law. "The legislature decided to amend the privacy protection statute to prohibit disclosure of marital status."
to amend a complaint - to change the substance of the initial pleading filed in a lawsuit. "The plaintiff amended his complaint to include income lost as a result of the accident."
Related words
amends (noun) - redress for a wrong or
Source: Translegal

9.09.2008

THIS IS THE HUNDREDTH POST OF THIS BLOG!

ESTA É A CENTÉSIMA POSTAGEM DESTE BLOG!
CENTESIMAL / HUNDREDTH
adj.: Relating to or divided into hundredths.
adv.: centesimally With divisor/multiplier steps of 100.
IN BRIEF: Coming after ninety-nine others. Also: One of 100 equal parts of something.
hundredth (noun): (1) The ordinal number matching the number 100 in a series. (2) One of 100 equal parts.
hundredth adj.

- I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right. — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[Quando eu trabalhava no Iraque, na década de 80, eu e meus colegas de várias nacionalidades comemoramos com um jantar a milésima tradução em terras árabes. Anos depois, quando comecei a fazer traduções juramentadas (2000), comemorei o primeiro livro, a milésima tradução juramentada, etc. Agora, quase trinta livros depois, já não parece grande coisa. Mas na época foi muito bom. Por isso, carpe diem, i.e., aproveite cada oportunidade de ser feliz.]

"Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero." (Colha o dia, confia o mínimo no amanhã.) (Odes - Horacio) (Em suma, o "espírito" da frase pode ser entendido como "aproveitar as oportunidades que a vida lhe oferece no momento em que elas se apresentam" ou ainda "aproveitar a vida - o dia de hoje - e não ficar apenas pensando no futuro - no dia em que você sonha que, finalmente, será feliz' - seja feliz HOJE!) . Source: Wikipedia

(A felicidade está nas pequenas coisas: ficar em casa fazendo uma tradução em um dia de chuva ou frio (em Londres), saborear uma xícara de chá ou café (preferencialmente no Nicola, em Lisboa ou, em Paris), ler um bom livro (o problema é ter tempo!), perambular pelos labirintos (de Veneza), entrar na Primark (Londres) para ver o que há de bom e barato lá. Simples, né?)

ALLEGEDLY = REPUTEDLY >< DEFINITIVELY

Allegedly (adverb) = claimed or stated to be so or true. "He was allegedly involved in some illegal deals."
Synonym: reputedly: "The property is reputedly owned by a foundation based in Switzerland."
Antonym: definitively: "It was definitively established that the contract had been entered into under duress."
Other forms of the word:
allegation (noun) - a statement claimed to be true. "The plaintiff's allegation is that the defendant failed to deliver the goods in a timely fashion."
allege (verb) - to claim that something is true. "The prosecutor alleged that the CEO had engaged in insider trading."
Source: Translegal

ORDER OF MODIFIERS BEFORE THE NOUN

(Relembrar um pouco de gramática não faz mal nenhum)

GROUP I - 1. Determiners, Ordinal Numbers, Cardinal Numbers and Quantity Words
1. Determiners: The
2. Ordinal Numbers: first
3. Cardinal Numbers and Quantity Words: two
Noun or Noun-Noun Compound: houses or plantation houses
The first two plantation houses...

GROUP II - Descriptive Modifiers
4. Quality words, words of general description or characters: good
5. Size, height, length, etc.: big
6. Age, temperature: old
7. Shape: square
8. Color: red
9. Participle: neglected
10. Origin or location: Jamaican
11. Material: stone
Noun or Noun-Noun Compound: houses or plantation houses

The first two good big old square red neglected Jamaican stone houses or plantation houses.

9.08.2008

SHAKE UP

to make someone feel very shocked or upset (chocar, ficar abalado)
Infelizmente, eis um exemplo da vida real: "Yesterday, my sister had her car and handbag stolen, at gunpoint, when she was leaving her home, at 7 o' clock. She was very shook up." (Ela ficou abaladíssima).
(This phrasal verb has more than one meaning)
E.g.1: He was very shaken up by the accident, but he wasn't seriously injured.
E.g.2: I think the news shook him up.
Source: Knights English

9.01.2008

CHALLENGE

Noun: desafio
Verb: contestar, desafiar, impugnar, questionar, embargar
(verb) to object to; to question the legality of something or the legal qualifications of someone.
"The defendant challenged the qualifications of the expert witness."
Synonym: object: "The plaintiff objected to the witness' testimony on the grounds that it was hearsay."
challenge (noun) - objection or question. "The international treaty was not open to challenge in the Supreme Court."
legal challenge - an adversarial proceeding. "The statute was subject to a legal challenge in the district court."
to challenge the law - to bring legal action to have a law repealed. "The Association of Nurses challenged the law which required them to report the immigration status of patients."
ação contestada = the action was challenged
valor questionado = the amount was challenged

HAZARD

Definition: A dangerous risk, a peril. (risco, perigo, acaso))

Usage: Unlike "jeopardy," "hazard" may be used as a countable noun. One can say that a job is "full of hazards" but not "full of hazard" nor that it places you "in hazard." A job may place you in jeopardy, peril or danger, for these nouns are mass nouns. "Peril" and "danger" may be used either way: inactivity may represent a peril (or danger) to your health. "Hazard" may also function as a verb meaning "to risk." The adjective is "hazardous."

Suggested Usage: If I may hazard a few suggestions, I would recommend that you use today's word in a narrowed sense of "risk," e.g. when a physical object is involved, as in "road hazards" or "workplace hazards." A risk is almost always abstract. "Risk" also does not necessarily imply danger or a threat. You could risk your life or just risk being late for dinner and, while "risky weather" implies it might rain or be cloudy, "hazardous weather" implies a life-threatening storm. (Source: Your Dictionary)
windstorm hazard risk = risco de vendaval
hazard insurance = seguro contra acidentes (bens - desabamento, incêndio, etc.)
hazard (luck) = sorte
hazardous operations = HAZOP (Operações de Risco) (Hazard & Operability Studies) = Estudo de Perigo e Operabilidade
health hazard allowance/bonus = adicional de insalubridade
hazardous contract = contrato de risco; contrato aleatório (aleatory contract (insur.))
collapse and underground hazard coverage = cobertura de danos ao subsolo e desabamentos
occupational hazard/accident = risco profissional
occupational hazard table = tabela de incapacidades profissionais
hazardous/dangerous work premium = adicional de periculosidade
hazardous/wanton negligence = negligência temerária
moral hazard = risco moral
safety hazards = riscos de segurança
hazard insurance = seguro contra imprevistos
Hazard Pay = is a supplemental amount paid to individuals in positions eligible for such pay, such as police officers.

8.31.2008

ABSOLUTELY

(absolutely is more used in spoken English)
completely or unconditionally; yes: used for emphasis; completely; utterly, unconditionally, thoroughly; see completely.
Positively = unquestionably, certainly, definitely; see surely.
"Absolutely100 per cent not guilty." —Simpson, O J (Orenthal James)

adv. 1 de modo absoluto 2 B de modo nenhum; de jeito algum 3 P sem dúvida que sim; certamente que sim <- Desejas passar? - A., minha senhora> ¤ uso além de adv. de modo, esta palavra é empregada no Brasil como adv. de negação e em Portugal como adv. de confirmação. [Houaiss]

claro que não: "Q.: Do you let your kids travel alone at night? A.: Absolutely not!"
concordo plenamente: "Absolutely!"
nenhum(a): He has absolutely no experience of marketing.
nada: He knw absolutely nothing about the business when he joined the firm.
totalmente: He made his reasons for resigning absolutely clear. Are you absolutely sure? This cake is absolutely delicious.

absolute majority = when a party or person wins more than half of the total votes in an election.

absolute zero = the lowest temperature that is believed to be possible.

COURT

Tribunal de Justiça (geralmente, de ordem superior, que julga recursos - Corte de Apelação)
Corte Suprema = Supremo Tribunal Federal
Corte de Apelação = Tribunal de Apelação
noun = An instrument for administering justicetribunal, forum, bench, bar, session, court of law, law court, judiciary, assizes, chancery, seat of justice; see also judiciary. Types of courts include: the Supreme Court, appellate court, Federal court, court of Chancery, court of equity, district court, county court, municipal court, probate court, traffic court, justice's court, magistrate's court, mayor's court, police court, military court, trial court, court of appeals. The home of a court, sense 2courthouse, justice building, court building, hall of justice, courtroom, federal building, county courthouse, municipal building, city hall, town hall. a person or persons appointed to try law cases, make investigations, etc.; judge or judges; law court a building or hall where trials are held, official investigations made, etc. a judicial assembly, whether civil, ecclesiastical, or military; also, a regular session of such an assembly;

court Law Definition n = A governmental body that adjudicates legal disputes by interpreting and applying the law to specific cases. See also trial. The regular session of a court. The judge or judges who sit on a court. The building or other locale where a judge or judges adjudicate legal disputes.appellate courtA court with jurisdiction to hear appeals from trial courts, administrative agencies, and, when there is an intermediate appellate court, lower appellate courts. See also trial court.

noun = an uncovered space wholly or partly surrounded by buildings or walls; courtyard
a special section or area of a building, as a museum, somewhat like such a space but roofed, as with a skylight; a short street, often closed at one end; a specially prepared space, usually quadrangular and often enclosed and roofed, for playing any of several games, as basketball, handball, tennis, or squash; any of the divisions of such a space; mansion or manor with a large, uncovered entrance area: now used only in proper names Hampton Court; a motel; the palace of a sovereign; the family, advisors, and attendants of a sovereign, considered as a group; a sovereign together with councilors, ministers, etc. as a governing body; any formal gathering, reception, etc. held by a sovereign; respectful or flattering attention paid to someone in order to get something; courtship; wooing; (Brit.) the board of directors of a corporation;

transitive verb = to pay respectful or flattering attention to (a person) in order to get something
to try to get the love of; seek as a mate; woo; to try to get; seek to court success; to make oneself open or liable to to court insults

intransitive verb = to carry on a courtship; woo;

adjective = of or fit for a court; court Related Forms;
court′er noun;
court Idioms; in one's court; in one's side of the court, as a ball in a tennis game; under one's control, as a decision to be made; out of court; without a trial in a law court; not important enough for consideration or examination; pay court to; to court, as for favor or love;

An enclosed, roofless area = square, courtyard, quadrangle, quad*, enclosure*, atrium*, forum*, patio*, plaza*, piazza*, common(s), close*, cloister; see also yard 1.
A sovereign and his or her surroundings; retinue, lords and ladies, ladies in waiting, attendants, suite, royal persons, staff, train, royal residence, palace, castle, hall, royal household, entourage; see also government 2, palace, royalty, ruler
1. An area for playing certain games = rink, ring, lists, cockpit, circus, the hardwood*; see also arena, field
2. pay court to = woo, court, solicit; see court 1.
To woo = invite, bid, solicit, address, beseech, entice, attract, allure, entreat, importune, sue for, pursue, follow, seek after, make suit, supplicate, plead, make love to, pay court to, pay attentions to, seek the hand of, pay one's addresses to, flirt with, philander, coquet, make overtures, make advances, go courting, propose, make a proposal, ask in marriage, set one's cap for*, pop the question*, chase*, run after*, make time with*, go steady*, go together*, go with*, make a play for*; see also accompany 1, date 2, flirt 1, woo 1.
To seek favor = cultivate, curry favor, attend, flatter; see grovel, praise 1, woo 2.

Source: Your Dictionary

8.30.2008

SEC / GAAP

SEC OKs plan that could lead to global accounting rules - Securities regulators on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to a plan that could require thousands of U.S. companies to change from U.S. accounting standards to global accounting rules that are quickly gaining favor abroad.

The Securities and Exchange Commission unanimously approved a "road map" that might require large companies to adopt international standards by 2014, midsize corporations by 2015 and small businesses by 2016. Some large firms might voluntarily adopt the international rules even sooner.
...
Last fall, the SEC commissioners moved to allow foreign firms to file their financial statements to the SEC using international standards rather than U.S. accounting rules. Skeptics believe that international standards are inevitable as the global economy grows, but fear that putting them into practice could be a legal and regulatory nightmare.
...
U.S. accounting standards, known as GAAP or generally accepted accounting principles, are overseen by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, while the International Accounting Standards Board in London monitors global accounting rules.
Source: Migalhas International No. 671

8.26.2008

HANDOVER

Termo de Entrega (de uma Obra), Transferência de Incumbência

Headlines: "New artists and hosts announced for Olympics Handover Celebrations."

The passing of control authority of a control agency to another control agency. Handover action is complete when the receiving controller acknowledges assumption of control authority. Also called hand-off. (Ex.: passagem do controle de uma aeronave dos controladores de São Paulo para os controladores de Brasília)

The transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, a former British crown colony, from UK to People's Republic of China in 1997. After the Handover, Hong Kong has become a special administrative region, a first-order division.

(Aprendi esse termo quando trabalhava no Iraque: para cada trecho de obra entregue era emitido um "Handover".)

8.25.2008

BUILD ON

(verb) = capitalizar, tirar partido, aproveitar
"Our challenge is to build on the significant level of progress made so far."

THOUSAND / MILLION /BILLION

thousand = k
million = m
M = a Roman numeral for 1000
billion (USA) = a cardinal number followed by 9 zeros (E.g.: 1,000,000,000)
billion (UK) = a cardinal number followed by 12 zeros (E.g.: 1,000,000,000,000)

M also means thousand, and has often been used so in various business and other writing. Besides the abbreviation mn., and the metric M, the construct mm is often used in technical business writing in North America to mean a million.

(Durma-se com um barulho desses!)

CIRCA

Em documentos emitidos no Reino Unido é comum encontramos "c91%" ou "c£38 million". Esse "c" é o "circa", ou seja, "cerca de, por volta de". Ex.: "demand fell to c90%" (a demanda caiu para cerca de 90%). "Salary will be c£12,000 p.a." (O salário será por volta de £12 mil anuais).

8.24.2008

REMIT / DUTY

(noun): função (UK)
Marketing is outside our remit.
Our remit is to provide a reliable supply of services to...
His remit is ...

8.22.2008

EGGING ON THE MEMORY

(Alguns títulos são realmente um desafio)
Lost your car keys, perhaps, or misplaced your favorite CD or jacket? A fried egg or perhaps a salmon meal might help you remember where you put them.

Memory expert John Lee Hancock, author of "Maximize Your Memory" (Reader's Digest Assocation, 2000,) claims a balanced diet is essential for good memory. Recommended brain foods include egg yolks, oily fish and wheat.

According to Hancock, the lecithin in these foods has proven in experiments to be useful in boosting the brain's memory power. Hancock says the glutamic acid which is found in dairy products and whole wheat is also a "powerful brain booster." Hancock suggests that maintaining steady blood sugar levels may help sharpen your memory skills. He advises that eating several small meals during the day might be more beneficial than the standard two or three large ones.
Source: Third Age Health & Wellness

DISCRETE / INDIVIDUATED / DISTINCT / SEPARATE

Discrete (adjective): Separate and distinct, with clearly individuated parts.
Usage: Easily confused with discreet "prudent, careful, unobtrusive". Watch the spelling variation.
Suggested Usage: This is the perfect word to use instead of "separate" or "distinct" when you wish to emphasize the individuality of the pieces separated: "The problem may be reduced to three discrete issues" or "The company comprises three discrete divisions", implying some autonomy in each division.
Source: Your Dictionary

8.21.2008

FARCE / STUFF

Verb (rechear): used as a verb in its first sense, as to farce a turkey before baking it. In the second sense there is an adjective "farcical," and adverb "farcically," and a noun "farcicality," that expresses the quality of a literary farce.
Definition: (1) Stuffing, force-meat; (2) an exaggerated parody based on base humor, an artistic work with no redeeming social value that usually resorts to slapstick humor.
Suggested Usage: Today's word has two meanings that love to play together: "The turkey was a hit at dinner but the Brussels sprouts stuffed with grape jelly were a farced culinary farce!"

"Some might think farcical the new culinary craze in the US: a turkey farced with a chicken farced with a duck" (que imaginação!).

Por outro lado, "farci" é um termo popular da culinária francesa:"farci" (recheados): Poivron farci (peixe recheado), Aubergine farcie (beringela recheada), Tomate farci etc.
Fonte: Your Dictionary

8.19.2008

AUDIT

Um modo de aprender termos contábeis:
"Chief Deputy," the Master cried,
"Today the books are to be tried
By experts and accountants who
Have been commissioned to go through
Our office here, to see if we
Have stolen injudiciously.
Please have the proper entries made,
The proper balances displayed,
Conforming to the whole amount
Of cash on hand -- which they will count."
(Jamrach Holobom)

8.17.2008

NONPAREIL

Sem igual/sem paralelo/ fora de / sem comparação (Without equal, beyond compare); unique.
As a noun: "The nonpareil of beauty!"
Aan an adjective, before or after the substantive: "Portia Radcliff is an intellect nonpareil." It is, however, used more often before the modified noun, "Mark is a nonpareil salesman," unless it has a subordinate phrase, "Mark is a salesman nonpareil among those in sales here." But then adjectives with subordinate phrases are regularly placed after the noun they modify in English (e.g. "a yellow book" but "a book yellow with age")."

8.04.2008

PLUMB IN

to connect something, such as a bath, toilet or washing machine, to the water and drainage system in a building.
E.g.1: They bought a new washing machine, but then realised they didn't have the tools to plumb it in.
E.g.2: She discovered water all over the kitchen floor because her husband hadn't plumbed the sink in properly.
This phrasal verb can be separated.
Source: Knights English

8.03.2008

Ubiquitous

(adjective) Present everywhere.
Usage: Regular adjective: "ubiquitously" adverb, "ubiquity" noun
Suggested Usage: The English word "everywhere" doesn't have a noun, so you can't say things like "I was struck by its everywhereness in England." Now you can; just use 'ubiquity' instead: "I was struck by its ubiquity in England." You can also use this word family where "everywhere" doesn't fit:
"Is the ubiquitous cell phone a threat to society?" The "ubiquitous cell phone" or the "ubiquity of political posters" implies that you can find them everywhere. "The ubiquity of computers in offices and libraries allows some people to get by without one at home." Of course, ubiquity varies from place to place, "The ubiquity of elephants in Thailand makes it an interesting land to visit."
Source: Your Dictionary

7.23.2008

LET GO

deixar pra lá, não ligar
Definition: to not react or say anything about some annoying or stupid behaviour.
(This is not a phrasal verb, but has more than one meaning)
E.g.1: It was a stupid thing to say, but he let it go and concentrated on the television.
E.g.2: Let it go, John. He didn't mean to insult you.
This phrase can be separated.
Fonte: Knights English

VOCATION / AVOCATION

A profession, a job for which one is qualified or suited, a calling.

Usage: It isn't often that a word is separated from its antonym by a single letter, but a job one does after work and not for salary—a hobby, is an "avocation." Moreover, take that [a] and write it over the [o] and we get "vacation," which is time taken off from one's vocation (and unrelated to "vocation").

The adjective for today's word is "vocational" and the adverb, "vocationally."
Suggested Usage: "Avocation" has been confused with "vocation" for centuries now, so that most dictionaries currently list the two as synonyms. That doesn't mean we should not distinguish them in careful speech: "Thomasina's vocation is cleaning the homes of others and her avocation is cleaning her own." Here is another way to distinguish these two similar words: "Fuzzy Witt was so successful at his avocation, painting rocks and selling them as pets, that he decided to make it his vocation."

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Author: Lynne Truss)
Her goal is to remind readers of the importance of punctuation in the English language by mixing humour and instruction.

Este é um livrinho muito interessante sobre pontuação. O título é um "game" que se descobre lendo o livro.

*shoot out*
Definition: to leave a place very quickly.
(This phrasal verb has more than one meaning)
E.g.1: When the dog came in the cat shot out of the room in a panic.
E.g.2: I'm sure Anna doesn't like Peter. Every time he comes in, she blushes and shoots out.

7.22.2008

MEASURE UP

to achieve the necessary standard = estar à altura
(This phrasal verb has more than one meaning; it can't be separate)

E.g.1: I think we should accept this candidate - he seems to measure up.
E.g.2: I'm sorry but your work does not measure up to the standards we require.

Source: Knights English

7.12.2008

CIRCUMVENT / CIRCUMVENTION

1. to surround or circle around
2. to surround or encircle with evils, enmity, etc.; entrap
3. to get the better of or prevent from happening by craft or ingenuity
The requirement for anti-circumvention laws was globalised in 1996 with the creation of the WIPO Copyright Treaty. No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title. (to “circumvent a technological measure” means to descramble a scrambled work, to decrypt an encrypted work, or otherwise to avoid, bypass, remove, deactivate, or impair a technological measure, without the authority of the copyright owner)
authentication: You may not attempt to circumvent user authentication or security of any host, network or account.
prohibition: The ban on all religious groups is merely an artifice to circumvent prohibitions on discrimination against a specific group by discriminating against everyone equally.
restriction: Therefore, in recent years, the IMF has begun to circumvent the restrictions of its overall quota.
limitation: The flexibility provided by virtual routers has the potential to efficiently circumvent these limitations.
ban: The Green Party's proposed taxes would very neatly circumvent the international ban on aviation fuel tax.
obstacle: A detour via Hexworthy to circumvent the obstacle would add nearly an hour to your journey.
neatly: The Green Party's proposed taxes would very neatly circumvent the international ban on aviation fuel tax.
easily: Two of the options would also allow the intentions of the Act to be easily circumvented.
thus: However a parent's support may be much more acceptable thus circumventing this problem.
not: Use mobile device management software to ensure that users have not circumvented security measures or stored their password in a file on their device.
also: The use of sound as a medium also circumvents the stultifying self-consciousness felt by many children when being watched or filmed.
thereby: How do we prevent an attacker from accessing a level below our security mechanisms and thereby circumventing them? The opposition of private enterprise was circumvented in two ways.

Contrato “NCDC” (Non-Circumvention/Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement”) = "Contrato de Exclusividade” - Contrato de Não-Violação - Contratro de Negociação de Boa Fé"

SUBSTITUTE

verb:
1. to put or use in place of another
2. (Now Rare) to take the place of
3. Chem. to replace as a substituent
1. To exchange - interchange, change, replace; see exchange 1.
2. To take the place of
act for, do the work of, replace, supplant, displace, supercede, take another's place, double for, answer for, make way for, count for, serve in one's stead, pass for, go for, go as, step up, fill another's position, take over another's duties, fill in for, pinch-hit for*, take the rap for*, sub for*, spell*, go to bat for*, ring in*, front for*, fill someone's shoes*.

Ex.: For better health, substitute yoghurt for the sour cream. (i.e., use yoghurt)

EUPHEMISM

(noun) A less offensive word substituted for an offensive one. (Essa frase é "tricky": Uma palavra menos ofensiva que entra no lugar de uma ofensiva)

Words referring to the semantic extremes of the holy and the profane are often taboo. To circumvent (já topei uma meia dúzia de vezes com esse "circumvent" em contratos) the impediment this raises, we replace the prohibited words with more acceptable ones, called "euphemisms."

Ex.: "God," as an interjection, for example, is replaced by "golly," and "heck" replaces "hell." One is too holy to be uttered, the other, too profane. In Britain, "bloody" is considered vulgar, so "ruddy" has replaced it: "He's a right ruddy blighter, he is." A person given to using euphemisms (euphemizing) is a "euphemist" or "euphemizer." Euphemisms are "euphemistic" terms and we use them "euphemistically."

Today, euphemisms are widely used to replace any unpleasant or potentially offensive word. Not only are there a plethora of euphemisms for "drunk" (high, pickled, tipsy, snockered) and kill (eliminate, rub out, off, remove), but also for words that refer to jobs and conditions with negative connotations, e.g. "janitor" (custodian), "crippled" (impaired), "to fire" (to lay off), "insane" (mentally ill). In fact, "pork," "beef," and "mutton" are all euphemisms for "pig meat," "cow meat," and "sheep meat" borrowed from French porc "pig", boeuf "ox", and mouton "sheep."
Source: Dr. Language

7.09.2008

DISC / DISK

disc and disk. Use disc in references to phonograph records (disc jockey, discography), optical and laser-based devices (compact disc, laser disc, videodisc), farm implements (disc harrow) and brakes (disc brake). Use disk in references to the magnetic storage devices used with computers (floppy disk, hard disk) and to the fiber and cartilage between the vertebrae (slipped disk). (nyt)