tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26662000.post3959023005330783613..comments2023-11-02T08:38:49.854-07:00Comments on A Tale of Three Beans: The American Art of Apologizing Without Actually ApologizingMommaBeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04452302193049028569noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26662000.post-52545232299533011092009-05-21T11:34:11.125-07:002009-05-21T11:34:11.125-07:00Anonymous,
Think of the "3" as what you do when t...Anonymous, <br />Think of the "3" as what you do when the doctor looks down your throat with a tongue depressor, and then swallow while making that sound...there you have our beloved "ayn." (name of letter)<br /><br />Gosh, Momma, you are such a social commentator these days. I'm loving these posts. <br /><br />Let me preface this by saying: I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way. Now: 'haram' the way you go around letting your children wear baseball uniforms without undershirts in 90 degree weather. And AYB how you reuse those water bottles!!! HA!UmmFarouqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05366325597455956128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26662000.post-48998685289242666182009-05-20T06:40:34.906-07:002009-05-20T06:40:34.906-07:00Anonymous (the first), there is no English equival...Anonymous (the first), there is no English equivalent. This letter is made by squeezing your throat partially closed then pressing air through it :). At least that's the best I can do in describing it. The closest you can get is string a couple of As together, but you don;t come anywhere near the sound.<br /><br />Anonymous Jessica, I'll certianly check that out. Thanks for your kind thoughts.<br /><br />Anonoymous 3, Indeed while you can use very or so to indicate a greater level of shame, there are some things we SHOULD be more ashamed of ;). But, in general I am not diapleased that the US is not an honor-shame based society. I just wish we thought a little bit more about things are were,in fact, more ashamed of them... (I would have liked a stronger word to describe many of the policies of the US's immediate past President).<br /><br />Nicole, ah, indeed. Haram is indeed overused and likely cheapened, but in colloquial use it is the mildest form of being ashamed I think. I also think that Arabs tend to be overflowery in their use of English (which may or may not be sincere), but we Americans I'm afraid are spectacularly good at using words against people :(. Now, of course we have our good traits (many of them), but...MommaBeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04452302193049028569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26662000.post-77525295687986730962009-05-20T05:03:33.196-07:002009-05-20T05:03:33.196-07:00The only thing I would say is that Haram shouldn't...The only thing I would say is that Haram shouldn't be the lowest level of shame in this list. Indeed the word Haram means it is forbidden. But unfortunately in the colloquial, it has been turned into something that it isn't. They have cheapened the meaning and they overuse it. <br /><br />You are so right that Americans can apologize without really 'owning' the apology. But I much prefer the 'un' flowery-ness of our language. I always feel like Arabs are using all this polite language but they don't mean it at all.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16862190127021526170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26662000.post-85289920325787005292009-05-19T17:56:04.456-07:002009-05-19T17:56:04.456-07:00the reason there aren't different words to depict ...the reason there aren't different words to depict levels of shame in american english is because it's not an honor-shame society. and that is probably a good thing. still, there are modifiers (e.g., i'm ashamed, i'm so ashamed, i shall forever be ashamed), so the notion of levels of shame isn't entirely alien. but shame is not so much externally imposed, rather a private feeling, something between the person and his conscience/his god/whatever you want to call it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26662000.post-25198471277355758462009-05-19T13:21:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:21:00.000-07:00What English letter is the first sound in "3a...What English letter is the first sound in "3ayb"?<br />What sound does "3" make? Can you please clarify?><br />Thanks for the great post about apologies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com