Gagarin’s delightfully informal quip into his earpiece: - знаменитое «поехали!» - "Let's roll!" Gagarin's historic mission in Vostok 1 on 12 April 1961 lasted one hour and 48 minutes – far less than the average multiplex movie. The 5ft 2in (155cm) fighter pilot and former foundry worker – his short stature perfect for the cramped interior of the Vostok capsule, it turned out – blasted into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (now in Kazakhstan) with a delightfully informal quip into his earpiece: "Let's roll!" Less than two hours later, his re-entry capsule landed on the ground near the city of Engels in Western Russia, with Gagarin himself landing by parachute minutes later. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210409-yuri-gagarin-the-spaceman-who-came-in-from-the-cold

In English, there is no true male equivalent of the word "spinster", an unmarried older woman. There is the word "bachelor", but it again does not carry the negative connotations that spinster traditionally has. In the 1990s, Cameron came up with a phrase for this kind of linguistic cleansing – verbal hygiene. It is "the motley collection of discourses and practices through which people attempt to 'clean up' language and make its structure or its use conform more closely to their ideals of beauty, truth, efficiency, logic, correctness and civility". In Italy, using the feminine version of "passeggiatore" flips its meaning from a lover of walking to a person who has many sexual encounters https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210408-the-sexist-words-that-are-harmful-to-wome

This kind of ‘ableist’ language is omnipresent in conversation: making a “dumb” choice, turning a “blind eye” to a problem, acting “crazy”, calling a boss “psychopathic”, having a “bipolar” day. And, for the most part, people who utter these phrases aren’t intending to hurt anyone – more commonly, they don’t have any idea they’re engaging in anything hurtful at all. But ableism can also be indirect, even unintentional, in the form of linguistic micro-aggressions. As much as we all like to think we’re careful with the words we choose, ableist language is a pervasive part of our lexicon. Examples in pop culture are everywhere, and you’ve almost certainly used it yourself. Frequently, ableist language (known to some as ‘disableist’ language) crops up in the slang we use, like calling something “dumb” or “lame”, or making a declaration like, “I’m so OCD!”. Though these might feel like casual slights or exclamations, they still do damage. Often avoiding ableist euphemisms just means choosing more straightforward and literal language – rather than “fall on deaf ears”, one might say “ignoring” or “choosing not to engage”. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210330-the-harmful-ableist-language-you-unknowingly-use

A single piece of jewellery reveals the true meaning of Assyrian reliefs from the 7th-Century BC. Kelly Grovier explores how images depicting a staged lion hunt were used to proclaim a king's greatness.

During her interview with Oprah alongside husband Prince Harry, Meghan Markle said: “There is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us." She's referring to the institution of the royal family, but if you haven't heard the term "The Firm" before, you're not alone. Reportedly often used by Prince Philip to describe the family he married into, "The Firm" is a darker and somewhat more cynical term than "The Crown," the term for the royal family that the titular Netflix series used. "The Firm" is one of the more derisive nicknames for the royal family—but it's reportedly the one that the family itself sometimes uses. In The King's Speech, Colin Firth notes in his role as King George VI: "We're not a family, we're a firm"—a line reportedly spoken by the real King George VI. In truth, the royal family is both: a sprawling business with wide-ranging financial ties, and also a large family that, like any family, has suffered up and downs through generations. https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a35718554/the-firm-royal-family-meghan-markle-prince-harry-oprah-interview/

The name Jarlshof meaning "Earl's Mansion" is a coinage of Walter Scott, who visited the site in 1814 and based it on the Scottish period name of "the laird's house". It was more than a century later before excavations proved that there had actually been Viking Age settlement on the site, although there is no evidence that a Norse jarl ever lived there.

Translating the Russian children’s proverb «Кто как обзывается, тот так и называется»: 1) Bloomberg, Reuters, AFP, Financial Times and most others: it takes one to know one («рыбак рыбака видит издалека»). Wrong because it creates the impression of accepting the accusation: I am doing it, but you are doing it too. In other words, this proverb can hardly be recognized as adequate translation because it creates the impression of Putin’s admitting good reasons for Biden’s scandalous and stupid accusation. 2) ABC News offers another version: “The names you call is what you are yourself.” This translation involves stylistic losses of information: playful connotations of children’s communication are lost. 3) NBC has come up with “Whoever calls names is called that himself.” This translation involves stylistic losses of information: playful connotations of children’s communication are lost. 4) The right functional match: I am rubber, you are glue. Bounces off me and sticks to you («Я резина, ты клей. Отскакивает от меня и прилипает к тебе»)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that US President Joe Biden’s comments about Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin, in which he called him a “killer”, were “unacceptable” and “not fitting of a president”. In a TV interview broadcast on Wednesday, Biden said “I do” when asked if he believed the Russian president was a killer, plunging diplomatic ties to a new low. Putin later responded “it takes one to know one”. “Mr Biden’s comment about Putin does not suit a head of state,” the Turkish president told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul, lauding Putin for giving a “smart” and “classy response”. The fact of Turkey's being a NATO ally of the USA throws weight behind Erdogan's opinion and puts the diplomatic exchange in a proper perspective. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/19/turkeys-erdogan-says-biden-comments-on-putin-unacceptable Clearly, by having violated the norms of diplomatic discourse Biden has shown himself to be a weak leader who does not measure up to the great country. At the same time the Russian proverb that was used by Putin has triggered off quite a lively discussion in the world of translation.

For some, positivity has been essential to coping with the crisis – many have relished a chance to slow down and reevaluate, felt grateful to still have a job or kept the good things in perspective (even while balancing virtual schooling, remote work and keeping the family safe). Of course, staying upbeat and expressing gratitude are hardly adverse practices, but this unrelenting optimism – known as ‘

toxic positivity

’ – paints negative emotions as a failure or weakness. Plus, there are few things more grating than encountering a toxic positivist when you’re grappling with grim reality. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity