Re: CHAT: "nur" [was Re: CHAT: Hrushevs'kyj]

On 27 Aug 02, at 6:39, Jan van Steenbergen wrote:

> If you really want to insult a guest upon arrival, then say: "Oh, jij bent het
> maar" (Oh what a pity, it's just you :(( )
Works in German, too: "Ach, du bist's nur", which I would translate as
something like "Oh, it's [only] you -- I was expecting someone else
[who is more important to me at the moment]". Or, depending on context,
"Oh, it's only you -- I was expecting something more frightening [such
as the police telling me that my son was killed in a car accident, or
whatever]", in which case it's not insult but a kind of relieved
feeling.

Cheers,
Philip
--
Philip Newton <Philip.Newton@...>