Cop A Gander At These Rippers Too...
Fountain of Strewth Frozen Over!
It’s a gloriously sunny morning today, but bloody freezing, as attested to by the Fountain of Strewth freezing over. Birds are coming to Kangaeroo Corner throughout the day every day at this time of year, largely to enjoy a drink or a bath from the Fountain of Strewth. I broke the ice so our avian mates would be able to imbibe if they wanted to, but couldn’t refill the bath as the hose has frozen over. My sports drink formed ice crystals during the morning ride. I’m not a great fan of the cold, but Tokyo has a pretty good winter if you have to have one. It’s generally sunny…
Happy Bird-thday, You Pterror!
Today is Dino (the dinosaur)’s third birthday. Our little rosy-faced lovebird has been with us for three years, and has been pretty much a constant companion since the early days of the pandemic. She is my best mate, but at the same time, the bane of my life. She demands ceaseless attention, unless she’s laid a few eggs or found herself some paper. If she has laid, as she did to mark her third birthday, she tends to sit on the eggs in a corner of her cage. If she’s about to lay, the preceding couple of weeks are nearly constantly filled with picking up after her as she will…
Using Any Excuse Just To Post This Pic
A somewhat discomforting start to the year has continued today, but that doesn’t really matter because I’m just making up excuses to write so I can post this picture. I captured this shot near Tachikawa‘s Kotobukiya Stadium as the local residents prepare for their d dondoyaki festival to build huge bonfires made from New Year decorations and pray for good fortune for the rest of the year. These festivals are held by thousands of neighborhoods across the country, but I have also viewed them as something akin to the chilling denouement of the 1973 British horror flick, The Wicker Man. My perspective is totally incorrect, of course, but I’ve never…
Let There Be Lights
Kangaeroo Corner has got one of the greatest gardens in Tokyo, at least according to Kangaeroo, and one of its features its the extensive lighting. Alongside the mostly Aussie native plants adorning the garden are plenty of garden ornaments of Australian native animals and birds. The kangaroos, koalas and various types of avian life such as a kookaburra, cockatoo and galah, are lit up using solar-powered garden lights. Much to Mrs. Kangaeroo’s chagrin, Kangaeroo adores these garden lights. And the growing length of sunshine each day as spring approaches affords each lighter with a greater charge of its battery, which keeps the garden well-lit, well past the onset of darkness….
Do Aussies Zigzag When They Get “Crooked On” Someone?
Aussieが「Crooked on」と言うとき、どんな気持ち? 「曲がっている」わけではありません 英語の crooked と言えば、「曲がった」「ゆがんだ」や、「不正な」という意味を思い浮かべる人が多いでしょう。 でも、Aussieが “I’m crooked on him.” と言ったら、話は別です。 この crooked on は、 「~が気に入らない」「~に腹を立てている」「~を嫌っている」 という意味のStrineです。 相手への不満や怒りを表すときによく使われますが、激しい憎しみというより、「ムッとしている」「納得がいかない」という程度の場面でも耳にします。 🦘 Expression crooked on 発音 /ˈkrʊkɪd ɒn/ 🦘 Meaning 人や物事に対して腹を立てる、気に入らない、嫌悪感を抱くこと。 また、自分自身に対して使えば、 I’m crooked on myself. で、 「自分が情けない」「自分に腹が立つ」 という意味になります。 🦘 Example I’m still crooked on him for breaking his promise. 「約束を破ったことが、いまだに許せないんだ。」 または、 I’m crooked on myself for saying that. 「そんなことを言った自分が情けない。」 🦘 日本語で言うと? 状況によって、 などが近い表現になります。 怒鳴るほどではないけれど、心の中で引っかかっている──そんな気持ちを表す便利な言葉です。 Aussie × Japan 日本でも、「ちょっと引っかかる」「まだ根に持っている」という気持ちはよくあります。 Aussieも同じです。 ただ、「I’m crooked on him.」と一言で表せるのは、Strineならではの面白さでしょう。 Strineには、辞書だけでは意味が分からない表現がたくさんあります。crooked on もそのひとつ。「crooked=曲がった」と覚えているだけでは、本当の意味にはたどり着けません。言葉は、その国で暮らす人たちの気持ちや文化を映す鏡。だからStrineを知ることは、Aussieを知ることでもあるのです。 📚 関連記事
Bird Bother Has Us Flying…By The Seat Of Our Pants
Our dearest–in terms of both emotion and bloody expense–little mate gave us a bit of a shock the past few days as Dino, our rosy faced lovebird, appeared to be petering (ptering?) toward the brink only to slowly move toward recovery. I’m guilty as I’ve been sharing meals (and snacks) with Dino for years now, and she also shares my love for carbs and cheese, making her as fat and unhealthy as I am. You’d never know it, though, as she is vigorous and active, spending nearly all day out of her cage and flying freely throughout our home. But something seemed amiss on Friday when she was clearly in…

