allow me to language nerd for a minute

[deird1]

This morning, I was discussing politics on Reddit (as one does), and used the phrase "por que no los dos?".

Instead of saying, in the language that is both my native language and the language of the discussion, "why not both?".

I did so because "por que no los dos?" is a phrase – a phrase that people know – and I felt that that phrase held the meaning I was trying to convey. Which wasn't exactly the meaning given by the words "why not both?" (or even by the words "por que no los dos?") but a meaning that is particular to that phrase as a known phrase.

…if you get what I mean there.

I just find it fascinating that, at least to my brain, the five-word phrase has a distinct meaning that is all its own, even though I can't really express that meaning other than by saying "But… it's what the words mean, but also what the phrase means. It's the vibe, y'know?".

Comments

[out_there]

Like "je ne sais quas". There's a meaning that goes wiht those specific words (an "unknown/undefinable quality") that's lost in the direct translation of them. ("I don't know what" makes it a limit of my knowledge, not something that objectively can't be easily defined.)

[deird1]

Exactly, yes.

[conuly]

I'd say it references a particular meme, and doing so in Spanish is part of in-group signalling even if in this case the in-group is the internet.

Which is also part of what it means.

[deird1]

Heh. Good point.

[lirazel]

Yeah, this is my thinking too. I can't hear/see those words without seeing that little girl's face!

[deird1]

She’s a pretty cute little girl.