Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
rambling
English answer:
(literally) walking slowly, for pleasure
Added to glossary by
Tony M
Dec 13, 2010 22:53
13 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term
rambling
English
Other
Slang
Colloquialisms
Brazilian En-Portuguese slang glossary listed "rambling" colloquially as an adv. meaning "quickly", "at top speed", and used this example: "We went rambling down the road to the old farm." Is that legit at all? No dictionary other than the one I stumbled upon the case in bears out the alleged usage.
Responses
| 4 +5 | See explanation below |
Tony M
|
| 4 +1 | walking down the road at a leisurely pace |
David Hollywood
|
| 3 +2 | perhaps in Googleland |
Allison Wright (X)
|
| 4 | a pleasant walk |
Alexandra Taggart
|
References
| the urban dictionary tells all |
British Diana
|
Responses
+5
10 mins
Selected
See explanation below
No, i'd say it isn't legit.
For a start, surely this isn't being used as an adverb in the example given? 'to go rambling' usually means 'to go for a hike in the country' — unless qualified with some other form of transport, one would usually assume walking, and hence, at a walking pace — i.e. slowly, rather than quickly!
I can understand someone saying it of a vehicular journey, meaning that the vehcile was just toddling gently along.
Cf. 'ambling', which also means slowly; and also, a 'rambling story / book / conversation / speech' — one that goes on and on and doesn't get to the point very quickly.
So although I'm by no means an exhaustive authority on the EN language, I can't help thinking your source must be wrong; and as I can't think of any simialr EN word with which it might have been confused, the only thing I can think of is that some confusion must have occurrd on the PT side of things.
Do note, however, that if this is really slang, then perhaps it is a modern usage with which I (an old fart!) am simply unfamiliar: lots of modern slang says the opposite of what it appears to mean, so something that is 'wicked' is actually 'really good'...
For a start, surely this isn't being used as an adverb in the example given? 'to go rambling' usually means 'to go for a hike in the country' — unless qualified with some other form of transport, one would usually assume walking, and hence, at a walking pace — i.e. slowly, rather than quickly!
I can understand someone saying it of a vehicular journey, meaning that the vehcile was just toddling gently along.
Cf. 'ambling', which also means slowly; and also, a 'rambling story / book / conversation / speech' — one that goes on and on and doesn't get to the point very quickly.
So although I'm by no means an exhaustive authority on the EN language, I can't help thinking your source must be wrong; and as I can't think of any simialr EN word with which it might have been confused, the only thing I can think of is that some confusion must have occurrd on the PT side of things.
Do note, however, that if this is really slang, then perhaps it is a modern usage with which I (an old fart!) am simply unfamiliar: lots of modern slang says the opposite of what it appears to mean, so something that is 'wicked' is actually 'really good'...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Travelin Ann
: //Of course, a Mod will need to edit either answer for the glossary ;)
3 mins
|
|
Thanks, Ann! / I think this is one of those instances where any glossary entry would be pretty meaningless anyway; and please note that both asker and answerer can edit the term at the time of glossing, so no moderator intervention is called for.
|
|
| agree |
Allison Wright (X)
: à propos your last para. TonyM: Did you know in certain Facebook circles a "rent" is not "rental" but a shortened form of "parent". So "no rents" is not an expression of poverty, but rather one of liberation. :)
13 mins
|
|
Thanks, Allison! I feared as much.. and there was me thinking it just meant that they hadn't been torn... We get a lot of this over here in FR too, where they keep a different bit of the word from us in EN.
|
|
| agree |
Paula Vaz-Carreiro
8 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Paula!
|
|
| agree |
kmtext
: It might have been confused with rattling along, but that's a guess at best, and, difficult as it is to keep up with UK-EN slang, it's almost impossible to be fully aware of usage in other countries.
10 hrs
|
|
Thanks, KMT! Ah now there's a thought... anybody's guess, really ;-)
|
|
| agree |
B D Finch
: Though your vehicle might have been tootling (moderately fast) rather than toddling (requires legs)? Mr Toad?
11 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Barbara! Oh yes! And we lived on a boat, so I was enchanted by 'Wind in the Willows' "Toot, toot..." (with the original illustrations..)
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
2 hrs
David Hollywood
Native in English
&
English
worked for int. orgs (IMF, OAS, IDB)
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
walking down the road at a leisurely pace
that's what I would say ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:20:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"rambling" = to walk about casually or for pleasure. ...
forget about defining it too closely ... it just means they had a leisurely walk down the rod to the farm
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:20:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
road
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:21:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
probably looking at the surroundings :) (as I would do) :)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:34:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
look at the flowers :)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:36:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Whether you are a keen mountain walker, leisurely rambler or you enjoy moderately paced walks, whatever your age or ability, we have the perfect holiday for ...
www.ramblerscountrywide.co.uk/about_us.aspx - Cached - Similar
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:20:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"rambling" = to walk about casually or for pleasure. ...
forget about defining it too closely ... it just means they had a leisurely walk down the rod to the farm
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:20:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
road
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:21:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
probably looking at the surroundings :) (as I would do) :)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:34:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
look at the flowers :)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-14 01:36:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Whether you are a keen mountain walker, leisurely rambler or you enjoy moderately paced walks, whatever your age or ability, we have the perfect holiday for ...
www.ramblerscountrywide.co.uk/about_us.aspx - Cached - Similar
+2
19 mins
perhaps in Googleland
The English verb structure is: infinitive "to go" + present participle.
e.g. we went wandering - which is what is meant in your context.
We go walking
I went skipping
You went running
Structure not unlike the present continuous tense with the verb "to be"
e.g. I am singing, she is dancing, he is thinking. they are sleeping, etc.
How "rapidamente" (Pt) turned into "rambling" (En), or vice versa, is beyond me. Only a computer could do that.
The adverbe of the verb "to ramble" is "ramblingly". (Eighth Edition, Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1990 - hardcover.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2010-12-14 07:36:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo: adverb
e.g. we went wandering - which is what is meant in your context.
We go walking
I went skipping
You went running
Structure not unlike the present continuous tense with the verb "to be"
e.g. I am singing, she is dancing, he is thinking. they are sleeping, etc.
How "rapidamente" (Pt) turned into "rambling" (En), or vice versa, is beyond me. Only a computer could do that.
The adverbe of the verb "to ramble" is "ramblingly". (Eighth Edition, Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1990 - hardcover.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2010-12-14 07:36:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo: adverb
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
: "Allison in Googleland" — now there's a title for a book...
17 mins
|
|
"Curiouser, and curiouser" she said, as she fell screaming down the well.
|
|
| agree |
Veronica Costea
2 hrs
|
2 days 17 hrs
Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Native in English
&
English
Russian Federation
proficient translation
Native in: English 
, Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English
a pleasant walk
"To ramble" - in BE means to walk for pleasure ( in the countryside). Looking at the trees, picking flowers, casually strolling.
Reference comments
9 hrs
British Diana
Germany
Germany
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
Germany
enthusiast
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, English to German, English, and 1 more.
Reference:
the urban dictionary tells all
Here is the usual definition for "rambling" but if you look at the adjacent (sexually explicit!!) entries you will find a larger variety.
Usually nothing to do with speediness and not an adverb either.
It's about as much an adverb as the way a German teacher supposedly taught his pupils how to negate using an "adverb" "I go notly".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2010-12-14 12:20:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
the Discussion entry about slang glossaries could be apllied to this:
Yes of course, beware anything that Web users are allowed to contribute to, especially (as it would appear here) if there are no kind of restrictions and no moderating...
Usually nothing to do with speediness and not an adverb either.
It's about as much an adverb as the way a German teacher supposedly taught his pupils how to negate using an "adverb" "I go notly".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2010-12-14 12:20:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
the Discussion entry about slang glossaries could be apllied to this:
Yes of course, beware anything that Web users are allowed to contribute to, especially (as it would appear here) if there are no kind of restrictions and no moderating...
Discussion