a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by Cumol
Cumol  ·  1515 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Biden’s ‘inshallah’ during US debate dubbed ‘historic’ on Twitter

Welllll, technically, it was not used in the right context.

In-sha'-allah means "when god wills" but cannot be used in the way Biden did it because he used it as a question. I have never heard Inshallah be used as/in a question except when someone asks you to say Inshallah (as in, pressing you to "say Inshallah" so you either finish business or "move on".)

I understand why Biden might have used it wrong in this context. If you take the literal translation, it could fit: "When? When god wills?".

Inshallah is however often used to convey something that will never happen or only happen if god wills it (which is sometimes, a miracle).

So, again, I kinda understand why Biden said it. But it doesn't really work.

A much nicer arabic term is "Ta yenawwer el-milih'" which means "when the salt starts shining". This term definitely means "never" and is similar to "when pigs fly" or something from the west.





kleinbl00  ·  1515 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I most definitely appreciate the nuance, while also reminding you gently this is a guy who talked about his Black nemesis Corn Pop, in a race where commentators are losing their minds over not being able to say "Kuh-malll-uh Harris", in a country where an entire right-wing insurgent political faction was launched by having a president with the middle name "Hussein."

am_Unition  ·  1515 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It looked to me like Trump was coached away from saying Kah-mel-uh, instead referring to her as "Harris". I presume it's because he was coached away from attempting her first name by whatever handlers he has left.

kleinbl00  ·  1515 days ago  ·  link  ·  

His debate prep was Giuliani and Chris Christie.

    Trump said that a “combination” of Christie and Giuliani have been playing Biden in preparatory sessions before the debate, which is scheduled for Tuesday evening in Cleveland.

WHAT WOULD YOU PAY TO BE A FLY ON THAT WALL