Help me translating Black Adder

(if it is the wrong place, feel free to move the post)

It's been some time since I saw my favourite show Blackadder last, and, being a translator, I decided recently to watch it again, but this time I wanted to understand and find out the meaning of every little word, expression and colourful insult in the show. I was largerly succesful (I had no idea what Old Pizzle was! Thank you, internet!), but there were some things that did perplex me. Anyone willing to explain these?

in Blackadder (hereinafter - BA) III he calls the prince "a jugged walrus" - jugged would mean drunk? There were references to the wine in that episode later, I think.

Prince calls Pitt The Younger the "oily tick". Is there any meaning behind it?

BA II, Bells, with Flashheart:
"So, my old mate Eddie's getting hitched, eh? What's the matter? Can't stand the pace of the in-crowd", he says to BA and grabs his, eh, codpiece. Not really sure what it means. Perhaps that BA has given up the struggle to be as sexually fervent as the others and wants to settle down?

He calls Nursie "firm and fruity". By fruity he apparently means both curvy, juicy and ... nuts?

Jailor in "Head" is called Ploppy the Slopper (with fascinating skin diseases). No idea what Slopper means in this case.

In Beer:
I'll be back in a tick, says BA...and Hugh Laurie believes it is rude. "That sounds a bit like 'bum'."
Would that be a reference to ticks residing in a bum?

What is the game "Shove-Piggy-Shove" that Percy offers to play to White Adders?

Melchett calls BA a "weedy pigeon" (and you can call me Susan if it isn't so.) for avoiding the drinking. Any hidden meaning there?

The sailors are referred to as "bluff" in Potato episode. I'm not exactly sure of the right meaning here... The dictionary says it's "good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken"
The quotes are:
"Three hours of bluff seaman's talk about picking the weevils out of biscuit [..] is not my idea of entertainment."
"I know I'm only a bluff old cove with no legs and a beard you could lose a badger in,"

Thanks in advance. I'm genuinely interested in the meaning of these - I'm not working for TV station translating the show, or making money out of it in any way. I do need to remind that English is not my native language, as you can probably plainly see
I have yet to re-watch BA Goes Forth...

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

(in Blackadder (hereinafter - BA) III he calls the prince "a jugged walrus" - jugged would mean drunk?

View original

Quite possibly that is the implication - but see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugging

Prince calls Pitt The Younger the "oily tick". Is there any meaning behind it?

Tick is public school slang, a disparaging term for a younger boy; oily I think just makes it more disparaging.

BA II, Bells, with Flashheart:
"So, my old mate Eddie's getting hitched, eh? What's the matter? Can't stand the pace of the in-crowd", he says to BA and grabs his, eh, codpiece. Not really sure what it means. Perhaps that BA has given up the struggle to be as sexually fervent as the others and wants to settle down?

Pretty much. "So my old mate Eddies is getting married, eh? What's the matter? Can't keep up with the popular party set? (i.e. he is getting old and wants to settle down.

He calls Nursie "firm and fruity". By fruity he apparently means both curvy, juicy and ... nuts?

Not nuts. Saucy is probably the closest synonym.

Jailor in "Head" is called Ploppy the Slopper (with fascinating skin diseases). No idea what Slopper means in this case.

Presumably someone who carries out the contents of the prisoners slop buckets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slopping_out

In Beer:
I'll be back in a tick, says BA...and Hugh Laurie believes it is rude. "That sounds a bit like 'bum'."
Would that be a reference to ticks residing in a bum?

No.

What is the game "Shove-Piggy-Shove" that Percy offers to play to White Adders?

No such game exists - we have to imagine what it might consist of.

Melchett calls BA a "weedy pigeon" (and you can call me Susan if it isn't so.) for avoiding the drinking. Any hidden meaning there?

No. In Blackadder the writers tend to invent their own slang.

The sailors are referred to as "bluff" in Potato episode. I'm not exactly sure of the right meaning here... The dictionary says it's "good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken"

You have the right meaning.

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

(if it is the wrong place, feel free to move the post)

It's been some time since I saw my favourite show Blackadder last, and, being a translator, I decided recently to watch it again, but this time I wanted to understand and find out the meaning of every little word, expression and colourful insult in the show. I was largerly succesful (I had no idea what Old Pizzle was! Thank you, internet!), but there were some things that did perplex me. Anyone willing to explain these?

in Blackadder (hereinafter - BA) III he calls the prince "a jugged walrus" - jugged would mean drunk? There were references to the wine in that episode later, I think.

View original

You get jugged hare, which means covered in wine.

Prince calls Pitt The Younger the "oily tick". Is there any meaning behind it?

Oily means having the gift of the gab; mouthy.

BA II, Bells, with Flashheart:
"So, my old mate Eddie's getting hitched, eh? What's the matter? Can't stand the pace of the in-crowd", he says to BA and grabs his, eh, codpiece. Not really sure what it means. Perhaps that BA has given up the struggle to be as sexually fervent as the others and wants to settle down?

Yes, the in-crowd tend to be the sexually fervent.

He calls Nursie "firm and fruity". By fruity he apparently means both curvy, juicy and ... nuts?

Maybe, but it usually means up for sex.

Jailor in "Head" is called Ploppy the Slopper (with fascinating skin diseases). No idea what Slopper means in this case.

A slopper is one who slops-empty the shit buckets.

In Beer:
I'll be back in a tick, says BA...and Hugh Laurie believes it is rude. "That sounds a bit like 'bum'."
Would that be a reference to ticks residing in a bum?

No, he's talking nonsense.

What is the game "Shove-Piggy-Shove" that Percy offers to play to White Adders?

Possibly the equivalent of Sardines. To shove is push someone with force,

Melchett calls BA a "weedy pigeon" (and you can call me Susan if it isn't so.) for avoiding the drinking. Any hidden meaning there?

"Weedy pigeon" is probably a good combination of words, and Susan is a funny name. Any similar combination would be fine.

The sailors are referred to as "bluff" in Potato episode. I'm not exactly sure of the right meaning here... The dictionary says it's "good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken"
The quotes are:
"Three hours of bluff seaman's talk about picking the weevils out of biscuit is not my idea of entertainment."
"I know I'm only a bluff old cove with no legs and a beard you could lose a badger in,"

He probably means all of that. I think you should try to find someone who wants to have it translated. There is a book as well which you could translate.

Feel free to ask more questions when you watch Blackadder Goes Forth

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

Prince calls Pitt The Younger the "oily tick". Is there any meaning behind it?

View original

'Oily' implies him being greasy, slimy, untrustworthy - all common descriptions for politicians!

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

He calls Nursie "firm and fruity". By fruity he apparently means both curvy, juicy and ... nuts?

View original

I'd characterise it as nuts rather than curvy or juicy, although the former description is certainly an apt one for Nursie. I don't think this insult can be taken quite as literally and descriptively as you're attempting to: he's just making a disparaging, condescending remark that plays on her rather ample figure and lack of sanity.

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

Jailor in "Head" is called Ploppy the Slopper (with fascinating skin diseases). No idea what Slopper means in this case.

View original

Actually, the jailor is Gaoler Ploppy (son of Ploppy). It's his father who was Ploppy the Slopper. As stated previously, this almost certainly refers to slopping out, and indeed the current Ploppy says he has inherited his skin diseases from this father - we all now know that human waste is full of nasty bacteria and has transmitted deadly diseases in the past.

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

In Beer:
I'll be back in a tick, says BA...and Hugh Laurie believes it is rude. "That sounds a bit like 'bum'."
Would that be a reference to ticks residing in a bum?

View original

No. They're all increasingly drunk by this point and their inebriated state is leading them to find something rude in the most innocent of phrases. Here though, they've gone one step too far in their search for innuendo, as tick sounds nothing like bum at all.

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

What is the game "Shove-Piggy-Shove" that Percy offers to play to White Adders?

View original

As Timbo says, there is no such game. The name rather conjures up images of something a little rough ('shove'), and of the playground game 'piggy in the middle'. However, he asks if they fancy "a couple of frames of" the game, and frames are - unless I'm very much mistaken - individual games within a snooker match. The only thing we're supposed to take from this is that it's certainly not appropriate to be suggesting that the serious, pious Whiteadders should indulge in the frivolous activity, whatever it might be exactly.

Quote: WrongTale @ January 12 2012, 11:16 AM GMT

Melchett calls BA a "weedy pigeon" (and you can call me Susan if it isn't so.) for avoiding the drinking. Any hidden meaning there?

View original

No, it's just a slightly odd, disparaging remark.

Pitt the Younger asks "Are you a new bug?". How did that translate into Latvian?

Well, I certainly find your replies and (somewhat contradictory, in case of "fruity") explanations extremely interesting. Honestly, it does help me professionally as well - knowing pop-culture things from US and UK always helps, when translating books, which is what I do for a living.

Quote: Tim Azure @ January 12 2012, 3:34 PM GMT

I think you should try to find someone who wants to have it translated. There is a book as well which you could translate.

View original

Blackadder was first aired here sometime in mid-1995s, and I even have the well-worn VHS tapes of the re-run. They were dubbed (an actor read all the lines), and the translation... well, those were pre-internet days, and the guy did the best job possible. But when I watched it now, I cringe at the myriad of lost double meanings and all that, and wonder how I could possibly love it back then...
That was an exciting time - no sitcoms were ever aired in Latvian territory before 1990 (for obvious reason, since we were part of You-Know-What), and in the 1990s they started showing all the cream of sitcoms and other type of series from the past decades. There was a lot of crap shown as well, but, hey, that's part of a deal.
I don't think any television now wants to go back to airing such programmes. Apart from endless re-runs of Keeping Up Appearances.

Quote: Aaron @ January 12 2012, 6:51 PM GMT

'Oily' implies him being greasy, slimy, untrustworthy - all common descriptions for politicians!

Actually, the jailor is Gaoler Ploppy (son of Ploppy). It's his father who was Ploppy the Slopper. As stated previously, this almost certainly refers to slopping out, and indeed the current Ploppy says he has inherited his skin diseases from this father - we all now know that human waste is full of nasty bacteria and has transmitted deadly diseases in the past.

View original

Thanks, Aaron (and the rest of you as well, really!)

Regarding the oily thing.... the Prince does not realize he is a politician at first. But, yes, "slimy" is a good description.
You're right about father being the Slopper. I messed it up in a hurry.

Quote: Tim Azure @ January 12 2012, 7:30 PM GMT

Pitt the Younger asks "Are you a new bug?". How did that translate into Latvian?

View original

Have I missed something here? I thought it was simply "a newcomer", perhaps somebody somewhat insignificant as well.

We could now go into lengthy discussion about the inevitable losses in translation, how you lose connotations in translation, and you resort to losing the whole meaning of discussion and make up a new one, which could serve the equal purpose, so that you retain the mood of the text, ... and how Blackadder is such a pain in the ass to translate ("Baldrick, do you know what irony is?" or "C... Big blue wobbly thing that mermaids live in"), and in some cases the hidden meaning is impossible to be conveyed without a long footnote, which is just technically impossible to squeeze in ("well, if it isn't the Lord Privy-Toast Rack"), but I'm afraid it's a bit technical, and I'm not really strong in theory.

Collins defines "fruity" as "erotically stimulating". I do not think that captures the meaning particularly well, but that is the essence of what Flasheart is attempting to convey.

'New bug' is public school slang for a new boy, usually one of the youngest kids, I think.

... So in other words, the 'fruity' description for Nursie seems to work on a number of levels. I think whatever the meaning he may have intended, we can generalise it as an outrageous comment to make to an older woman, as Nursie was.

Quote: WrongTale @ January 13 2012, 9:19 AM GMT

or "C... Big blue wobbly thing that mermaids live in")

View original

I think that is "Sea... Big blue wobbly thing that mermaids live in", just for clarity.

Dan

Are you sure it wasn't "Jug-eared walrus", not "jugged"?

Just checked - it's definitely "jugged". As in jugged hare, as Tim said. As for the walrus, I think the writers just liked the word. They used it a few times. "Old walrus-features Melchett" etc.

Quote: Lee Henman @ January 13 2012, 3:34 PM GMT

Are you sure it wasn't "Jug-eared walrus", not "jugged"?

Just checked - it's definitely "jugged". As in jugged hare, as Tim said. As for the walrus, I think the writers just liked the word. They used it a few times. "Old walrus-features Melchett" etc.

View original

I would know what jug-eared is, having seen Mr Rumbold in Are You Being Served?

Quote: Aaron @ January 13 2012, 1:35 PM GMT

... So in other words, the 'fruity' description for Nursie seems to work on a number of levels. I think whatever the meaning he may have intended, we can generalise it as an outrageous comment to make to an older woman, as Nursie was.

View original

I might have to use two words to convey the full meaning. Not the best method, but sometimes useful.

Quote: swerytd @ January 13 2012, 3:21 PM GMT

I think that is "Sea... Big blue wobbly thing that mermaids live in", just for clarity.

View original

I'm rather sure that the subtitles of the DVD said "C".
And yes, I get the meaning

Quote: WrongTale @ January 14 2012, 11:47 AM GMT

I'm rather sure that the subtitles of the DVD said "C".
And yes, I get the meaning

View original

Weren't they going through the alphabet? A, B, C....

So it's a double joke - Sea doesn't start with 'C' and 'Big blue wobbly thing' is a silly definition of sea.

Another phrase for a new (younger) boy at school was 'tic', like bug it signifies that they are much lower down the scale being compared to an insect.

Best of luck with the translation, even native English speakers struggle sometimes

So, it has been fun. Really. Cricket jokes aside.
I have two more Blackadder Goes Forth episodes yet to watch, but for fear that you forget me ... here are some sentences and expressions that fly over my head.

CAPTAIN COOK

"I smell something fishy, and I'm not talking about the contents of Baldrik's apple crumble."

I wonder if Blackadder means the actual food (as the Baldrick is a cook for him) or perhaps the contents of the trousers?

George wants "to give Harry Hun a darned good British-style thrashing, six of the best, trousers down"

And here the cricket jokes start, right? Damn, I know next to nothing about cricket. Can you keep it short and keep in mind that people here have no idea what LBW is
I know, I know. It's like trying to explain the life on Earth to the alien

"The Vomiting Cavalier"?

What does he mean by Cavalier here? Simply a cavalryman?

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

During the trial, Melchett says about BA:
"Nonsense. He's a hound and a rutter and he's going to be shot."

A rutter, I presume, is an animal who is in the rut?
(incidentally, another script I found online said "rotter")

"Little Freddy scores a century for the first eleven"

Nope. No idea. Scores a hundred, probably. Whatever that means.

"Old Morehen's Shredded Sporum"

Apparently some colourful name for a whiskey George's mommy sent him. Or a colourful name for a homemade alcohol?

MAJOR STAR

BA describes the great British music-hall tradition - Two men with incredibly unconvincing Cockney accents going: 'What's up with you then? What's up with me then? Yeh, what's up with you then? What's up with me then? I'll tell you what's up with me then. I'm right round off , that's what's up with me."

"round off" - no idea what it is. "Annoyed"?

PRIVATE PLANE

Flashheart calls someone a "rubber-desk johnny" on the phone. This looks like combination of two expressions. I know what rubber johnny is, though.

When describing the 20-minuters, Flashheart says:
"tasty tucker, soft beds and a uniform so smart it's got a PhD from Cambridge"
George later confuses it, saying "Soft tucker, tasty beds, fluffy uniforms."

What does "tucker" mean here?

George is somewhat disappointed by the actual purpose of the the 20-minuters:
"Hairy blighters! This is a turn-up for the plus fours."

Hairy blighters is apparently some aviators' mild oath. But that other expression completely puzzles me. I found out what the plus fours are, though.

While threatened by the Red Baron in prison, BA says:
"You see, Baldrick, dress it up in any amount of pompous verbal diarrhoea, but the message is - square heads down for the big Boche gang bang."

Oook. I know what words like square heads, Boche and even gang bang mean. I'm confused by the simplest word: "down".

"as pointless as trying to teach a woman the importance of a good forward defensive stroke."

Aw, nice. Not enough cricket jokes

When urging everyone to leave the German prison, Flashheart says:
"As the bishop said to the netball team. Come on, chums!"

What am I missing here? Netball is some sort of basketball for women, I found out, so... the team consisted of women, but the Bishop refers to them as men?

Take your time, and thanks in advance!

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

"I smell something fishy, and I'm not talking about the contents of Baldrik's apple crumble."

I wonder if Blackadder means the actual food (as the Baldrick is a cook for him) or perhaps the contents of the trousers?

View original

The food. Another reference both to Baldrick's terrible cooking, and to wartime substitutions.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

George wants "to give Harry Hun a darned good British-style thrashing, six of the best, trousers down"

And here the cricket jokes start, right? Damn, I know next to nothing about cricket. Can you keep it short and keep in mind that people here have no idea what LBW is
I know, I know. It's like trying to explain the life on Earth to the alien

View original

Frankly, very few people here understand cricket. I bet you know more about it than I do. Unless I'm missing something, the "trousers down" bit rather implies being hit on the bare backside jolly hard 6 times. With a bit of subtle doubt as to whether the "thrashing" could be a euphemism for anal sex...

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

"The Vomiting Cavalier"?

What does he mean by Cavalier here? Simply a cavalryman?

View original

I think this is a mocking reference to the quality of Baldrick's art hardly being that of some great, reknowned, classic work. A Cavalier was a supporter of the King during the Civil War (1642). What he's painting is clearly not some great work of art of some important, glamourous, romanticised scene but ... well, a contemporary WWI soldier being sick in a trench.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

During the trial, Melchett says about BA:
"Nonsense. He's a hound and a rutter and he's going to be shot."

A rutter, I presume, is an animal who is in the rut?
(incidentally, another script I found online said "rotter")

View original

"Rotter" is correct. Google defines it as "a cruel, stingy, or unkind person".

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

"Little Freddy scores a century for the first eleven"

Nope. No idea. Scores a hundred, probably. Whatever that means.

View original

A cricket joke! A century is 100 runs. Teams are made up of 11 players. I presume the "first" eleven means that Little Freddy is on the main team, rather than some kind of 'reserve'.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

"Old Morehen's Shredded Sporum"

Apparently some colourful name for a whiskey George's mommy sent him. Or a colourful name for a homemade alcohol?

View original

One and the same. Some home brew.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

BA describes the great British music-hall tradition - Two men with incredibly unconvincing Cockney accents going: 'What's up with you then? What's up with me then? Yeh, what's up with you then? What's up with me then? I'll tell you what's up with me then. I'm right round off , that's what's up with me."

"round off" - no idea what it is. "Annoyed"?

View original

You're using some dodgy 'scripts'! It's "right browned off". 'Right' means properly/completely, and 'browned off' means annoyed.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

Flashheart calls someone a "rubber-desk johnny" on the phone. This looks like combination of two expressions. I know what rubber johnny is, though.

View original

He's insulting the person on the other end of the phone by implying that they are 'merely' a desk (office) worker rather than doing anything useful/practical.
The 'official' spelling is without the hyphen, if that helps.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

When describing the 20-minuters, Flashheart says:
"tasty tucker, soft beds and a uniform so smart it's got a PhD from Cambridge"
George later confuses it, saying "Soft tucker, tasty beds, fluffy uniforms."

What does "tucker" mean here?

View original

Food.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

George is somewhat disappointed by the actual purpose of the the 20-minuters:
"Hairy blighters! This is a turn-up for the plus fours."

Hairy blighters is apparently some aviators' mild oath. But that other expression completely puzzles me. I found out what the plus fours are, though.

View original

I'm unsure on the plus fours bit either, but a blighter is "a person regarded with contempt, irritation or pity". Not sure about this "mild oath" business, but I'd probably have taken the addition of 'hairy' to be an insulting implication that they're unshaven, unkempt, not fit and proper, etc. Perhaps someone else knows something else here though...

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

While threatened by the Red Baron in prison, BA says:
"You see, Baldrick, dress it up in any amount of pompous verbal diarrhoea, but the message is - square heads down for the big Boche gang bang."

Oook. I know what words like square heads, Boche and even gang bang mean. I'm confused by the simplest word: "down".

View original

I'm not sure about the 'square' bit, but "heads down" means to get to work.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

"as pointless as trying to teach a woman the importance of a good forward defensive stroke."

Aw, nice. Not enough cricket jokes

View original

I guess this is just saying that women are rubbish at sport and cannot be instructed in it.

Quote: WrongTale @ February 20 2012, 10:16 AM GMT

When urging everyone to leave the German prison, Flashheart says:
"As the bishop said to the netball team. Come on, chums!"

What am I missing here? Netball is some sort of basketball for women, I found out, so... the team consisted of women, but the Bishop refers to them as men?

View original

Netball is a traditionally female sport. The key here is the previous sentence, not the latter:

"Still, since I'm here, I might as well doo-o-o it! As the bishop said to the netball team."

This is playing on an old expression that I don't know the origins of or how to explain it precisely, but would be used to signify appreciation that the previous sentence had a certain euphemism or innuendo. Aha, no, here's what you need: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_the_actress_to_the_bishop

And if I need to explain the innuendo in that previous sentence, you probably shouldn't watching a show like Blackadder.