I Wish You Knew How To Say…

Other 17th February, 2015

by Tessa Gleeson

This column promotes niche and lesser-known phrases that you’ll want to adopt. It celebrates the diversity of voices in Bristol by documenting a range of expressions found around the city; from sayings in minority languages to lesser-known local slang.

Backstory:

As an educational-support worker at UWE, I assist a Seema Iqbal with her Professional Bar-level Law studies. Since Seema is blind and away from Bangladesh for the first time, I have, when walking her to class, had the honour of introducing her to frost by handing her a frosted leaf; of describing the size of the moon as it appears in the sky by softly tracing on her hand.

Seema has gifted us the Bengali version of the phrase:

“All that glitters is not gold” meaning that not everything that appears valuable actually is.

Bengali:

Cakacaka karalē’i yē sōnā haẏa nā

Pronunciation:

Chock-Chock korlay, shona hoyna.

Origin:

A teaching which appears as far back as Aesop (6th century BC) and was used by Shakespeare.

Good to know:

Bengali is the fifth most spoken language in the world.

You can read more about Seema’s determination to become a lawyer here.

You can share your own I Wish You Knew How To Say, together with an explanation, by emailing content@thebristolcable.org, or through Twitter use

@theBristolCable #IWYKHTS

Tessa Gleeson

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I Wish You Knew How To Say…

by Tessa Gleeson

This column promotes niche and lesser-known phrases that you’ll want to adopt. It celebrates the diversity of voices in Bristol by documenting a range of expressions found around the city; from sayings in minority languages to lesser-known local slang.

Backstory:

Bengali:

Pronunciation:

Origin:

Good to know:

We’re facing an uncertain future. Your support will help us keep going

Related content

We’re working to diversify the Cable team. Let’s start with our freelancer base

Stand to be a Bristol Cable director

Healing is a justice issue: how can we radicalise the voluntary sector, amid a perfect storm of cuts?

Community union’s intervention sees housing association eviction halted amid disrepair claims

Bristol City Council slapped with warning over poor performance on freedom of information requests

From city of sanctuary to ‘city of opportunity’ – how Bristol can better integrate refugees

Trams, or an underground? As Bristol weighs its public transport options, can it learn from across the Channel?

by Tessa Gleeson

This column promotes niche and lesser-known phrases that you’ll want to adopt. It celebrates the diversity of voices in Bristol by documenting a range of expressions found around the city; from sayings in minority languages to lesser-known local slang.

Backstory:

Bengali:

Pronunciation:

Origin:

Good to know:

We’re facing an uncertain future. Your support will help us keep going

Related content

We’re working to diversify the Cable team. Let’s start with our freelancer base

Stand to be a Bristol Cable director

Healing is a justice issue: how can we radicalise the voluntary sector, amid a perfect storm of cuts?

Community union’s intervention sees housing association eviction halted amid disrepair claims

Bristol City Council slapped with warning over poor performance on freedom of information requests

From city of sanctuary to ‘city of opportunity’ – how Bristol can better integrate refugees

Trams, or an underground? As Bristol weighs its public transport options, can it learn from across the Channel?

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