User Comments - mikeinewshot

Posted on: Family Ties

Just listened to a new lesson on http://chinesepod.com/lessons/taking-about-figure-skating where they explain 得了吧 - thanks

Posted on: 单独二胎

I haven't yet listened to this lesson but I am surprised at the subject as there has recently been an identically titled media lesson on this topic.

Posted on: A Line Too Long

If you really don't know why the women's room queue is longer than the men's then you need some anatomical lessons.

The real question is why do women go with a friend?

Posted on: Standing Up for Car Seats

The left half of your word of the day (安全) does not appear in the vocabulary!

Posted on: Words in the North and South

Thanks. I have had a look at those. Seems there is lots more scope as just scratched the surface.

Posted on: Words in the North and South

Thank you for this lesson which I found interesting.  I am right in saying that there are lots more examples ...?

Would you consider a programme on differences between the mainland and Taiwan?  I know there are many many differences in tones, and suspect there are many differences in words too?

Posted on: Time to Get Married - Part 2

Hi Chinesepod - Please post the terms mentioned in the podcast - thanks

Posted on: Shanghai Home Stay

"...the idea, present also in english, is that one saying the opposite of one's meaning can actually emphasize the meaning. "

Now I get it. I think it was in Robert Heinlein's book "Stranger in a Strange Land" that the alien comes across what is called 'coco talk' ie saying the opposite of what you mean. For example if you ask a cabbie whether going to some distant location will take a long time, he might just say something like "It's just round the corner, we'll be there in a couple of minutes". Or if someone has obviously hurt themselves and it is clearly painful, they might say "it's just a scratch".

This may be accompanied by a particular intonation. I do this myself, but sometimes come across people who take me literally ....

Posted on: Shanghai Home Stay

Weirder and weirder! On further listening to the dialogue Vera says that many people do say 洁癖 with a fourth tone, but that you should use third tone ....

Posted on: Shanghai Home Stay

Actually listening to the podcast, I am confused. The podcast seems to say that 好不容易 and 好容易 have the same meaning - how can this be? Or am I losing my grip?