Ye Olde Pub (The English Pub)

[SnittLeif]

That would be a magnifying glass. A looking glass is usually some kind of mirror.

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Or possibly a window.

 

A Mirror is a reversifying glass, eminently put by Cletus, the slack-jawed jockul

[cyclo]

MrLee: (my namebrother) Off course you are right. It's always a magnifying glass. I was thinking of Alice in wonderland, and for some reason I thought she went through a magnifying glass, but of course it was a mirror.

[Kjekssjokolade]

If I want to express someones lack of intelligence, or innate ability to develop intelligence at a high rate, can I say " lack of brain"/"less brain"/so on, instead of "lack of intelligence". Where "brain" is used as a idiom for intelligence.

 

The reason I am asking is because I got my English exam back today. I have posted a picture, which explains the "problem".

 

Can it be that my teacher misunderstood what I meant, that I built my sentence poorly, or is it that you cant use "brain" as an idiom for intelligence.

 

Edit:

To explain my writing there, first I mean "brain" as intelligence, but the second time I mean it as "brain" like the human brain, in other words, when the intelligence were put together. But I am sure you figured out that yourselves, just wanted to write more in English. God I love this thread

Endret 28. april 2007 av Kjekssjokolade

[Dr. Mobius]

If I want to express someones lack of intelligence, or innate ability to develop intelligence at a high rate, can I say " lack of brain"/"less brain"/so on, instead of "lack of intelligence". Where "brain" is used as a idiom for intelligence.

 

The reason I am asking is because I got my English exam back today. I have posted a picture, which explains the "problem".

 

Can it be that my teacher misunderstood what I meant, that I built my sentence poorly, or is it that you cant use "brain" as an idiom for intelligence.

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I would think it's because you used the word "brain" instead of intelligence or another suitable word. You can not use the word brain as it signifies the brain itself, not the intelligence residing in the brain. The amount of brain would be more or less the same in any case.

As a former english teacher I am sorry to say I would have done the same as your teacher.

Endret 28. april 2007 av T-Solberg

[Kjekssjokolade]

Ok, thanks. But in daily speech then?

[MrLee]

A larger outtake of the context would be great to correctly identify what sort of language one would use to convey what you wanted.

 

 

I might say that they lacked the individual sophistication, but collectively they made huge advances... but then again it depends on the context.

Endret 28. april 2007 av MrLee

[Kjekssjokolade]

I might say that they lacked the individual sophistication, but collectively they made huge advances... but then again it depends on the context.

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I was under timed pressure :!:

 

I don't want to show any more of my text, think it is kind of embarrassing to have others read what I have written, and handed in to hopefully get a good grade.

[cyclo]

T-Solberg: I disagree. At least in american one uses the word brain in that aspect. (Even though the sentence in question doesn't sound quite right).

Examples:

 

What he lacks in brain, he ....

 

Put more brain into it.

 

He's got more courage than brain.

 

There are heaps of examples of how the word brain is used instead of inteligence....

 

He's got more brain than the lot of you

Endret 28. april 2007 av cyclo

[Dr. Mobius]

I guess you could use it in daily speech, as it allows a greater freedom with the language. The expression "lack of brains" is often used in both movies and books, but in an serious exam of some kind I doubt it would be allowed.

Now, I don't know what kind of exam you had, but I assume it was an exam which had serious questions to be answered. And in such areas I doubt the expression would be correct.

If your exam was to write a story of some kind, the expression should be allowed if it was made clear that it was the thought of someone or something said.

[MrLee]

T-Solberg: I disagree. At least in american one uses the word brain in that aspect. (Even though the sentence in question doesn't sound quite right).

Examples:

 

What he lacks in brain, he ....

 

Put more brain into it.

 

He's got more courage than brain.

 

There are heaps of examples of how the word brain is used instead of inteligence....

8495146[/snapback]

 

It could be used like that, but then it is vital to use the plural form; "brains".

 

And if it is American English, it is not necessarily UK English. It might still be wrong depending on what they teach in his school.

Endret 28. april 2007 av MrLee

[Kjekssjokolade]

What he lacks in brain, he ....

 

Put more brain into it.

 

He's got more courage than brain.

8495146[/snapback]

 

This was the kind of things I tought of, when I used "brain" for "intelligence"

 

I guess you could use it in daily speech, as it allows a greater freedom with the language. The expression "lack of brains" is often used in both movies and books, but in an serious exam of some kind I doubt it would be allowed.

Now, I don't know what kind of exam you had, but I assume it was an exam which had serious questions to be answered. And in such areas I doubt the expression would be correct.

If your exam was to write a story of some kind, the expression should be allowed if it was made clear that it was the thought of someone or something said.

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Well, it was a mock exam, and yes, of course it was of importance.

"Write a text about the benefits with teamwork", or something like that. In my point of view this was the easies task we could choose from, but that was probably because I did not prepare so well, I always survive on the "easiest" task. I got a 5 (Norwegian grade)

[cyclo]

I guess you could use it in daily speech, as it allows a greater freedom with the language. The expression "lack of brains" is often used in both movies and books, but in an serious exam of some kind I doubt it would be allowed.

Now, I don't know what kind of exam you had, but I assume it was an exam which had serious questions to be answered. And in such areas I doubt the expression would be correct.

If your exam was to write a story of some kind, the expression should be allowed if it was made clear that it was the thought of someone or something said.

8495154[/snapback]

I still disagree with you. My mother tongue is American, and I come across this use all over the place. Just the other day I read a comment written by a physics professor in Scientific American where he used the term "if we put our brains into it". I don't know about you, but I would not call Scientific American non serious or a story.

I think that your view is a typical Norwegian way of looking at things.

[Dr. Mobius]

I still disagree with you. My mother tongue is American, and I come across this use all over the place. Just the other day I read a comment written by a physics professor in Scientific American where he used the term "if we put our brains into it". I don't know about you, but I would not call Scientific American non serious or a story.

I think that your view is a typical Norwegian way of looking at things.

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Yes, I see your point, but it is still a figure of speech in a comment. I doubt his scientific report would include it.

But you should obviously know this better than me, since your mother tongue is american. I may be wrong... But i don't think so.

Endret 29. april 2007 av T-Solberg

[MrLee]

I would say it depends on the degree of expected formality in the text.

 

Essay yes. Research paper, no.

Endret 29. april 2007 av MrLee

[Minus]

I thought you could write whatever English you wanted now a days, as long as you are consistent about what English you're writing.

(Australian, U.K English, American English etc.)

[cyclo]

I still disagree with you. My mother tongue is American, and I come across this use all over the place. Just the other day I read a comment written by a physics professor in Scientific American where he used the term "if we put our brains into it". I don't know about you, but I would not call Scientific American non serious or a story.

I think that your view is a typical Norwegian way of looking at things.

8495267[/snapback]

 

Yes, I see your point, but it is still a figure of speech in a comment. I doubt his scientific report would include it.

But you should obviously know this better than me, since your mother tongue is american. I may be wrong... But i don't think so.

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II see your point to. And most likely it would be used in the scientific report. But I wouldn't surprise me too much if it was either.

 

My point is that in American (I don't know about British, it's most likely different) the line between formal and non formal use of the language isn't as fine as it is in Norwegian. It is however very typical for Norwegians to believe it is.

 

Over the years in school here in Norway I've heard a lot of strange things from my teachers. (I've lived most of my life in Norway, but American was my first language, and I have always used American at home. I feel more comfortable writing American than Norwegian too.)

I once was told by a teacher that I had a handicap seeing as I had been taught English first. He said that someone who had been taught English at school here in Norway would be better at grammar than I, because they had learned the rules and I just knew how to use them.

 

Anyhow.... The original sentence that he used in the essay, I would never have used.

[lain]

Well, what we learn at school is Oxford English. Its a type of english that it used mostly by high class british people and teachers. I rather see people learning a more "normal" english, to put it that way.

[cyclo]

lain: I know what your talking about. The English taught at school in Norway is very "snoby".

 

Very often we are also taught stuff that just isn't true, and the material the schools use isn't very good.

 

I remember one of our books used the following translation:

 

cheerleader = lederen av heiagjengen

[Fruktkake]

And what's wrong with that?

[lain]

A cheerleader leads the cheering of spectators, as at a sports contest.

 

So the translation is a bit off, then again, thats normal when it comes to english words being translated to norwegian, just take a look at the subtitles on mostly any norwegian tv channel.

 

Glad i have digital tv, so i can turn it off for the most parts.