The cat's mother

Turkish translation: onun bir adı var

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	The cat\'s mother
Turkish translation:	onun bir adı var
Entered by:	Hellinas

19:37 Apr 1, 2015

English to Turkish translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / idiom

English term or phrase: The cat's mother

An idiomatic phrase often used by women if you use it of a woman who is present when you c all her 'she'.
(idiomatic, UK) A rebuke especially directed towards children for having referred to a woman in the third person when she is present, instead of using her name or a respectable or appropriate title. Example:-
- "She's coming on the trip with us too!"
- "Who is 'she', the cat's mother?"
- "Sorry, gran is coming with us too."
- "Good. When someone is present, use their name."

The Oxford English Dictionary says the catchphrase “Who’s she—the cat’s mother?” (or some variation thereof) is “said to one (esp. a child) who uses the pronoun of the third person singular impolitely or with inadequate reference.”

A child can get a scolding for using the word “she” instead of a name, especially if the “she” (often an older person, like one’s mother) was present.

And the scolding consists of “Who’s ‘she’—the cat’s mother?”

Is there a Turkish eqivalent idiomatic expression?

Hellinas KudoZ activity Questions: 492 (none open) (4 without valid answers) (27 closed without grading) Answers: 0
Local time: 17:21

onun bir adı var

Explanation:
.

Selected response from:

Zeki Güler
Local time: 17:21

Grading comment

Thanks, Zeki. Clearly yours is the Turkish usual idiom. I also remember in my boyhood, if somebody referred to oneself as 'he' when you are actually in the room, you might reply 'I've got a handle to my name'. This is colloquial not standard speech. Perhaps there is a similar Turkish colloquialism? Thanks to ucbenli for her translation of the whole text I entered but it seems that kedinin annesi is just a translation of the English.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +1

onun bir adı var

Zeki Güler

kedinin annesi

Esra Ucbenli

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

the cat's mother

onun bir adı var

Explanation:
.

Zeki Güler
Local time: 17:21
Native speaker of:

Turkish
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

19 hrs confidence:

the cat's mother kedinin annesi

Explanation:
She's coming on the trip with us too!"-----O da bizimle geziye geliyor!
- "Who is 'she', the cat's mother?"----O kim? Kedinin annesi mi?
- "Sorry, gran is coming with us too." ----Pardon, Gran da bizimle geliyor.
- "Good. When someone is present, use their name."----Güzel. Birinden bahsederken, isimlerini kullan.

Esra Ucbenli
Türkiye
Local time: 19:21
Native speaker of: Turkish

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The cat's mother

Turkish translation: onun bir adı var

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Turkish translation: onun bir adı var

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