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An entire essay and, aside from the opening but about chili, not a single example of this “art form.” It’s like having an essay about Picasso without even one p

An entire essay and, aside from the opening but about chili, not a single example of this “art form.” It’s like having an essay about Picasso without even one picture

drsim 8y ago
I have read a few articles recently on BBC.com where I've felt, well, puzzled over which site I'm on. It seems they are using more freelance writers and writing more of this kind of content (dare I say content marketing). Googling this writer shows she's done a lot elsewhere. The type of writing in this article is lacking. It feels like trying to reach a word count, lacks depth and more importantly the local flavour of reporting there is in, for example, the excellent 'From our own correspondent' series.
- drsim 8y ago
  Ooo... I think we have a BBC bot. The submitter 'MiriamWeiner' only submits from BBC.com and does so about once a day. Never comments. Very irregular pattern for a human, although perhaps not for a happy license-fee payer.
  - ASalazarMX 8y ago
    People have many usage patterns. I prefer commenting rather than submitting, some people just lurk, others might submit without commenting. It wouldn't surprise me if there were people who just lurks and upvotes because downvoting requires participation.
    - DmenshunlAnlsis 8y ago
      I lurked for four years before I finally wanted to submit something and bothered to make an account, then I started to really enjoy it. Patterns are not only varied, but changeable. I wouldn’t assume that someone was a bot either, maybe submitting one article a day is their way of giving back to a community they appreciate.
  - lostlogin 8y ago
    It appears to take weekends off. Bad bot.
- DC-3 8y ago
  `From our own correspondent` is absolutely superb - and a perfect antidote to clickbait and shallow, substanceless journalism. Real stories with real depth, told masterfully and sensitively - definitely worth tuning in for.
- DanBC 8y ago
  From Our Own Correspondent is excellent. I'm not sure if it's geo-blocked or not. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsng https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsng
armandososa 8y ago
We Mexicans like to brag about how creative and artful is the Mexican albur, but when really examined it is extremely juvenile and dumb. And most of the time it all comes to tricking another man into accepting a submissive role in homosexual intercourse. Btw, are you going to Queretaro?
- gd2 8y ago
  My experience is that Mexicans do have many words and phrases for sexual references, with a goodly number involving foods. But I haven't experienced, or remember seeing, it using to make a joke of foreigners. That would be more like being mean to someone who can't be expected to understand than being funny among friends..
  - mark212 8y ago
    ... which describes accurately nearly every minute of my fours years as an undergraduate (in the US).
stickfigure 8y ago
Seriously, how could they have missed these gems? La Esposa - wife Las Esposas - handcuffs Cazar - to hunt Casar - to marry
elboru 8y ago
I can give you a couple of examples, but be advised they are really childish, the kind of humor you could find around teenagers. 1. "A la larga te acostumbras" Translates to:"You'll get used to it in the long term" Hidden message: "You'll get used to the penis" Explanation: "A la larga" could mean "in the long term" but also "the long one" 2. Someone requests: "Pasame el saco" = "Reach me the coat" The other person not finding a coat will ask "¿Cual saco?" = "What coat?" Then the first person would say "Esta"="This one" pointing at his penis. Explanation: "¿Cual saco?" Means "what coat?" But it also could mean. "Wich one should I take out?" I hope I was clear, and sorry for the childish expressions.
- mark212 8y ago
  see? now these are actually funny! Both would've been a very nice addition to the essay. Thanks for sharing.
megablast 8y ago
This article is awful. Yes, Mexicans do something that every single other country does as well. I feel like this guy is trying to justify his expenses paid trip to Mexico.
melkiaur 8y ago
I picked that one in the article: > The origins of albur are as hard to pin down as the quick tongues of its users.

An entire essay and, aside from the opening but about chili, not a single example of this “art form.” It’s like having an essay about Picasso without even one picture

drsim 8y ago

I have read a few articles recently on BBC.com where I've felt, well, puzzled over which site I'm on. It seems they are using more freelance writers and writing more of this kind of content (dare I say content marketing). Googling this writer shows she's done a lot elsewhere. The type of writing in this article is lacking. It feels like trying to reach a word count, lacks depth and more importantly the local flavour of reporting there is in, for example, the excellent 'From our own correspondent' series.

drsim 8y ago
Ooo... I think we have a BBC bot. The submitter 'MiriamWeiner' only submits from BBC.com and does so about once a day. Never comments. Very irregular pattern for a human, although perhaps not for a happy license-fee payer.
- ASalazarMX 8y ago
  People have many usage patterns. I prefer commenting rather than submitting, some people just lurk, others might submit without commenting. It wouldn't surprise me if there were people who just lurks and upvotes because downvoting requires participation.
  - DmenshunlAnlsis 8y ago
    I lurked for four years before I finally wanted to submit something and bothered to make an account, then I started to really enjoy it. Patterns are not only varied, but changeable. I wouldn’t assume that someone was a bot either, maybe submitting one article a day is their way of giving back to a community they appreciate.
- lostlogin 8y ago
  It appears to take weekends off. Bad bot.
DC-3 8y ago
`From our own correspondent` is absolutely superb - and a perfect antidote to clickbait and shallow, substanceless journalism. Real stories with real depth, told masterfully and sensitively - definitely worth tuning in for.
DanBC 8y ago
From Our Own Correspondent is excellent. I'm not sure if it's geo-blocked or not. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsng https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsng

armandososa 8y ago

We Mexicans like to brag about how creative and artful is the Mexican albur, but when really examined it is extremely juvenile and dumb. And most of the time it all comes to tricking another man into accepting a submissive role in homosexual intercourse. Btw, are you going to Queretaro?

gd2 8y ago
My experience is that Mexicans do have many words and phrases for sexual references, with a goodly number involving foods. But I haven't experienced, or remember seeing, it using to make a joke of foreigners. That would be more like being mean to someone who can't be expected to understand than being funny among friends..
- mark212 8y ago
  ... which describes accurately nearly every minute of my fours years as an undergraduate (in the US).

stickfigure 8y ago

Seriously, how could they have missed these gems? La Esposa - wife Las Esposas - handcuffs Cazar - to hunt Casar - to marry

elboru 8y ago

I can give you a couple of examples, but be advised they are really childish, the kind of humor you could find around teenagers. 1. "A la larga te acostumbras" Translates to:"You'll get used to it in the long term" Hidden message: "You'll get used to the penis" Explanation: "A la larga" could mean "in the long term" but also "the long one" 2. Someone requests: "Pasame el saco" = "Reach me the coat" The other person not finding a coat will ask "¿Cual saco?" = "What coat?" Then the first person would say "Esta"="This one" pointing at his penis. Explanation: "¿Cual saco?" Means "what coat?" But it also could mean. "Wich one should I take out?" I hope I was clear, and sorry for the childish expressions.

mark212 8y ago
see? now these are actually funny! Both would've been a very nice addition to the essay. Thanks for sharing.

megablast 8y ago

This article is awful. Yes, Mexicans do something that every single other country does as well. I feel like this guy is trying to justify his expenses paid trip to Mexico.

melkiaur 8y ago

I picked that one in the article: > The origins of albur are as hard to pin down as the quick tongues of its users.