Jun 20, 2006 15:50
17 yrs ago
3 viewers *
English term
have Yule
English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Have Yule, will travel.
I've found that Yule means Christmas, but I can't understand the sentence. It's the last sentence of a chapter in which a woman is planning a Christmas trip; what's more, this sentence constitutes the whole paragraph so there's no connection to the previous one. Any help will be appreciated.
I've found that Yule means Christmas, but I can't understand the sentence. It's the last sentence of a chapter in which a woman is planning a Christmas trip; what's more, this sentence constitutes the whole paragraph so there's no connection to the previous one. Any help will be appreciated.
Responses
+7
6 mins
Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Ukraine
Works in field
Ukraine
60+ books translated and published
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
28
Selected
it's a paraphrase
From a famous Robert Heinlein novel `Have Spacesuit, Will Travel'.
So, if you have Yule (you're right about the pagan holiday of the winter solstice), it's a great reason to travel, too! :)
So, if you have Yule (you're right about the pagan holiday of the winter solstice), it's a great reason to travel, too! :)
Peer comment(s):
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jccantrell
: Actually, I think it comes from a TV series, "Have gun, will travel" that debuted in 1957, a year before Heinlein. The quote from the TV show is MUCH more well-known in the USA. A very enjoyable show, too. --XX-- One of the 'benefits' of being OLD!
8 mins
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I was not aware about the TV series, unfortunately, but the novel of Heinlein was one of my favourite when I was a boy :) + And of being a native speaker, too. Note that I've read it in Russian translation ;-)
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María Teresa Taylor Oliver
: Ah! The great Robert Heinlein! :) I've seen it paraphrased countless times :)
9 mins
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his SF is great, indeed :)
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Margaret Schroeder
: "Have gun will travel" is the original http://tinyurl.com/rlaup . At LanguageLog (http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002691.h... they've named these forms "snowclones". (http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002185.h...
17 mins
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True, exactly as Jccantrell said. I've already googled it out :)
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conejo
: In this context, "Yule" is referring to "Christmas". However, thanks for mentioning the fact that Yule is actually a pagan holiday: many Christmas festivities (like the Christmas tree, and the colors of red and green) come from Yule, not Christmas.
1 hr
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sure, Yule is the Norse/Germanic holiday of the winter solstice! :)
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Michael Barnett
: Agree with jccantrell. "Have Gun, Will Travel" was a fabulous classic.
3 hrs
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:)
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Alfa Trans (X)
20 hrs
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Refugio
: Back in the days of the Old West, hired guns advertised themselves that way: Have Gun, Will Travel.
1 day 14 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, everybody! Now it all makes sense."
+3
3 mins
have yuletide spirit
she is prepared to travel, as she's got the spirit!
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Note added at 6 minutos (2006-06-20 15:57:18 GMT)
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it's borrowed from the title of the popular TV series, Have Gun, Will Travel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Gun,_Will_Travel
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Note added at 6 minutos (2006-06-20 15:57:18 GMT)
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it's borrowed from the title of the popular TV series, Have Gun, Will Travel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Gun,_Will_Travel
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Bailatjones
: without knowing more about the book, I agree with this interpretation
9 mins
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PB Trans
6 hrs
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Kirill Semenov
: Hi Nancy, you're right, `Have gun' were the first, and Heinlein borrowed the idea and paraphrased it for the title of his novel :)
16 hrs
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Thanks for this detail, Kirill :-)
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6 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
370
I have Christmas off, and I am willing to make the trip.
Th phrase "Have xxxxx, will travel" is quite common, but vague, so one can only guess what exactly it means. Nancy may be right, this is another possibility.
Discussion