Ian Winick, Translator & Copywriter
@ianwinick.bsky.social
Translator (German/French to English), word-tamer, songwriter, atheist, podcaster and popular man about town.
www.ianwinick.com
Blackadder fan podcast: http:// lordofaddersblack.bsky.social
www.ianwinick.com
Blackadder fan podcast: http:// lordofaddersblack.bsky.social
Just stumbled upon a good example of an adjectival phrase where no apostrophe is needed. Always good to an example handy when some tedious know-it-all claims that there's an apostrophe missing.
An apostrophe isn't incorrect here but it's not necessary either. And I find it rather inelegant here.
An apostrophe isn't incorrect here but it's not necessary either. And I find it rather inelegant here.
December 2, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Just stumbled upon a good example of an adjectival phrase where no apostrophe is needed. Always good to an example handy when some tedious know-it-all claims that there's an apostrophe missing.
An apostrophe isn't incorrect here but it's not necessary either. And I find it rather inelegant here.
An apostrophe isn't incorrect here but it's not necessary either. And I find it rather inelegant here.
Roll on the weekend, baby!
November 28, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Roll on the weekend, baby!
Personally, I can't think of anyone I'd less like to have lunch with.
(I'd take the risk with the Orange Fucktrumpet just in case he falls face-first in his soup and drowns ...)
(I'd take the risk with the Orange Fucktrumpet just in case he falls face-first in his soup and drowns ...)
November 28, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Personally, I can't think of anyone I'd less like to have lunch with.
(I'd take the risk with the Orange Fucktrumpet just in case he falls face-first in his soup and drowns ...)
(I'd take the risk with the Orange Fucktrumpet just in case he falls face-first in his soup and drowns ...)
Dragon NaturallySpeaking has always had a socio-critical side that comes to the surface when you least expect it.
What I actually dictated was: "public holidays are not helping us".
What I actually dictated was: "public holidays are not helping us".
November 25, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Dragon NaturallySpeaking has always had a socio-critical side that comes to the surface when you least expect it.
What I actually dictated was: "public holidays are not helping us".
What I actually dictated was: "public holidays are not helping us".
Turn the sound on: Does anyone else hear the opening chords from the Life Of Brian intro song when the French score a try?
November 25, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Turn the sound on: Does anyone else hear the opening chords from the Life Of Brian intro song when the French score a try?
If you see this, post your getaway vehicle
November 24, 2025 at 6:58 AM
If you see this, post your getaway vehicle
Oh, she may be weary
And young girls they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress ... 🎶
And young girls they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress ... 🎶
November 23, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Oh, she may be weary
And young girls they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress ... 🎶
And young girls they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress ... 🎶
Four-legged friends are always a tonic 😍
Remember the day Ginny met Ajax?
Remember the day Ginny met Ajax?
November 18, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Four-legged friends are always a tonic 😍
Remember the day Ginny met Ajax?
Remember the day Ginny met Ajax?
Oh, I'm afraid I've had one of my trademark changes of heart, Smithers ...
November 17, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Oh, I'm afraid I've had one of my trademark changes of heart, Smithers ...
Hands up anyone else who never knew that Jonathan Banks - Mike in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul - was in the movie Airplane.
November 8, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Hands up anyone else who never knew that Jonathan Banks - Mike in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul - was in the movie Airplane.
November 4, 2025 at 5:51 AM
Quote with your favourite film and album from the year you were born
November 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Quote with your favourite film and album from the year you were born
My Ginny, now in doggie heaven, used to wag her tail in her sleep whenever anyone said her name 💚😭
October 16, 2025 at 11:50 AM
My Ginny, now in doggie heaven, used to wag her tail in her sleep whenever anyone said her name 💚😭
Und wenn wir schon dabei sind ...
October 14, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Und wenn wir schon dabei sind ...
October 3, 2025 at 5:52 AM
If - as I suspect, dear colleague - you haven't been listening to my Blackadder podcast, you might not know that the doctor who injects Flash is none other than Howard from Ever Decreasing Circles.
Now you know!
Now you know!
September 29, 2025 at 1:48 PM
If - as I suspect, dear colleague - you haven't been listening to my Blackadder podcast, you might not know that the doctor who injects Flash is none other than Howard from Ever Decreasing Circles.
Now you know!
Now you know!
Things that go through my head at tennis practice when I should be concentrating on the ball #58
Did the Mael brothers ever consider calling their band Maelstrom instead of Sparks?
Did the Mael brothers ever consider calling their band Maelstrom instead of Sparks?
September 27, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Things that go through my head at tennis practice when I should be concentrating on the ball #58
Did the Mael brothers ever consider calling their band Maelstrom instead of Sparks?
Did the Mael brothers ever consider calling their band Maelstrom instead of Sparks?
Nice!
September 22, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Nice!
If you don't usually work with Outlook, its layout is an utter disaster.
Anyone know how I can restore full view of these "Reply", "Reply All" and "Forward" buttons? I think I closed an area by mistake and can't for the life of me see how to get it back.
Anyone know how I can restore full view of these "Reply", "Reply All" and "Forward" buttons? I think I closed an area by mistake and can't for the life of me see how to get it back.
September 19, 2025 at 5:12 AM
If you don't usually work with Outlook, its layout is an utter disaster.
Anyone know how I can restore full view of these "Reply", "Reply All" and "Forward" buttons? I think I closed an area by mistake and can't for the life of me see how to get it back.
Anyone know how I can restore full view of these "Reply", "Reply All" and "Forward" buttons? I think I closed an area by mistake and can't for the life of me see how to get it back.
Just handed my wife down a jar from a high kitchen shelf and, as is my wont, broke into a rousing rendition of Randy Newman's "Short People".
And then when I sat down at my desk to continue my translation, the next sentence was "It's lonely at the top", another Randy Newman song.
Spooky, eh?
And then when I sat down at my desk to continue my translation, the next sentence was "It's lonely at the top", another Randy Newman song.
Spooky, eh?
September 5, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Just handed my wife down a jar from a high kitchen shelf and, as is my wont, broke into a rousing rendition of Randy Newman's "Short People".
And then when I sat down at my desk to continue my translation, the next sentence was "It's lonely at the top", another Randy Newman song.
Spooky, eh?
And then when I sat down at my desk to continue my translation, the next sentence was "It's lonely at the top", another Randy Newman song.
Spooky, eh?
Note to German companies:
To any native English speaker who cares about language even a little bit, seeing German quotation marks on an English website is like watching a runner fall at the first hurdle.
I could go on to talk about the misuse of "support", but I need to watch my blood pressure ...
To any native English speaker who cares about language even a little bit, seeing German quotation marks on an English website is like watching a runner fall at the first hurdle.
I could go on to talk about the misuse of "support", but I need to watch my blood pressure ...
August 28, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Note to German companies:
To any native English speaker who cares about language even a little bit, seeing German quotation marks on an English website is like watching a runner fall at the first hurdle.
I could go on to talk about the misuse of "support", but I need to watch my blood pressure ...
To any native English speaker who cares about language even a little bit, seeing German quotation marks on an English website is like watching a runner fall at the first hurdle.
I could go on to talk about the misuse of "support", but I need to watch my blood pressure ...
It's been a good year for beef tomatoes. About twenty of these guys so far from two little plants.
August 27, 2025 at 6:44 AM
It's been a good year for beef tomatoes. About twenty of these guys so far from two little plants.
It took 6 weeks to order
@graemethomson.bsky.social's Under The Ivy through my local bookshop here in Germany but it was well worth the wait.
A thing of beauty in its own right, it's now shelved among my favourite music books and is destined to be as dog-eared and tea-stained as the others ...
@graemethomson.bsky.social's Under The Ivy through my local bookshop here in Germany but it was well worth the wait.
A thing of beauty in its own right, it's now shelved among my favourite music books and is destined to be as dog-eared and tea-stained as the others ...
August 24, 2025 at 6:14 PM
It took 6 weeks to order
@graemethomson.bsky.social's Under The Ivy through my local bookshop here in Germany but it was well worth the wait.
A thing of beauty in its own right, it's now shelved among my favourite music books and is destined to be as dog-eared and tea-stained as the others ...
@graemethomson.bsky.social's Under The Ivy through my local bookshop here in Germany but it was well worth the wait.
A thing of beauty in its own right, it's now shelved among my favourite music books and is destined to be as dog-eared and tea-stained as the others ...
For the record, this is my favourite car window sticker:
"No one gives a shit what your fat kids are called"
"No one gives a shit what your fat kids are called"
August 12, 2025 at 5:03 AM
For the record, this is my favourite car window sticker:
"No one gives a shit what your fat kids are called"
"No one gives a shit what your fat kids are called"
The German word 𝑇𝘩𝑒𝘮𝑎 is often a royal pain in the 𝐴𝘳𝑠𝘤ℎ to translate - there are many different options (topic, subject, area, question, issue, theme, matter, etc., etc.) and in many cases none of them feels 100% right.
But ... the most natural option is often simply to leave it out:
But ... the most natural option is often simply to leave it out:
August 11, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The German word 𝑇𝘩𝑒𝘮𝑎 is often a royal pain in the 𝐴𝘳𝑠𝘤ℎ to translate - there are many different options (topic, subject, area, question, issue, theme, matter, etc., etc.) and in many cases none of them feels 100% right.
But ... the most natural option is often simply to leave it out:
But ... the most natural option is often simply to leave it out: