FUBAR Game 2021

[vijayjohn]

I am really not as a linguist as most of you are.

Actually, most of us aren't linguists, either, just linguoboy and me. Most of the people in the chain were translating between languages they do not even know, using only dictionaries and grammars, so the final translation into English will probably look very different from the original. The story in the translated text has changed a lot now!

Also, don't worry, I'm glad to see that you're so enthusiastic about this game. I'll try to remember to let you know next time we have a FUBAR game or BTG.

[księżycowy]

Personally, I don't see why it should be confined to a yearly thing. If there is enough participation to keep it going, that is.

[vijayjohn]

It's not a yearly thing at all. The first five BTGs were all in 2006, and the first four FUBAR games were all three years later.

[księżycowy]

The title is misleading then.

[vijayjohn]

Well, it's almost the end of the year, so we'll probably only have one this year.

[kevin]

I still think we should do the 2020 game next, and then 2019.

Or the "normal" BTG for 2021.

[vijayjohn]

I just hope that doesn't get confusing for people searching for these games later!

[kevin]

It can't be any more confusing than the resulting texts.

[vijayjohn]

Hmm, well, I would think at least there will be some effort to explain the confusion in the resulting texts. I'm not so sure there will be an effort to explain the confusion regarding the game titles, though.

[kevin]

You could make the text an explanation for the game title.

Well, you can't any more now, because I already gave it away.

[vijayjohn]

Even if I still could, it would still be confusing for people who didn't already participate in the game, if not also those who participated and then forgot about it!

[dEhiN]

I'll translate it into Chinese

For the next game of this type that we do (BTG or FUBAR), would you strictly stick to Mandarin Chinese? I think Vijay said you know Taiwanese Hokkien and probably Taiwanese Mandarin as well? I think it'd be cool to have Hokkien in a chain!

The FABUR 2021

It's called FUBAR because it's an acronym that stands for: Fucked Up Beyond All Repair. This acronym is basically an English colloquial or slang term that (I think) a lot of native speakers have heard. I've usually heard it and used it in a verbal sense - so, to fubar something basically means to fuck up something so badly it's beyond all repair. For example, "oh man, you really fubared that car".

What's interesting, for me at least, is that BTG stands for Broken Translation Game, and comes from a game that's usually played by children or adults with children. It's called broken telephone, and one person whispers something to the next person, who then whispers what they heard to the next person and so on. Finally, the person at the end says what they heard, and the first person says what they originally said. The interesting part, for me, is that the FUBAR Game title doesn't even have the word translation in it!

I vote for changing it to FUBAR Translation Game!

I am really not as a linguist as most of you are.

Actually, most of us aren't linguists, either, just linguoboy and me. Most of the people in the chain were translating between languages they do not even know, using only dictionaries and grammar

Yeah, I think quite a few on here who have been active on and off over the past 5 to 8 years have either had an amateur interest in (the study of) linguistics, or have made efforts to professionally or semi-professionaly study it. Even presently, out of those who are active on here, I feel like there might be more than just linguoboy and Vijay who have studied linguistics seriously. I fall into the amateur category.

But, this forum is primarily about language learning and is meant for language learning enthusiasts. Of course, some use various linguistic concepts to aid in their language studies, but over the past 5 to 8 years, I suspect the majority of semi-active UniLangers didn't have a big interest in linguistics.

I just hope that doesn't get confusing for people searching for these games later!

Why would it be confusing? And I think maybe we could do a BTG game in December, if enough people are interested. In the interest of finishing it before the end of the year, we could give a 3 day time frame to do a translation, since for BTG, it's generally recommended to pick languages that you are intermediate in or better. I don't mind hosting a BTG 2021 game in December, if there's interest.

[vijayjohn]

I'll translate it into Chinese

For the next game of this type that we do (BTG or FUBAR), would you strictly stick to Mandarin Chinese? I think Vijay said you know Taiwanese Hokkien and probably Taiwanese Mandarin as well? I think it'd be cool to have Hokkien in a chain!

No, I said he knows (Taiwanese) Mandarin and probably Taiwanese (Hokkien) as well. (Taiwanese Hokkien is typically just called Taiwanese. Taiwanese Mandarin is not that different from mainland varieties of Mandarin). I also said I'm not sure he's comfortable writing in Taiwanese.

The FABUR 2021

It's called FUBAR because it's an acronym that stands for: Fucked Up Beyond All Repair. This acronym is basically an English colloquial or slang term that (I think) a lot of native speakers have heard.

Originally military slang. I keep confusing it with foobar (which in turn comes from FUBAR).

I've usually heard it and used it in a verbal sense - so, to fubar something basically means to fuck up something so badly it's beyond all repair. For example, "oh man, you really fubared that car".

I have never heard that in my life.

What's interesting, for me at least, is that BTG stands for Broken Translation Game, and comes from a game that's usually played by children or adults with children. It's called broken telephone, and one person whispers something to the next person, who then whispers what they heard to the next person and so on. Finally, the person at the end says what they heard, and the first person says what they originally said. The interesting part, for me, is that the FUBAR Game title doesn't even have the word translation in it!

I vote for changing it to FUBAR Translation Game!

Too long!

Even presently, out of those who are active on here, I feel like there might be more than just linguoboy and Vijay who have studied linguistics seriously.

There are, just not in this game.

I just hope that doesn't get confusing for people searching for these games later!

Why would it be confusing?

Because then the "FUBAR Game 2019" may be after the "FUBAR Game 2020" and neither was played in either 2019 or 2020

[dEhiN]

No, I said he knows (Taiwanese) Mandarin and probably Taiwanese (Hokkien) as well. (Taiwanese Hokkien is typically just called Taiwanese. Taiwanese Mandarin is not that different from mainland varieties of Mandarin). I also said I'm not sure he's comfortable writing in Taiwanese.

FINE...be a stickler for what you actually said!

Originally military slang.

I didn't know that!

I have never heard that in my life.

Ok, to be fair, I don't think I have either - not those exact words. I couldn't think of a specific sentence I've heard, but the point was more to illustrate that I have heard the term FUBAR used as a verb (generally in the past tense) to describe a situation or object that fit the bill.

Because then the "FUBAR Game 2019" may be after the "FUBAR Game 2020" and neither was played in either 2019 or 2020

Ok, then let's just skip BTG & FUBAR for 2019 and 2020. We don't NEED to go backward in time.

[vijayjohn]

FINE...be a stickler for what you actually said!

Wait, have you turned into księżycowy now? HOW DARE YOU VIJAY

Originally military slang.

I didn't know that!

I think that's the only context I know of it in...having learned that it was military slang.

I have never heard that in my life.

Ok, to be fair, I don't think I have either - not those exact words. I couldn't think of a specific sentence I've heard, but the point was more to illustrate that I have heard the term FUBAR used as a verb (generally in the past tense) to describe a situation or object that fit the bill.

Yeah, what I'm saying is I haven't.

Because then the "FUBAR Game 2019" may be after the "FUBAR Game 2020" and neither was played in either 2019 or 2020

Ok, then let's just skip BTG & FUBAR for 2019 and 2020. We don't NEED to go backward in time.

That was what kevin was suggesting, though. But okay.

[azhong]

I'll translate it into Chinese

For the next game of this type that we do (BTG or FUBAR), would you strictly stick to Mandarin Chinese? I think Vijay said you know Taiwanese Hokkien and probably Taiwanese Mandarin as well? I think it'd be cool to have Hokkien in a chain!

No, I said he knows (Taiwanese) Mandarin and probably Taiwanese (Hokkien) as well. (Taiwanese Hokkien is typically just called Taiwanese. Taiwanese Mandarin is not that different from mainland varieties of Mandarin). I also said I'm not sure he's comfortable writing in Taiwanese.

Yes, I know and I'll stick to Mandarin, with the characters of traditional Chinese.

I was born in a family speaking Taiwanese and I can speak daily Taiwanese, but I, and so are almost all people here I think, can't write Taiwanese with correct characters. We weren't taught that during my school time. Taiwanese is actually a dialect wirh a much more ancient history than Mandarin; they basically share the same bank of characters but with separate pronunciation system, and the matches between the Taiwanese pronunciation and most of the characters have gotten lost over time. There are some writers trying to mix Taiwanese terms of which the characters are for sure into their article written in Mandarin. But if you really want to write an article in pure Taiwanese, romanization might be unavoidable. I heard the elementary school now starts to teach Taiwanese and other dialects in Taiwan, but I also heard the characters the textbook introduces are still with errors and are criticized. This is a sad page for Taiwanese people, really; quite a few Taiwanese can't even speak their mother's language well.

I will join the BTG in December if you hold one.

[kevin]

The interesting part, for me, is that the FUBAR Game title doesn't even have the word translation in it!

I vote for changing it to FUBAR Translation Game!

Which is what it was actually called before the 2018 round. I'm torn: Your suggestion of returning to the original title makes more sense, but what could be more fitting for the FUBAR game than a corruption in its title?

Because then the "FUBAR Game 2019" may be after the "FUBAR Game 2020" and neither was played in either 2019 or 2020

Ok, then let's just skip BTG & FUBAR for 2019 and 2020. We don't NEED to go backward in time.

That was what kevin was suggesting, though. But okay.

Nobody likes me.

I think we should decide whether to FUBAR the title or not. If we do, going backwards is fine for the same reason. If we don't, well, 2022 is soon enough. So I guess the choice is between "FUBAR Game 2019" and "FUBAR Translation Game 2022". Or we just go back to counting games instead of years.

Why would it be confusing? And I think maybe we could do a BTG game in December, if enough people are interested. In the interest of finishing it before the end of the year, we could give a 3 day time frame to do a translation, since for BTG, it's generally recommended to pick languages that you are intermediate in or better. I don't mind hosting a BTG 2021 game in December, if there's interest.

Sounds good to me.

[azhong]

Are you the Kevin I once met in the German subforum? That Kevin, also having his k lowercased, was not a moderater (yet), and he used to have his very simple signature directly after the end period of his each reply. He provided me quite a few help in my German, though I've almost forgotten all. And I'm unsure if that Kevin is as naughty and humourous as you are. At any rate, pls pass my appreciation to that Kevin for his help if you know him. Danke schön.

[księżycowy]

1) Vicchu is such a sticker!

2) FUBAR is U.S. military slang (WWII era, apparently!) that came to be used in common parlance. Similar to SNAFU and the like. I don't often hear either in casual conversation personally.

3) If intermediate is the threshold for BTG, that is FUBAR. I couldn't play then.

[vijayjohn]

That's true. You certainly don't have to be intermediate in the languages you're translating either to or from for BTG, just better at it than most other languages, more or less.