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ABC of CzechThe touch wood lesson
Hello and welcome to Radio Prague's special Czech-language series focusing
on idioms about wild-growing plants. We've already done trees and their
parts, and today we won't go far from that topic - we'll be looking at the
words "wood" and "forest" in Czech phrases and idioms.
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WitnessDavid Talacko - a surreal misunderstanding
David Talacko was born and grew up in Australia, but his roots are here in
Prague. Like many people of Czech origin, he decided to settle in the
Czech Republic after the fall of communism, and he now runs a shop selling
sheet music in the heart of Prague's Old Town. When he first arrived in
Prague he had to make do with the nursery Czech he learned from his
parents, and this sometimes led to some amusing misunderstandings, as
David now recalls.
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ABC of CzechFowl play
Hello and welcome to the last farm-animals episode in our language-teaching
series featuring Czech countryside idioms. The only important animals left
are poultry - drubez.
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ABC of CzechMore than a pig's whisper
Thanks for joining us again in exploring Czech idioms featuring farm
animals. Today we look at the pig. Although reportedly one of the
cleverest animals, in language pigs are stuck with such unpopular
qualities as obesity, disorderliness, dirt and smuttiness - in every sense
of the word. Both the word prase - pig, and svinì - a swine, or an
obsolete word for a female pig - are terms of offence in Czech. While the
former refers mainly to poor hygiene habits and lack of decency, the
latter implies dishonourable, disloyal behaviour.
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ABC of CzechAs goat as it gets
It's time again to stroll around the Czech farm. Today we take a peek in
the goat pen. There we find a goat, koza, which also means a she-goat,
nanny goat; her mate kozel - he-goat, billy goat and the kids -
kuzlata.
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ABC of CzechSimply bovine!
Hello and welcome again to the Czech farm... and what kind of farm would it
be without cows, bulls, heifers, oxen and calves? All those animals were
so important to our ancestors that they coined many phrases using those
words. However, we must admit that a lot of them don't seem to be very
flattering for the animals. With the exception of the bull which is the
symbol of both a strong body and will, the rest of the family have a
reputation for not being very bright and their names have an abusive
meaning when applied to human beings.
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ABC of CzechEaster Czech-language special
Welcome to a special edition of Radio Prague's Czech-teaching programme,
today dedicated to Easter themes. Easter, Velikonoce, is the most
important Christian holiday, celebrated also by all those who are happy
that winter is over and spring has come once again. The word Velikonoce is
derived from the expression velká noc - meaning a "great night".
It comes from Greek and originally stood for the great day on which Jesus
Christ rose from the dead.
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ABC of CzechCat got your tongue?
Welcome again to our Czech-teaching programme. Last week we talked about
dogs, so today it can be nothing else but the cat - koèka. The word
stands for the whole species and also for a female cat. A male cat, a
tomcat, is kocour. Each of these words also has a secondary meaning: while
koèka is an attractive young woman, kocour, or even better starý
kocour, an old tomcat, means a lecherous old man. An interesting example
of language sexism there, favouring for a change the feminine gender.
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ABC of CzechBeware of the dog!
We are back with our Czech-teaching series focusing on animal idioms in the
Czech language. Today's episode is dedicated to man's best friend.
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ABC of CzechStraight from the horse's mouth
Hello and welcome to Radio Prague's Czech teaching programme. With the new
season we bring you a brand new series. As in our previous series, we'll
continue to explore Czech idioms but this time focused on nature. The
first part of our new series will concentrate on animal idioms - and as
you might have guessed from the jingle, farm animals will be first. And
today we start with the horse.
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