Someone asked about the word 'fancy' and I realised there were quite a few uses of the word that people might not be familiar with. Try these out.
It tickles my fancy
"tickles my fancy" is not particularly an everyday phrase but means "I'm curious and I want to find out more".
A more common version uses the word "take". If I was reading the menu at a restaurant, a friend might say:
What takes your fancy?
= What looks good to you?
In England, fancy also gets used as the meaning 'like'.
Do you fancy going to the cinema?
= Would you like to go to the cinema?
Do you fancy her?
= Do you like her (and want to go out with her)?
You can also use it to express surprise.
Fancy that!
It can also means 'elaborate' or 'decorated'.
She wore a fancy hat
= the hat was decorated and rather amazing
It had a fancy cover
= The cover was elaborate or decorated
This use of 'fancy' can also be sarcastic or mean that you don't think very much of it. It can also mean that you think something has been too decorated or too elaborate or that someone is trying to show off or impress people and hasn't succeeded.
His shirt was a bit fancy.
= What does he think he looks like? I would never wear THAT!
I don't like his fancy ways.
= He thinks he is better than everyone else.
One common phrase where you use fancy is:
A little of what you fancy does you good.
= It's good to eat what you want to eat sometimes, even if it's not really good for you. (usually an excuse for too much chocolate/alcohol)
I wonder if anyone else has any uses for the word 'fancy'.
How would you translate these phrases into Japanese?
It tickles my fancy
"tickles my fancy" is not particularly an everyday phrase but means "I'm curious and I want to find out more".
A more common version uses the word "take". If I was reading the menu at a restaurant, a friend might say:
What takes your fancy?
= What looks good to you?
In England, fancy also gets used as the meaning 'like'.
Do you fancy going to the cinema?
= Would you like to go to the cinema?
Do you fancy her?
= Do you like her (and want to go out with her)?
You can also use it to express surprise.
Fancy that!
It can also means 'elaborate' or 'decorated'.
She wore a fancy hat
= the hat was decorated and rather amazing
It had a fancy cover
= The cover was elaborate or decorated
This use of 'fancy' can also be sarcastic or mean that you don't think very much of it. It can also mean that you think something has been too decorated or too elaborate or that someone is trying to show off or impress people and hasn't succeeded.
His shirt was a bit fancy.
= What does he think he looks like? I would never wear THAT!
I don't like his fancy ways.
= He thinks he is better than everyone else.
One common phrase where you use fancy is:
A little of what you fancy does you good.
= It's good to eat what you want to eat sometimes, even if it's not really good for you. (usually an excuse for too much chocolate/alcohol)
I wonder if anyone else has any uses for the word 'fancy'.
How would you translate these phrases into Japanese?
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コメント(19)
"Fancy" the noun, if I remember correctly, is a very oldfashioned (Germanic, non-Latinate) word for "imagination". So something that tickles the fancy is something that stimulates the imaginative faculty in some way. So it can be used in the context of like, interest etc.
The adjective is obviously descended from the noun. A fancy shirt is one that attracts your attention, after all.
The adjective is obviously descended from the noun. A fancy shirt is one that attracts your attention, after all.
I've just found a few more examples that didn't come to mind straight away.
1. Did you see Bill and his fancy woman?
Did you see Mary and her fancy man?
In this case "fancy man/woman" means lover.
2. He really fancies himself.
= He is really conceited
3. I saw it in the shop window and it caught my fancy.
4. We've taken a fancy to Greek food after our holiday.
= We've started to like Greek food because we tasted it when we were on holiday.
5. What are you going to do now you are footloose and fancy free?
= What are you going to do now that you don't have any commitments/responsibilities stopping you?
1. Did you see Bill and his fancy woman?
Did you see Mary and her fancy man?
In this case "fancy man/woman" means lover.
2. He really fancies himself.
= He is really conceited
3. I saw it in the shop window and it caught my fancy.
4. We've taken a fancy to Greek food after our holiday.
= We've started to like Greek food because we tasted it when we were on holiday.
5. What are you going to do now you are footloose and fancy free?
= What are you going to do now that you don't have any commitments/responsibilities stopping you?
Back to the "tickles my fancy." Phrase... It's interesting that in Britian this means something related to curiosity. In the USA, we've corrupted the meaning to be someaning like "I want/desire" or "sounds good" or "fullfills my desires"
Examples:
"I think I'll where pink, or blue, or whatever else tickles my fancy."
or
"Basically this website is a place for me to post my rants, pictures, and whatever else tickles my fancy!"
Someone might use it as "places I like to eat" as in "Restaurants that tickle my fancy" like this person:
http://www.yelp.com/list_details?userid=IgkDYXTO6XP7VGi6xIOJbw&list_id=9xp6QPylzXR8Y2GZ-hVHKQ
It is a common enough phrase that I think most people recognize it and know the meaning.
Examples:
"I think I'll where pink, or blue, or whatever else tickles my fancy."
or
"Basically this website is a place for me to post my rants, pictures, and whatever else tickles my fancy!"
Someone might use it as "places I like to eat" as in "Restaurants that tickle my fancy" like this person:
http://www.yelp.com/list_details?userid=IgkDYXTO6XP7VGi6xIOJbw&list_id=9xp6QPylzXR8Y2GZ-hVHKQ
It is a common enough phrase that I think most people recognize it and know the meaning.
Fancy! A very difficult word to translate into Japanese!
As you might have already realised, there isn't one Japanese word that can always cover this word. Here are some Japanese words that I think can work like ときめき as a noun, ときめかせる/胸（むね）を躍（おど）らせる/虜（とりこ）にする as a verb and すてき as an adjective.
But to be honest, those words would make you sound a bit posh or like a granny or even gay.
I'll think about it and post later again! (if only I can get some better ideas...)
As you might have already realised, there isn't one Japanese word that can always cover this word. Here are some Japanese words that I think can work like ときめき as a noun, ときめかせる/胸（むね）を躍（おど）らせる/虜（とりこ）にする as a verb and すてき as an adjective.
But to be honest, those words would make you sound a bit posh or like a granny or even gay.
I'll think about it and post later again! (if only I can get some better ideas...)
it's not really a word we use anymore though. especially with the younger generation...sorry i don't know how old you are.
using the word 'fancy' as in 'do you fancy her?' is used with teenagers.
the only other way we use it is fancy dress.
we only say things like 'tickle my fancy' in a joking way. it's never serious.
maybe you use it more in america. but not really in england. I wouldn't fancy saying it in public....lol
using the word 'fancy' as in 'do you fancy her?' is used with teenagers.
the only other way we use it is fancy dress.
we only say things like 'tickle my fancy' in a joking way. it's never serious.
maybe you use it more in america. but not really in england. I wouldn't fancy saying it in public....lol
I'm interested to hear George say that it isn't used any more. I'm quite surprised as I hear it all the time (well, often enough to think it's still common).
Do you fancy meeting up after work? would be a very common phrase as far as I'm concerned. May be "I really fancy a beer right now!" would also be commonplace to show that you really, really have the desire for the thing at that moment.
He is right that "Do you fancy her?" is a teenage thing or something said to a teenager by an adult when poking fun at them.
I agree that 'tickle my fancy' is a far less common phrase and I would use it for effect rather than in everyday situations. I might use 'take my fancy' a little more, eg when looking at a menu.
I'd forgotten 'fancy dress'. My little boy went to a fancy dress party on Friday!
Do you fancy meeting up after work? would be a very common phrase as far as I'm concerned. May be "I really fancy a beer right now!" would also be commonplace to show that you really, really have the desire for the thing at that moment.
He is right that "Do you fancy her?" is a teenage thing or something said to a teenager by an adult when poking fun at them.
I agree that 'tickle my fancy' is a far less common phrase and I would use it for effect rather than in everyday situations. I might use 'take my fancy' a little more, eg when looking at a menu.
I'd forgotten 'fancy dress'. My little boy went to a fancy dress party on Friday!
In the good ol' US we use fancy as in "elaborate" dress sometimes, too. We use that word as the opposite of plain. Plain<->Fancy. Mostly you'd say it to a little girl wearing a nice "fancy" dress or something. I've never really thought about it, but I guess fancy is kind of an interesting word. I wouldn't say that I use it regularly, but it is certainly used regularly by some people ;-)
I'm also in the US, and everyone I know only uses fancy to mean elaborate or expensive looking. If you used fancy as a verb in the United States, most people would probably be surprised and think you were either joking or just weird. It sounds like in Britain it's a more commonly used phrase though.
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