The strange shrieks of theatrical monsters often don’t require translation.

And a quick trawl of Spanish collections of phonetic equivalents, the closest many of the natives get to learning a foreign language.

Mr Muñoz Soliva postulates the participation of some peculiarly phurtive Phoenicians.

And an explanation of why “La gata sobre el tejado de zinc” is, in metallurgical-roofing terms, an inappropriate translation of “Cat on a hot tin roof”.

Our itinerary, and that of Polo Polo on his Viaje a España.

Advertising on the cheap, and the joys of squatting.

A bit of free association, or rambling, as it is more widely known.

Link love for 05/06/2009.

Drinking, driving, cursing.

Promotes law as a truth-telling device.

But where does the buck stop?

Spanish entries from the 1811 Dictionary of the vulgar tongue, with some fanciful etymological speculation and a mercifully brief bout of bar-room anthropology.

After years of shilly-shallying, will France finally stand up to American fartpower?

Assuming RW’s liver survives the test.

Minsheu’s Pleasant and Delightfull Dialogues: where did he get all that horseshit?

The cases of Spain and Holland.

Stallholders in Vilafranca del Penedès are slashing prices, but don’t let greed get the better of you.

Kalebeul’s investigation into Vosk and the Na’kuhl temporal conduit yields some surprising results.

It’s looking good, and who the hell cares if it’s unconstitutional?

Italy vs England.