Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
(derigible: typo for) dirigible
English answer:
lighter-than-air aircraft
Added to glossary by
Tony M
Nov 10, 2013 19:27
10 yrs ago
English term
Hungary
derigible
Non-PRO
Not for points
English
Other
Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" season 2, episode 3: a man is picking up an envelope of a characters cut of the profits from a casino. The man handing the envelope says it was a slow night, the envelope is a little light. The other guy says:
"Light? It's a f***ing derigible!"
"You're gettin' a lot of use out of that line, I bet."
I was unable to find a correct meaning for derigible.
Could anybody help me? Thank you!
"Light? It's a f***ing derigible!"
"You're gettin' a lot of use out of that line, I bet."
I was unable to find a correct meaning for derigible.
Could anybody help me? Thank you!
Responses
| 3 +5 | lighter-than-air aircraft |
Tony M
|
| 4 +1 | dirigible (originallly a type of airship) |
Jack Doughty
|
Change log
Nov 13, 2013 17:52: Tony M changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/1141642">Bill Balla's</a> old entry - "derigible"" to ""lighter-than-air aircraft""
Responses
+5
1 hr
English term (edited):
derigible > dirigible
Selected
lighter-than-air aircraft
I feel sure this is a typo; it's a very common mistake for 'dirigible' (= able to be steered), which people mistakenly assume refers to an airship (only) — the point being that airships, ballons, etc. are lighter-than-air craft.
Hence he's saying, with typical hyperbole, that the envelope is a light as a balloon.
Hence he's saying, with typical hyperbole, that the envelope is a light as a balloon.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Charles Davis
2 mins
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Thanks, Charles!
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| agree |
David Moore (X)
12 hrs
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Thanks, David!
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| agree |
Ashutosh Mitra
17 hrs
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Thanks, Ashutosh!
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| agree |
Thayenga
: Spot on, Tony. Hope all is well. :)
18 hrs
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Thanks, Thayenga! Yes great, thanks — you too? :-)
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| agree |
jccantrell
: How I would see it, and I grew up an hour's drive from AC!
19 hrs
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Thanks, J-C! my father used to be an aero engineer, in the era of the airships (R101, Hindenberg, etc.)
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Comment: "Thank you!"
+1
1 hr
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
40
dirigible (originallly a type of airship)
Airships are of two kinds, rigid and non-rigid. The non-rigid are known as dirigibles. Both are obviously lighter than air, but the dirigible is lighter, because it does not have a rigid metal frame round the gas balloon that gives the airship its lift. I have never seen it in this meaning of "super-lightweight", but this must be what is meant here.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
: Yes, with qualification: 'dirigible' has nothing to do with rigidity, it refers to whether it can be steered or not.
25 mins
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Thank you. Yes, I should have recognised it as being from the French verb.
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Discussion