Previous, Former, Last

These words look alike, right? Well, sometimes they are used in similar ways.

It depends on the context and the purpose of what you want to say.

The last president was not good at public speaking.
The previous president was also not good at it.
However, the former president was a bit better.

There is an order here.
"Last" deals with immediate/recent past.
"Previous" deals with before "last".
"Former" occurred any time in the past.

Former president, Ronald Reagan
Previous president, George Bush Sr. （1989-1993）
Last president, William Clinton (1993-2001)

Reagan -> Bush, Sr. -> Clinton -> Bush (Current President)

With adverbs, the words are different.
Previously is used to talk about something before another thing.
Lastly is used to talk about the last thing.

Previously, I told you about ... （前回、～について話しました）
Lastly, I want to tell you about...　　（最後に、～について話したいと思います）

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context : 文脈
adverb : 副詞

The Number 2 Thing to Look For In Boston

　" Pahkin yah cah in Hahvid Yahd aftah dahk."

Boston T-shirt phrases.　前出の記事を参照

This is one of the most famous of Boston English phrases. When I lived in another state, people asked me to say it to see if I had the accent. I don't!

The phrase has no other meaning.

The translation is:
Parking your car in Harvard Yard after dark.



Here is a view of Massachusetts Avenue, which goes past Harvard on the left.

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one of ~ : ～の１つ
the most ~ : 最も～な
famous : 有名な
phrase : 言い回し、表現、フレーズ
another : 他のもう１つの
state : ここではアメリカの州。　他に状態、地位などの意味がある
accent : アクセント、なまり　

" Pahkin yah cah in Hahvid Yahd aftah dahk."はボストンなまりを
表現したもので、正しいスペルではありません。
正しくは、"Parking your car in Harvard Yard after dark. "
意味はそのままで、特に深い意味は無いが、ボストンなまりが最も
顕著に出る言い回しとして、よく使われる。

Number 1 Thing to Look For in Boston

"The plate numbah of that cah on yah bumpah."

Boston T-shirt phrases.　前出の記事を参照

Did you figure it you what it means?

The plate number of that car on your bumper.

Boston drivers are famous for being impatient. The joke is that they drive very close to your bumper because they are in a hurry to get where they want to go. They are so close that sometimes you can't see the front license plate of the car! Don't worry. There are crazy drivers everywhere in the world, not just in Boston. :)

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plate : プレート、ここでは　license plate : ナンバープレートのこと
bumper : 車のバンパー
impatient : 短気
in a hurry : 急いでいる

※"The plate numbah of that cah on yah bumpah." は、
ボストンなまりを文字で表現したもので、正しいスペルではありません。
正しいスペルは、"The plate number of that car on your bumper."
that car は、前の車
on your bumper : バンパーにほとんど乗っている状態
ボストンの人々は車間距離をあけない、つまり運転が荒いことを皮肉っています。

Even on T-Shirts Ｔシャツにもボストン訛り

The Boston accent can be put on t-shirts as well. This one I found in a tourist shop in the North End. The title is "The Top Ten Things to Look Out For In Boston." See if you can figure out all ten. The answers are coming soon! Click on the picture to make it bigger.



The answer 1
The answer 2

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put on : 載せる、乗せる （ここでは載せる）
found ⇒　find : 見つける　（の過去形、過去分詞形）
look out for : 探す、見つける　

Is It English? Yes It Is Boston English! ボストン訛り

"The train foah Providence is boahding on track numbah foah."

This is the Boston-accent way of announcing trains at South Station.
"The train for Providence is boarding on track number four."

The key to Boston English is that the Rs are dropped after an A or an E.

So car is "kaah", center is "sentah" and so on.

Sometimes, if the R or the R sound is at the end of a word, it becomes an "ah" sound.

For and four become "foah."

Sound easy? More later!

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文中の""内の文は音声をそのまま表現しており、スペルは正しくありません。

Providence : ロードアイランド州の州都
accent : アクセント、訛り
→　dialect：方言、訛り（ややけなして聞こえる時もある）
dropped ⇒　drop : 落ちる　の過去形

sound ~ : ～に聞こえる、～なようだ
→ It sounds great. (Itは省略可→Sound great!）：それは素晴らしい。いいね。
→That sounds strange.　:それは奇妙だ。おかしい。