What is the English for this expression

[JACEK1]

Hello all users!

Suppose we are about to open a tin of beef, but to our surprise we find that there is very little beef in the total mass of the tinned food. Because of the scarcity of the beef in the food, I would like to say it properly enough for you to understand. In my country, it is customary to say, for instance, (in connection with the example under discussion) that "this tin did not even lie close to a calf (a young cow)" or "this tin did not touch a calf" or "there is hardly a trace of beef in this tin" or "this tin is not even closely related to a cow" or "this tin does not even smell of a calf".

What do you think?

Thank you.

 

[riquecohen]

It seems to me that all of your suggestions would be easily understood by a native speaker. I can imagine someone saying that "this can (AmE) has never been anywhere near a cow."

 

[JACEK1]

Are there any other humorous ways of expressing the same thought?

 

[emsr2d2]

I would have gone for "I don't think this has ever seen a cow".

This phrase would be closely followed by "I'll have to heifer word with the manufacturers" and then "Shall I see if we have an-udder one?"

 

[Amigos4]

I would have gone for "I don't think this has ever seen a cow".

This phrase would be closely followed by "I'll have to heifer word with the manufacturers" and then "Shall I see if we have an-udder one?"

Oh my! You Brits are such a funny bunch!!! :shock:

 

[MikeNewYork]

There was an American television commercial about small hamburgers. The tag line was "Where's the beef"? The elderly lady, Clara Peller, became a celebrity. President Reagan used the phrase to challenge an opponent's program in a debate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug75diEyiA0

 

[Raymott]

"I'll have to heifer word with the manufacturers"

That's veally funny!

 

[Raymott]

Suppose we are about to open a tin of beef, but to our surprise we find that there is very little beef in the total mass of the tinned food.

Do you understand the phrase, "to be about to do something"? It means you haven't done it yet. I think you mean "Suppose we have just opened a tin of beef and, to our surprise ..."

 

[JACEK1]

to be going to do something very soon:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/about_9?q=be+about+to+do+sth

 

[emsr2d2]

No-one is arguing with that, but Raymott's point is that if you were about to open​ the tin of beef, you would not yet know that there was very little meat in it. The contents are still invisible until you open the tin. While you are "about to open" the tin, it is still closed.

 

[JACEK1]

Yes, you are both right.

 

[JACEK1]

I should have written "Suppose we have just opened a tin of beef, but to our surprise we find that there is very little beef in the total mass of the tinned food".

 

[JACEK1]

I am sorry about the repetition but there must have been something wrong with my laptop.

 

[emsr2d2]

No problem. I have deleted your duplicate post.

 

[riquecohen]

It was actually Vice President Walter Mondale, not President Reagan, who used the line in a debate with Senator Gary Hart, as they vied for the Democratic Party's nomination to challenge President Reagan in the 1984 election.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Oops! You are correct rique. I confused that with other Reagan quips.

 

[riquecohen]

Oops! You are correct rique. I confused that with other Reagan quips.

And there's no shortage of them. http://townhall.com/columnists/john...e_40_best_quotes_from_ronald_reagan/page/full