2013-09-17      Mid-Autumn: moon language

Most Hong Kong people pronounce "moon" as  "mun",  as in the character 門. But the correct pronunciation is "mooooon" as is "spoon", or as in the surname "Poon".  Mr Poon is not Mr P(門)n!

If you put "I see the moon" into Google you will find many different YouTube versions of a very popular song. "A blue moon" means a rare event:  How often does it rain in a desert? "Once in a blue moon".

In the movie "Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron", the Indian says that Spirit was behaving like a young horse in love...."like a moonstruck yearling". In Hong Kong not a few people engage in moonlighting: unreported employment, illegal work.

People who win the Mark Six are "over the moon", full of happiness.  I came to Hong Kong "many moons ago", a long time ago. "Reach for the moon" means to aim for high goals in life.  I wish all dear Ming Pao readers a Happy Mooooon Festival!