it's for the birds cheap, cheap, cheap...

English translation: cheap (= inexpensive) sound like cheep (sound birds make)

15:57 Nov 8, 2020
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / play on words
English term or phrase: it's for the birds cheap, cheap, cheap...
What does "it's for the birds cheap, cheap, cheap... " mean?

*At the furniture store - bookcase


Store Keeper: How do you like that?

Customer: Normal kind of price, I think.

Store Keeper: Yeah, that's what I say, it's for the birds cheap, cheap, cheap...


Thank you
rezaproz
Iran
Local time: 19:27
Selected answer:cheap (= inexpensive) sound like cheep (sound birds make)
Explanation:
It's just a play on words, because in EN the generic noise birds make is rendered onomatopœically as 'cheep', which sounds like its homonym 'cheap', which means inexpensive (often with a negative connotation of low quality etc.)
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 16:57
Grading comment
Thank you
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5cheap (= inexpensive) sound like cheep (sound birds make)
Tony M
4 +2inexpensive
Bridgette Mitchell


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
cheap (= inexpensive) sound like cheep (sound birds make)


Explanation:
It's just a play on words, because in EN the generic noise birds make is rendered onomatopœically as 'cheep', which sounds like its homonym 'cheap', which means inexpensive (often with a negative connotation of low quality etc.)

Tony M
France
Local time: 16:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 309
Grading comment
Thank you
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
22 mins
  -> Thanks, Tina!

agree  Yvonne Gallagher
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Yvonne!

agree  writeaway: This will hold until someone posts an answer in Farsi https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english-to-farsi-persian/general-...
1 hr
  -> Thanks, W/A! I think Asker is just trying to understand the pun in EN so they can find a way to translate it.

agree  josué arno monjengue nkoum: to go on with the play of words it is also known that birds don't buy anything as in the Bible it is said ''if God feeds the birds that do not work nor pay, whatabout the human being...''
15 hrs
  -> Merci, Josué !

agree  AllegroTrans: Yes, the storekeeper clearly has verbal diarrhea
17 hrs
  -> Thanks, C! I think they think humour sells!
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
inexpensive


Explanation:
In the English language the noise birds or baby chicks make is often written as "cheep", which sounds just like "cheap" meaning not expensive. This seems to be a play on words, the shopkeeper is trying to say that the bookshelf is not expensive with a joke.

Bridgette Mitchell
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:57
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: yes but Tony got there first
1 hr
  -> Yes that is true, but our answers were 1 minute apart I think we typed them at the same time as there was not an answer yet when I started typing

agree  AllegroTrans
17 hrs
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