to whiffle

Of a bird it means descending rapidly from a height once the decision to land has been made, involving fast side-slipping first one way and then the other. The term is usually applied to geese (Anatidae), whose flocks whiffle spectacularly, especially when wishing to avoid a long, slow descent over an area where wildfowling is practised. It results in an aerial manoeuvre in which a bird flies with its neck twisted 180 degrees and its body upside down in order to achieve a rapid yet controlled descent. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-gooses-incredible-contortion-slow-down.html.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4j1tKVzicU:eek::D

Αμφιβάλλω αν έχουμε κάτι εξίσου «αεράτο» και παραστατικό. Ίσως μας βολεύει απλώς η «ταχεία κάθοδος». Οπωσδήποτε είμαστε και αναρμόδιοι...

Η ταχεία κάθοδος κοινά θα λεγόταν μάλλον βουτιά, όπως λέμε π.χ. για το γεράκι που εντοπίζει τον στόχο του και εφορμά. Θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί άνετα και το ρήμα βουτάω, αλλά φυσικά χρειάζονται συμφραζόμενα. Για τον ειδικότερο προσδιορισμό της κίνησης, θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμεύσουν λέξεις όπως σλάλομ, κυματιστός, ακόμα και ελικοειδής.

What is the meaning of ανεμοσέρνομαι; Could it be adapted to fit this context? I will enter it in the Greek-English section also, so that others can comment on it.

Ανεμοσέρνομαι is more like drifting in the wind. Βουτώ and βουτιά are good, though of course they cannot describe the specific technique which whiffle has been used to describe. We may have to add something for the position of the body, e.g. κάνω ανάποδη βουτιά. Of course, the video does not show anything rapid; what we see is a very leisurely affair.

Thanks Nickel. That's why the suggestion made by Kur. Stavrakos on ProZ of κατέρχομαι ταχέως σε ανάποδη θέση, explained as ταχεία ανάποδη κάθοδος/ταχεία κάθοδος σε ύπτια θέση is not quite correct despite the definition I originally gave. The problem is that something simple is required, otherwise you end up with a detailed definition rather than a neat rendering. Can Lexilogists think of a concise and comprehensible way of saying 'side-slipping'?

Side-slipping, which corresponds to πλαγιολίσθηση, wouldn't be very helpful in Greek either. Ανάποδο αργοκατέβασμα is more like it. Give us some time as we slowly descend on the right idea. Meanwhile, an impressive photo from the Telegraph:




[...]
"On closer inspection of the image I realised it had flipped upside down but kept its head the right way up.

"Quite a feat!"

Paul Stancliffe, of the British Trust for Ornithology, based at Thetford, was able to explain the bird's bizarre behaviour.

"It looks like this bird is in mid-whiffle," he said.

"When geese come in to land from a great height they partake in a bout of whiffling, this involves the bird twisting and turning to spill air from their wings and thus lowering their speed prior to landing.

"In 36 years of birdwatching I have seen this many times, particularly when watching pink-footed geese on the north Norfolk coast coming in to roost in the late afternoon and evening. I have, however, never seen a photograph of a bird in mid-whiffle like this. It is an amazing photograph."

Δεν είχα κοιτάξει τα λινκ και έπεσα έξω ως προς το είδος της κίνησης για το οποίο μιλούσαμε. Το ανάποδο αργοκατέβασμα μού φαίνεται πάρα πολύ καλό.

Καλήμερα και καλή χρονιά.

αργοκατέβασμα ταιριάζει με το slow descent.
We're referring here to a rapid descent.

Με το προκείμενο ελιγμό το πουλί προσπαθεί να πετύχει μάλλον ένα γοργοκατέβασμα ;

Although the flight speed is lowered, the result is a rapid descent.

Perhaps ανάποδο γοργοκατέβασμα (made up word) describes whiffle ?

Hi, Pontios! Nice seeing you whiffling back. Καλή χρονιά.

Αργοκατέβασμα, γοργοκατέβασμα, όλα είναι σχετικά σ' αυτόν τον κόσμο.

Hi Nickel and thank you !

I've decided to take the back-seat approach this year, I'll still chime in from time to time of course.
Theseus has just mentioned a term I wasn't familiar with.
This site is too addictive to ignore and there's plenty of good people contributing.

Συμπολίτη πόντιε, γοργοκατέβα από το back seat, I used to enjoy reading your posts.

cougr said:

Συμπολίτη πόντιε, γοργοκατέβα από το back seat, I used to enjoy reading your posts.

Click to expand...

Ωραίο ! Keep posting cougr.
.. perhaps I'll whiffle back on a more regular basis once I've settled into the new year and return to my normal routine.