sen ton nin son

Galician

Etymology

Literally, “without (correct) tone or sound”. Compare Spanish sin ton ni son.

Adverb

sen ton nin son

1. without rhyme or reason
   • 1862, Manuel Magariños, Ferrocarril Compostelano:

     Non sei qué xuncras traguía na moleira o Seor Pedro, que o vin no outro onte carreirando, como un neno, e axuntando aos seus veciños, pra que onde ao seu palleiro fosen axiña a agoardá-lo; Eu non sei si un formigueiro de vermes lle boligaban entre os miolos dos sesos, pois semellaba a un doente, pro casi arrincando os pelos de debaixo da monteira, sin ton, nin son, e sin xeito; Eu non sei qué lle proía, eu non sei, si tiña o demo; porque os folgos eran fogos e os ollos dous candeeiros, e a cara toda prigada, amostrando os seus chavellos coa boca de un palmo aberta, babexado o fuciñeiro; parecía un estraloxe, un estraloxe de un vello

     I don't know what damned thing was bringing in his head Mr. Pedro, whom I saw the day before yesterday running around, as a kid, and gathering his neighbours asking them to come promptly to his barn and wait for him; I don't know if a colony of worms was scampering around the center of his brains, because he looked as a madman, almost pulling out the hair from under the hat, without rhyme of reason, and without care; I don't know what was itching him, I don't know if he was possessed by a demon; because his breath was fire and the eyes two lamps, and the face all folded, showing his fangs with mouth open wide, the snout drooled; he looked as a ravel, an old man's ravel

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “sen ton nin son”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega