The Time in Spain

choi

The time in Spain | Out of Sync with the Sun... ...and knackered by it. Economist, Aug 13, 2016
http://www.economist.com/news/eu ... red-it-out-sync-sun

Note:
(a) knacker (vt): "(often as adjective knackered) informal : tire (someone) out; exhaust <you look absolutely knackered>"
http://www.oxforddictionaries.co ... can_english/knacker

(b) "IN THE summer, Spaniards enjoy their long evenings, having a drink at a pavement terraza before dining at 10pm or later. Yet the evenings are far longer than they should be: by local clocks, the sun sets an hour and 20 minutes later in Madrid than in New York City, though both are on the same latitude. That is because Spain (except the Canary Islands) is in the wrong time zone. Madrid is on a similar line of longitude to Swansea in Wales. Its clocks are set to Central European Time, the same as Warsaw or Tirana, some 24 degrees or 2,000kms (1,200 miles) to the east. * * * At this time of year those hoping for a stroll in the cool of evening at 8pm face an oven-like wall of heat."
(i) For definition of "terraza," see (c).
(ii) Swansea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea
(map)
(iii) time zone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone

(c) Spanish English dictionary
* terraza (noun masculine):
"1 terrace   [terrace has many definitions in English, one of which is: a level (as an adjective to mean 'flat') paved area adjoining a building]
2 sidewalk cafe"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/terraza
* largo (adjective masculine): "long"
            (noun masculine): "length"  (Compare: lago (noun masculine): "lake")
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/largo
* horario (noun masculine): "timetable, schedule"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/horario
* Español (adjective masculine; plural Españoles): "of Spain"

(d) "A second anomaly compounds the problem—the long lunch break. This dates from when cities were small enough to permit an afternoon siesta at home"

English dictionary:
siesta (n; etymology): "an afternoon nap or rest"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siesta

(f) "The upshot is that Spaniards sleep far less than the European average (41 minutes fewer * * * This also makes them less productive at work. * * * His [of Angel Largo of Arhoe] campaign wants Spain to adopt GMT (like its Iberian neighbour, Portugal)"
(i) ARHOE stands for "Asociación para la Racionalización de los Horarios Españoles."  Individual words are defined in (c).
(ii) GMT = Greenwich Mean Time