Hey Nodal Nim,
I love your idea of making the dictionary. Perhaps we can do the same “piggy-backing” sandbox play for that that we did with e-prime sand box.
Like, one person puts up a common phrase like, “What time is it?”
And than the next person gives 5 ways of saying it in e-prime. Than that person leaves another common phrase in B-english for the next person to write 5 translations to e-prime.
That sounds great! I will transfer th translations we come up with to th dictionary, then. As you suggested, about five variants seems reasonable for most phrases. They needn’t translate literally: for example, “You’re welcome,” can become, “My pleasure”, “No problem”, “Any time”, “You betcha”, etc.
If anyone thinks of good translations for older examples in th thread, feel free to mention them as well.
So I’ll start by answering Urban Scout’s example.
B-English:
What time is it?
E-Prime:
Do you have the time?
What time has it become?
The time, please?
Will you tell me the time, please?
I would like to know the time.
My B-English Challenge:
This is Sally calling.
Oh, fun!
(Some of my solutions assume that the person to whom Sally speaks already knows her well; others assume that they haven’t met or that they don’t know each other on informal terms.)
You can call me Sally.
Sally here.
You’ve received a call from Sally Sterling. (e.g., in a voice message)
Hi Taylor! Say hello to your Aunt Sally!
You know me as Sally. (ooh, mysterious)
My B-English challenge…
Who is that?
Hmm, maybe we could start another thread for Phrases of Speech Challenge. 
Lets add this new game to the e-prime gaming sandbox! Wanna?
Scout, do you mind if I copy and paste your new game ideas in that thread? And, Silver Arrow, mind if I try to answer your quesiton there?
Wouldn’t that make Sandbox rather complicated, to have two chains at once weaving in and out?
I, for one, would prefer to start another thread and call it something related to “Sandbox,” like Playground, Jungle Gym, Hopscotch, Leapfrog, etc.
And, yeah, in the new (and/or other) topic you can totally answer my challenge and start where we left off here, NS.
B-English:
Who is that?
E-Prime:
Do you recognize her/him?
Can you identify her/him?
Who goes there?
Tell me about her/him.
What name does she/he go by?
My B-English challenge:
Why are you always like this?
In my humble opinion, using words like always, all, everyone, everything, nothing, never, none tends to have a similar effect to using to be, by making an absolute unprovable statement. So can we rephrase this without using always?
Also, th phrase above, as written, can have a psychologically damaging effect on th person who hears it: “Yeah, why am I always like this? There must be something wrong with me…” Can we remove those thorns in our translation as well?)
[quote=“Nodal Nim, post:7, topic:673”]My B-English challenge:
Why are you always like this?[/quote]
Why did you ‘do that’ (or a specific action)?
what prompts you to act like that/this?
Geez Fenris… You forgot to add your own challenge! 
So I’ll take your challenge and add another!
My B-English challenge:Why are you always like this?
In E-prime:
[b]Why do you continue to act like this?
What makes you think this behavior works for me?
What motivates you to behave this way?
I don’t understand why you act the way you do. Can you please enlighten me?
Please tell me why you seem to never change?
[/b]
And my own B-english challenge:
Star Wars is cool.
(Remember, add 5 responses and than your own challenge)
Star Wars rules the cosmos.
So many people like watching Star Wars.
I’d have Star Wars’ baby.
Star Wars sets the standard for truth, beauty, enlightenment, wisdom and everything most excellent and fair.
I would describe Star Wars as “cool.”
Next challenge:
Is that a weasel or a mink?
B-English Challenge:
Is that a weasel or a mink?
E-Prime Translations:
Did you see a weasel or a mink?
Would you call that a weasel or a mink?
I think I saw a weasel or maybe a mink?
Does that look like a weasel or a mink to you?
…Weasel or mink?
My B-English Challenge:
What the fuck was that!?!
B-english challenge:
What the fuck was that?
E-prime attempts:
What the fuck did we just perceive?
I do not have the capibility neccessary to identify what the fuck happened, would you clear it up for me a bit, please?
The… the thing… the recent thing… what the fuck do you know about the thing?
Can you tell me what the fuck went down before my unknowing eyes?
I have yet to fucking figure out what the fuck, have you?
My challenge:
Is that true?
Richard’s B-English challenge:
Is that true?
My E-prime Translations:
[b]1. You lie…? (sceptical sounding)
No way!?
That doesn’t sound true (or that sounds like a lie).
How can I trust you (or what you say)?
But can you prove it?[/b]
My B-English challenge:
How are you?
Scout’s B-English challenge:
How are you?
My translations:
[b]How do you do?
Howdy-do?
How doth it hang, citizen?
Que paso? (cheating!)
One word check-in!
Howdya?
[/b]
You know in Hawaiian slang (this may or may not come from hawaiian pidgin), they say ‘Howzit?’. I’ve always liked that, even though it has an implied ‘to be’.
I actually vote for ‘Howdya’, as in ‘how do you?’. I hear folks already say this, ‘howdya do that?’, and wouldn’t it work great for our own pidgin e-primitive ‘hello’?
My B-English Challenge:
Is that your Dad?
ha ha, really? me too 
[quote=“yarrow dreamer, post:15, topic:673”][quote author=SilverArrow link=topic=720.msg8512#msg8512 date=1204061270]
I’d have Star Wars’ baby.
[/quote]
ha ha, really? me too ;)[/quote]
Imagine! It could say things like, “Yeah, I’ve got an exotic ancestry. One-quarter Wookie, one-eighth Ewok, half Earth-human, and an eighth Dark Lord…” 
Willem’s B-English Challenge:
Is that your Dad?
My translations
[b]How does he relate to you?
Did he father you?
Do I see your dad standing there?
I’ve never met your dad. Can you point him out to me?
That man looks like your dad![/b]
My challenge:
I’m sorry
Challenge:
I’m sorry
Possibilities:
I apologize
Please don’t let what I did offend you
Forgive me
I made a mistake
I regret my actions
My challenge:
Where are we?
Challenge:
Where are we?
Possibilities:
[b]Do you recognize this place?
Did we lose our way?
Do you know the name of this place?
Have we arrived?
Do you know the way from here?
Where have we located?
Where do we stand right now?
[/b]
I want to hear someone else’s response to this too! No follow up challenge from me.
If no one minds, I’d like to add a few more to “Why are you always like this”. Not to undermine anyone else’s response; I just think this particularly civilized phrase needs plenty of consideration :).
[b]I feel angry when you do that.
I feel like this behavior causes a problem. Can we talk about it?
You behaved this way in the past, and I have to admit it still annoys me.
It seems like you automatically react by doing this. Can you tell me about it?
You always act like a bitch! I hate you! [/b] (Okay, that one didn’t feel very productive, but I did translate it into e-prime :P.)