Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

"Oops, that's not what I meant!"..Language boo boos

"Oops, that's not what I meant!"..Language boo boos

Old Sep 5th, 2000, 05:41 PM
  #61  
nice topper
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Keep them coming!
 
Old Oct 5th, 2000, 07:47 AM
  #62  
topper
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
up!
 
Old Oct 16th, 2000, 08:47 AM
  #63  
jbrooks
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Here's one that is a little x-rated.

My family hosted a foriegn exchange student one year from Denmark. He was fairly fluent in swedish, english, german and dutch besides his native Danish. But, He never let me forget his first day in the US with our family because my sister and I made fun of him saying three like "tree." we thought this was cute but he told us later that he would go up to his room and practice the "th" sound every night the first week he was there (Boy, I was sure mean at that age. Don't worry, he got me back.

A few years later, I traveled over to Europe and stayed with his family. We of course went out at night to the bars and clubs and when I inquired of him what "Cheers" was in Danish, he told me what it was (which I don't remember now) and I had no reason to think I was not raising my glass and toasting my danish counterparts. However, after a few nights of toasting and drinks, I got concerned becuase people were still laughing at the way I said it. Finally, one of his friend told me that I had been raising my glass and saying "Here's to having a threesome" or the french equivalent to 'menagez-trois" (sp?). So, I had made quite a fool of myself and he got me back for the torment I caused him!

Cheers!
 
Old Oct 16th, 2000, 04:31 PM
  #64  
nancy
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Thank you for adding to this post with your story on your danish friend.
This has to be one of my favorite threads (lots of laughs, nothing mean spirited)
Keep them coming to brighten up this
gloomy, rainy, cold New England evening.
nancy
 
Old Oct 17th, 2000, 08:18 AM
  #65  
Lesley
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
A friend of mine arrived at a small hotel in France and found the sheets hadn't been changed. So she went down to reception and demanded that they changed the "drapeau" immediately. Not surprisingly she got a rather puzzled look as she had just demanded that they change the flag. The french for sheet is "drap" - close, but not close enough.
 
Old Oct 17th, 2000, 08:57 AM
  #66  
Hunkster
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
We've just returned from a FABULOUS holiday in Japan & whilst the people are the friendliest, politest I've ever met some of their 'English' did give me a chuckle. There's a room in Hakata train station with a sign over it proclaiming 'Excellent Room', on the door itself there is ornate gold lettering that says ( what else ) 'Excellent Room' - I popped my head round the door for a peek - it was excellent (!). Next to our hotel in Kyoto was a building that called itself 'Luminous Nose' ( I kid you not ! ). On the wall of our bathroom ( in Akita I think ) was a little notice which ( I think ! ) was asking people to ensure the bathroom door was closed when taking a shower or the steam might set the fire alarm off - what it ACTUALLY said was 'Please close a door or take bath, it's time to close a door or we will ring sound fire alarm'.
We had a complimentary razor from another hotel who's packaging assured us that it was 'Good material for your fitness life'. At the Disney Ambassador Hotel in Tokyo ( hands up all those other people who didn't know Tokyo has a Disneyland ? - it's great ! ) I asked a gentleman if there was anywhere I could use the Internet. His answer was 'Problem being, no'.
 
Old Oct 18th, 2000, 03:17 AM
  #67  
Maggie
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
If you've ever been to Spain and read the translations of menus, you will know that they are sometimes very funny. My favourite is this one. Small explanation first. Rape (pronounced rappy) is a kind of fish and a favourite way of cooking it is to grill it on a hotplate or griddle. In Spanish, this is called Rape a la Plancha. Someone had evidently used a dictionary to try to translate this, couldn't find rape so had left it in the original Spanish, and had found "plate" for griddle. So the dish got translated as Rape on the Plate!
 
Old Feb 10th, 2001, 05:33 PM
  #68  
topper
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
top
 
Old Feb 11th, 2001, 07:52 AM
  #69  
nancy
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Someone found this! and topped it.
Topping again, anything new to add?
 
Old Feb 11th, 2001, 08:25 AM
  #70  
Quicksilver
Guest
 
Posts: n/a


I am laughing really, really hard! I have nothing that can hold a candle to some of these stories... but once I did ask a cabbie for a recipe instead of a receipt ("recette," when I should have said "reçu"). He thought it was good for a laugh, anyway!

- Quicksilver -
 
Old Feb 11th, 2001, 12:21 PM
  #71  
Doug
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
First of all, let me point out that I had to repeat German III in high school. I hated language class but had to take it to go to college. When I grew older, much older, I took a free trip to Germany and fell in love with the people and country. In fact, we visit as often as possible. One time we decided to eat at a rather fancy restaurant in our hotel (Usually we are the poster couple for budget travel). The waiter was very formal and German proper. I gave the usual "Guten Abend" and "Danke" replies to whatever he was saying and he finally said auf English "Your German accent is very good". Buoyed by his praise I ordered a nice Mosel in German. After we had eaten and drained our glasses, the waiter asked if he wanted more to drink. Stupid me, wishing to say, "Yes, we'll have another" replied "Ja, ein andere bite". The waiter got very flustered and called over the manager. I wasn't sure what they started jabbering about until the waiter brought over a brand new bottle. Apparently I said "I'd like an other" like the first bottle wasn't up to par. The waiter and manager finally figured it out too and then told me to speak English from then on. By the way, we didn't have to pay for that second bottle.
 
Old Feb 17th, 2001, 08:49 PM
  #72  
Brett
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
While in Japan I decided to show off to my japanese fluent brother-in-law with some of the simple phrases I had learned for my trip. I meant to ask the waitress for a little more tea (Mo scochi ocha o kudasai) but instead asked for "ochi" which I learned meant I was asking for a little more of this sh*t...very smooth of me.

I have a pretty basic knowledge of American Sign Language and was introducing myself to a doctor who I knew was deaf. The sign for "to meet" is similar for the sign "to have sex with." Unfortunately, instead of telling her it was nice to meet her I told her "I had heard about her and it was nice to have sex with her". Yikes!
 
Old Feb 17th, 2001, 10:52 PM
  #73  
ldsant
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
This is a bit risque. . .

This past winter when I was in Paris, I was trying to use as much French as possible (which, is highly limited). I depended upon my phrase book for a lot. One night at dinner I was trying to tell the waiter that I was "full" and didn't want anymore food. I looked at him and said Je suis . . .He looked back with a bemused look and stared. I repeated it again (very proud that I was using French). He then took the guidebook and pointed out that the word I was saying was actually ABOVE the word for FULL and I was, in fact, saying "I was f---!" I was sooo embarrassed but he found it pretty funny. . .
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 06:36 AM
  #74  
Rex
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
to the top - - for linda (jreills)...

Postscript: If this forum had an easier way to locate and direct readers to a specific (previous) posting by a unique identifier (timestamp), it would not be necessary to top (and repeat) information so tediously. This is my new crusade, and I am thinking about adding this postscript (when applicable) to every new reply I make here. If you agree with me, then please write to Danny Mangin or David Downing - - [email protected] - - and encourage them to move forward with this improvement (and any others they have up their sleeves) to this best-on-the-web travel forum!
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 10:18 AM
  #75  
Sue
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Living in Paris, I met up with a former college classmate had seemed much more fluent in French than the rest of us because he had gone to Swiss boarding school. But at dinner that evening, he asked the waitress "Ou est la salle de bains? (literally bathroom, instead of "toilettes") She tartly replied, "Pourquoi? Vous voulez prendre un bain?" (Why? You want to take a bath?)

A former student went to his Mormon mission in Mulhouse, and his new roommate had a terrible sore throat ("gorge") so the roommate asked him to go to the pharmacy and ask for some throat lozenges, which he assured him was "soutien-gorge." Needless to say, the druggist got a big laugh out of this young man asking him for a bra.
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 10:42 AM
  #76  
mark
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I had to laugh about the Hungarian "egeszseggedre" (=to your whole ass) vs "egessegedre" (=to your health). I'm taking Hungarian lessons and am returning to Hungary in May. So much for feeling even the slightest bit confident in what little I know. If your wondering the difference - "sz" sounds like "s" while "s" sounds like "sh". "Eg-es-sheg-ge-dre" vs "eg-esh-she-ge-dre"
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 10:43 AM
  #77  
D.s
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
In Schiphol International, the Netherlands,there are 2 PRINTED translations for the hi-tech toilet, one in Dutch, and one in English, for pushing the "flush" button. The person who wrote the sign was obviously Dutch.
"press here for toilet cleaner" after about 2 minutes, I finally found out!
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 10:49 AM
  #78  
D.s
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Toilet SEAT cleaner
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 11:42 AM
  #79  
Steve Mueller
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Not European, but still funny example of "lost in the translation." At Narita Airport near Tokyo, there is a sign near a set of stairs that in Japanese clearly says "Authorized Personnel Only," the English translation, however, says "Concerned Persons Only."
 
Old Mar 10th, 2001, 12:09 PM
  #80  
marsch
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
For Hunky: Definitely do not order "huevos" to eat in Mexico. It is slang for testicles. Blanquillos is a commonly used euphemism in some places. "Cojones" refers to the same body part.
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -