Facilitating Human Communication

The Lighter Side of Translation......

  • English Sign-Hotel in Japan "You are invited to take advantage of the Chambermaid."
  • Parker Pen "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you," was given a Spanish translation that meant, "It won't leak in your pocket and impregnate you."
  • The Dairy Association decided to take it's "Got Milk?" campaign to Mexico. Unfortunately the Spanish translation meant "Are you Lactating?"
  • Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken," was translated into Spanish as, "It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate."
  • Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called "Cue," which also happened to be the name of a pornographic magazine.
  • Ford Motor Company was perplexed when sales of the Pinto unexpectedly fell in Brazil.  They soon found out that "Pinto" is Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals."
  • English Sign at an Airline Ticket Office in Copenhagen: "We take your bags and send them in all different directions."
  • Scandinavian company Electrolux used this slogan in an American Campaign: "Nothing Sucks like and Electrolux."
  • Clairol marketed the "Mist Stick," a curling iron in Germany, only to find that in German, "mist" is slang for manure.
  • Car Rental Brochure, Japan: "When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn.  Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor."

Smile!!