In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”
Posted in Cross Cultural Business Blunders, Figures of Speech Errors
Tagged Taiwan
In 1988, the General Electric Company (GEC) and Plessey combined to create a new telecommunications giant.
A brand name was desired that evoked technology and innovation. The winning proposal was “GPT” for GEC-Plessey Telecommunications (a not very innovative name and not suggestive of technology and a total disaster for European branding).
In French, however “GPT” is pronounced “J’ai pété”, meaning: “I’ve farted”.
Source: Jem Shaw at i18nguy.com
When I lived in Spain, I taught some English classes to Spanish-speakers in the university. One day, I asked a student, who was just arriving to class, how he was. He answered, “un poco constipado.” A strange look must have come over my face because he quickly added, “la nariz, la nariz …” I remember it being funny as I’d automatically jumped to a conclusion of what I thought he meant, without knowing at all.
Posted in Language Mistakes
In Chile, they eat a salsa called pebre. When I first visited Chile and was beginning to learn some basic Spanish, I asked a person at the table to “Pasa la pobre, por favor”. Instantly, everyone at the table erupted into laughter. I’d asked for the poor people to be passed to me.
Posted in Language Mistakes
My wife and I visited London with our young children (ages 7 and 5) . We went to Madame Tussaud’s and saw four wax musicians around a couch (The Beatles).
I asked my kids if they knew who the 4 were and my son blurted out, very loudly, “The Monkeys.” Everyone around us just cracked up.
Source: Paul from RickSteves.com
My family and I were living in Italy for a year, when my son’s daycare sent us a notice that there was an incident of pinworms (“ossiuriasi” – in Italian), and recommended all children and their families ask their pharmacists for preventative medicine.
Upon explaining the situation to my pharmacist, he could not understand why I was getting medicine for the whole family. “But it’s not contagious”, he kept telling me. I tried to explain to him that in Poland, where I am from, it IS contagious and tends to spread easily among family members. With a confused look on his face, he finally said “I’ll have to see it. Show me.”
I was absolutely shocked that my pharmacist was asking to see my rear end, but figured this was the only way to get the meds, and began undoing my belt buckle.
Upon seeing that I was about to pull my pants down, he said “wait – do you mean “ossiuriasi”?”
At the same moment, we realized the misunderstanding: he had understood “psoriasi” – (psoriasis – a skin disorder), and was asking to see my elbow, NOT my bare bottom.
Submitted by Jacek & Dana Kalinowski
Culture & Lifestyle by GlobalPost
