TheWordWire.com: Crazy Bird Playing the Game World Phone

Crazy Bird Playing the Game World Phone


Photo: Anywhoo

I'm just sitting here laughing like a crazy bird playing the game world phone.

Say again?

A crazy bird playing the game world phone.

That's apparently what a Greek person would say if he or she heard what I said from a Russian who heard it from a Filipino. At least, that's according to Google Translate.

Have you used this tool? It's a pretty fun distraction. I told it I was sitting here laughing like "a loony bird playing an around-the-world game of 'telephone,'" and asked it to translate the phrase from one language to another, then back to English.

The results are, well...

Job of government is to have enough. (close enough for government work.) Unless, of course, it's translating for Hilary Clinton...

In any case, I was so entertained by this little discovery that I tried a little experiment. Since several posts on TheWordWire have been about miscommunication, just for fun, I sent a few passages on a virtual inter-continental journey... Come with me as we get lost in translation.

From: Literal Translation Charades: Two Words, Sounds Like...

Original Passage:

This got me to thinking. I'd like to believe Americans could deal with this kind of self-deprecating humor, but I'm not sure it would fly. For example, the Spanish word "jale" (pronouncedha-le) means "pull" — you've probably seen it written on doors. The word "ween" — at least as far as I know in Mexican slang — is a euphemism for, let's say, rhymes with weenis.

From Chinese to French to Greek back to English:

This caught my reasoning. I would like to believe Americans can manage such a sense of humor, shy, but I do not know whether to fly. For example, the Spanish word "Jale" (pronounced Le-ha) means "pull" - you can see the writing on the door. The word "regulation" - at least as far as I know in the slang of Mexico - is a euphemism for, for example, children's songs and weenie.

From: Lunacy of Language

Original Passage:

"Would you please get Naked and...." She trailed off while trying to think of another title. Of course, without the benefit of punctuation in this conversation, I was as confused as the students in "Jesus Shaves." I stood there nonplussed.

"Get naked and what? Do the dishes?... Dance a jig?"

From Arabic to Hebrew to French back to English:

"Are you naked ... and out of this delay, when he was trying to think of another name. Of course, without the punctuation of this conversation, and I am confused, because even students of the book Jesus. He stood there confused.

"And if you're naked on the plate? Dancing a jig ...?"

From Slang in Any Language: I Ain't Lyin'

Original Passage:

Their expertise of both cultures provided a necessary bridge. For example, the father explained, the literal translation of "busting a cap" makes the Japanese think the song is about opening a bottle.

From Swedish to Croatian to Hindi back to English:

Cultures of both their expertise is a necessary bridge. For example,the father "of Japanese songs to think about a hat" makes literaltranslation of busting open a bottle for explained.