English As She Is Spoke

June 13, 2003 7:45 AM

"We Take Your Bags And Send Them In All Directions", as displayed at a Copenhagen airline office, "No swimming allowed except in presence of the Savior", from a French swimming pool, and other finely worded examples of foreigners' endearing enduring assaults on the English language. [From Bifurcated Rivets.]
posted by MiguelCardoso (8 comments total)

[packs luggage]
In a Rome laundry:
Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.
[arrives in Rome with no luggage; then smiles]
Ready for a good time...
posted by thomcatspike at 7:52 AM on June 13, 2003

That list has been around the web for ages.

I have more fun with Hong Kong movie subtitles. I won't self-link here, but it's in the Dim Sum section at my site.
posted by bwg at 8:16 AM on June 13, 2003

Ha! Ha! Thanks, bwg!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:22 AM on June 13, 2003

www.MetaBifurcatedRivetsFilter.com
posted by matteo at 8:24 AM on June 13, 2003

engrish! engrish! engrish!
posted by eatdonuts at 8:29 AM on June 13, 2003

True, this has been around (and emailed) forever. Still, my favorite (not on this list) is:

If you consider our help impolite, you should see the manager.
posted by O9scar at 8:32 AM on June 13, 2003

*tootles Miguel with vigor*
posted by debralee at 8:32 AM on June 13, 2003

Yeah, not up to your usual standards, Miguel. Most of this stuff was catalogued by Richard Lederer (and others) long before the WWW existed. I did get a chuckle out of this, though:

As for the tripes serves you at the Hotel Monopol, you will be singing its praise to your children as you lie on your deathbed.

Most of the glitches are mere "engrish"-style mistranslations, but this - in what language is this sentiment not hilarious?
posted by soyjoy at 8:46 AM on June 13, 2003