Thank you. Good night

January 18, 2009 9:33 AM

"Thank you" in 465 languagesAlso, Hello! in 800 languages, I love you in 89, How much does that cost? in 93, I don't speak [this language] in 58 and Go fuck yourself in 20.
posted by psmealey (53 comments total)

Go fuck yourself in 20.

But what is it in 6502 assembly language?
posted by Artw at 9:34 AM on January 18 [2 favorites]

Elif air ab tizak for the malicious pop-up on the last link.
posted by gman at 9:36 AM on January 18

Mshybzia, psmealey. Gmadlob!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:36 AM on January 18

"Kor-rovie khuy-ee" just means "cow dicks" in Russian, not "your mother sucks cow dicks." The full phrase would be: "tvoya mat' sosit korovie khuyee." That is all.
posted by griphus at 9:39 AM on January 18

去你妈的。
Qu ni ma de.
Chinese, last category.

The first sentence I learned to write in Chinese. Literally, it is more of a 'go be with your mother'.
posted by geekyguy at 9:46 AM on January 18

NB: Please replace "tvoya" with "vasha," if you are addressing a stranger or elder.
posted by griphus at 9:49 AM on January 18 [3 favorites]

what if you are asking a stranger/elder to suck a familiar cow dick? Or if you are asking a familiar person to suck a strange cow dick?
posted by spicynuts at 9:51 AM on January 18 [2 favorites]

The Spanish swearing seems like Spain Spanish, not Latin American Spanish. I mean, they didn't even include anything using "chupar" (to suck) or "chingar" (to fuck). Also, "pinche" is translated as "kitchboy". Is that even a word? What the hell is a "kitchboy"? From what I understand, "pinche" is basically like English "fucking" or "goddamn" as adjectives, e.g. "pinche puto" = "fucking (pick a slur for a gay man)" or "pinche guero" = "goddamn white boy".

Note: My knowledge of Spanish is limited almost entirely to Mexican swearing and drug slang.
posted by DecemberBoy at 9:58 AM on January 18

Eskimos have 20 words for snow, but MeFites have 20 ways of saying "go fuck yourself."
posted by grouse at 10:11 AM on January 18 [2 favorites]

Here's Cui Jian putting 去你妈的 to good use in his classic 宽容 [Flash animation accompanying ye tune]
posted by Abiezer at 10:16 AM on January 18

#5 Tabernac, choleque de merde: Thanks, you shit stained cum buckets

... Quoi?
posted by CKmtl at 10:18 AM on January 18

Also, here's the Chinese for "20 dollars, same as in town" in case you're on the receiving end of "how much does it cost?"
二十块，与镇里一样
posted by Abiezer at 10:20 AM on January 18

"Oh my god! There's an axe in my head" in 112 different languages.
posted by ardgedee at 10:22 AM on January 18 [3 favorites]

Go fuck yourself in 20.

But what is it in 6502 assembly language?

LDA #$47
STA $0800
LDA #$4F
STA $0801
LDA #$20
STA $0802
LDA #$46
STA $0803
LDA #$55
STA $0804
LDA #$43
STA $0805
LDA #$4B
STA $0806
LDA #$20
STA $0807
LDA #$59
STA $0808
LDA #$4F
STA $0809
LDA #$55
STA $080A
LDA #$52
STA $080B
LDA #$53
STA $080C
LDA #$45
STA $080D
LDA #$4C
STA $080E
LDA #$46
STA $080F
posted by D.C. at 10:22 AM on January 18 [5 favorites]

Ohboy, I never learned how to say "thank you, you shit stained cum buckets" in high school French. I always felt my vocabulary was somewhat lacking!

(This is awesome.)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:26 AM on January 18

(Minor qualm with the swearing post: I would really like a pronounciation guide for the Polish phrases. THNX.)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:28 AM on January 18

(Also, for my third comment in a row, this post is not complete without FAEN.)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:30 AM on January 18

So, Americans. As from tomorrow, your king is a black!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:31 AM on January 18

(Or maybe Tuesday)
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:32 AM on January 18

Ohboy, I never learned how to say "thank you, you shit stained cum buckets" in high school French.

You still haven't. "Tabernac, choleque de merde" is Quebecois, and it doesn't even come close to meaning "Thank you, you shit-stained cum buckets." "Tabernac" is an exclamatory swear word derived from "tabernacle" - nearly all Quebecois swear words are derived from artifacts of the Catholic church, .e.g, caudit (the chalice, from which another swear "calisse" is derived) hostie (the host), et al. These "church words" are not used in polite company and are considered pretty offensive. There are, however, less offensive variations you can use - "tabarouette" is the "motherfricker" version of "tabernac" for example.

I don't know what a "choleque" is though, honestly.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:41 AM on January 18 [1 favorite]

The I Can Eat Glass Project (about)
posted by djb at 10:48 AM on January 18

I don't know what a "choleque" is though, honestly.

I suspect that it's meant to be câlique, the one of the "Oh Fudge" version of câlice.
posted by CKmtl at 10:49 AM on January 18

Sacré colisse, I can't type for shit today.
posted by CKmtl at 10:55 AM on January 18

My hovercraft is full of eels.
posted by DreamerFi at 10:59 AM on January 18 [2 favorites]

nearly all Quebecois swear words are derived from artifacts of the Catholic church

Wow, that is a totally awesome and interesting fact. Here's an ostensibly accurate history and list/usage guide. Apparently, the Catholicism/swearing link evolved from "don't say that word, it's holy" into "words you aren't supposed to say" and then to profanity, and resentment over the Church's control over day-to-day life played a part as well. Similar swear words exist in Italian and Catalan, but not their entire system of swearing. This is easily the coolest thing I'll learn all week.
posted by DecemberBoy at 11:04 AM on January 18

Yeah, Québecois "church words" swearing isn't used much in polite company. When I was a kid in Montreal, my sweet, gentle Catholic anglophone mother would always say "sugar" instead of "shit" in English, but she was capable of scatology in French (telling us to "Mange la marde!"). But I don't remember ever hearing her say "calice". (My dad? He could reel off a twangy stream of blasphemy without taking a breath. He was an artist, really.)

"Chalice" is a medium big swear word. "Hostie", pronounced "oast-EE!", refers to the Communion host. It’s another medium big swear word. But over the years, people have stopped taking the swearing literally. In fact, the Montreal Archdiocese ran a major ad campaign a few years ago meant to bring people’s attention to the fact that these weren’t just curses, they really did refer to elements of the Mass.

The swearwords have persisted even though church attendance has plummeted in the past 40 years. Because of that drop, "when the young kids on the street are swearing, they don’t even know what they are swearing about," mused Monsignor Francis Coyle, pastor of St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal. "They’re baptized in church, and that’s about it."

Last spring, the Montreal Archdiocese commissioned an advertising campaign that erected large billboards in the city intended to shock and educate. Each billboard featured a word like tabernacle or chalice -- startling swearwords on the street -- and offered the correct dictionary definition for the religious term. Such as: "Tabernacle -- small cupboard locked by key in the middle of the altar" containing the sacred goblet.

And just last year a judge ruled that a man was innocent of swearing at a cop because he didn't use blasphemy.

A municipal court judge has ruled that a man who repeatedly tossed the expletive at two police officers during a confrontation was not swearing, because he wasn't taking God's name in vain. "While generally recognized as wrong, impolite and coarse, the words 'fuck you' do not at all constitute a blasphemy, since a blasphemy by definition invokes God or sacred things," Judge Pierre Bouchard said.

The recent decision led to the acquittal of the man, 37-year-old Charles-Yves Dupuy, who had been charged with obstructing justice. ... "It's not a curse word, it's an insult," the lawyer, Hélène Rouillard, said in an interview yesterday. "Cursing is saying things like tabernacle, calice, ciboire - everything that comes from the church. If I said calice de tabernacle to a police officer, he could give me a ticket."

posted by maudlin at 11:51 AM on January 18

Avast detected a browser hijack on a popup from the last link.
posted by aerotive at 11:57 AM on January 18

Yeah, the French swears seem pretty Québec-centric. As already commented above, alot of them use church-swear words that will only elicit bemused chuckles here in Paris and in most of the rest of la francophonie (the french-speaking world, not phoney franks).

I suggested an extra one in the comments on that post: "Nik ta mère!" (or, "Nique ta mère!"). I'm actually surprised that this wasn't included, considering how powerfully offensive it is around here. It borrows the verb for "fuck" from Arabic, and in most immigrant neighborhoods in Paris you don't joke around with this one. As far as I can tell, saying this effectively means, "And now, we fight."
posted by LMGM at 12:18 PM on January 18

Came for "Oh my god! There's an axe in my head", was not disappointed.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:37 PM on January 18

As already commented above, alot of them use church-swear words that will only elicit bemused chuckles here in Paris and in most of the rest of la francophonie

By the same token, I've seen old ladies in Quebec who blush at "ciboire" but describe their old television as "fucké" - which is on par with "a little messed up".
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:55 PM on January 18

Also, for sheer boldness and variety of profanity, you can't go wrong with Serbian (very, very NSFW).
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:12 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]

...and in terms of Puerto Rican knowledge of swearing in Spanish.

Well they're missing out on a few.

Vete para el carajo = Go to hell.
Hijo/a de la gran puta = Son/Daughter of the (great/grand/biggest) whore/bitch.

Yes, I realize that's a variation on one of the others, but I find to be a huge insult in PRican Spanish.

Also, where's cabron and pendejo? They're interchangeable, generally asshole/dick/jerk/jerk-off etc.

Tsk, failures at cursing in Spanish I tell you.
posted by lizarrd at 1:33 PM on January 18

I thought "verpisst dich" was the closest German equivalent to go fuck yourself. Anyone?
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:41 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]

heaven thunder weather? why?
posted by 5imian at 1:53 PM on January 18

A friend once told me what not to say to a bodybuilder on a Mexican beach--I cannot recall the exact wording in Spanish for the life of me--but the translation is along the lines of "that's a lot of dynamite for such a little wick."

Hint: think "steroids."

And for the record, Norwegian entry 13.5 wins.
posted by datawrangler at 2:00 PM on January 18

I thought "verpisst dich" was the closest German equivalent to go fuck yourself. Anyone?

My monkey-esque command of the German language would translate that as "Go drink yourself into a stupor."
posted by grapefruitmoon at 2:06 PM on January 18

Belgium!
posted by _dario at 2:55 PM on January 18

The most important phrase I know that I always try to learn before going on a trip somewhere is no thank you, I do not want (it). Because it seems like no matter where you go, people are always trying to sell you useless shit.

In Bahasa Indonesian, it's tidak mau, terima kasih.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:02 PM on January 18

Belgium!

Them's fightin' words.
posted by LMGM at 3:38 PM on January 18

also, I've noticed that pendejo has different levels of force depending on where you are in South America. In the farmland around Cartagena, Colombia, where my dad grew up, pendejo was a rarely-used insult that you might trot out against your buddies in an endearing way. He understood it as something light, like "jerk."

When he was in Mexico City, however, he discovered that pendejo usually ended in bullets (in the 1960s, at least).

I don't know if there's any swear word in the English language that shows the same variation in severity. Maybe "cunt," which all of my Scottish friends bandy about as if it were another word for "hello," but would not be uttered at the most libertarian dinner table in Central Ontario.
posted by LMGM at 3:43 PM on January 18

Ya hey, everyone, ya hey! [to Jack] I can say hello in a lot of languages. Not yours...
-- Midnight Run
posted by theredpen at 6:29 PM on January 18

PLEASE READ: A lot of what's listed below is EXTREMELY offensive... Oh goody goody. 5 swear words in Japanese... Okay. Number 3. Kisama: 'Lord of the donkeys'... Er, more like 'you bastard'. 4. Ahraywah ohmankogah skeeda: I enjoy pussy very much. Okay. this is not Japanese. It reads like something someone scribbled down in bar in New York after they drunkenly got talking to a Japanese salaryman. 5. Pai Pai: Breasts, nipples Well, maybe if you're 5 years old. This is about as offensive as 'boobie'.

Here's how to really swear in Japanese
posted by dydecker at 6:42 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]

Learning the everyday usage of a language: Spanish for your Nanny....
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 6:54 PM on January 18

Going off what theredpen said about the variations of the meaning of pendejo, in Chile it often means "childish" (more or less) which is hardly offensive at all.

I understand though, that it would've been a huge undertaking to include all the regional dialects in Spanish, though interesting to compare.
posted by nzydarkxj at 8:03 PM on January 18

When he was in Mexico City, however, he discovered that pendejo usually ended in bullets (in the 1960s, at least).

I consider myself an expert in Mexican slang and insults, considering it's my second native language and I grew up there. When it comes to several words that are considered insults, it's all about the intensity and method of delivery.

<>No seas pendejo<> Don't be a jerk. Don't act stupid.

<>No seas pendejo!<> YOU FUCKING IDIOT

A lot of people mistake pendejo's literal meaning to be "kitchen boy" or "kitchen assistant". This is incorrect. The literal meaning is pubic hair and comes from the latin pectinículus.


I understand though, that it would've been a huge undertaking to include all the regional dialects in Spanish, though interesting to compare.

I agree. Even regional differences in Mexico are extensive. One variance that has always amused me is Hijo de puta lit. "son of a whore". Not to be used lightly in Mexico, is used as a phrase of admiration in Argentina. eg "¡Que hijo de puta eres! !Que bien bailas! lit. "You are an amazing dancer!"

If you really want an interesting section of Mexican profanity, look into the art of a good albur. Alburear can turn into quite an art once you get good at it, albeit an extremely childish one.
posted by arwulf at 10:53 PM on January 18

It reads like something someone scribbled down in bar in New York after they drunkenly got talking to a Japanese salaryman.

Think this person doesn't speak most, if any, of the languages on this list. Aside from choleque (mystery word), this person doesn't speak French as I've ever heard it if he's spelled "mouches" as "mouces". Since when did a mouche become a vache?

I didn't know niquer is from the Arabic! My education continues apace... ;)
posted by Grrlscout at 11:42 PM on January 18

Just thinking... it's interesting how people are interested in compiling lists of obscenities or insults, but really practical things go by the wayside. A friend of mine makes a point of learning "Where is the toilet?" in every language she encounters. When you have to go, you have to go, no matter where you are. We need a list like that. After all, "fuck" is pretty universal, as an activity or sentiment!
posted by Grrlscout at 11:54 PM on January 18

A friend of mine makes a point of learning "Where is the toilet?" in every language she encounters.

"Where is the toilet?", along with the polite form of greeting someone, "Thank you", and "I don't understand/Do you speak [your mother language]?" are pretty essential, I'd say, and just good manners.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:57 PM on January 18

I've crossed paths with freshly-arrived gaijin in Japan who think they are cool because they learned the word "kuso" for "shit" and they go around looking for reasons to say it. "Kuso! Kuso!" they say, about as cool a toddler saying "fart" and thinking that's cool.

more interesting version of "go fuck yourself" in Japanese:


豆腐の角に頭ぶつけて死んじまえ。
Tofu no kado ni atama o butsukatte shinde shimae.
Why don't you go hit your head on the corner of a tofu block and drop dead.

Also, I like this Japanese way of saying someone talks too much:

から生まれた。
Kuchi kara saki ni umareta.
You (or he/she) were born mouth first.
posted by planetkyoto at 3:58 AM on January 19

i know a guy that learned how to ask, "Are you 18 years of age, or older?" in 10 languages.
wise man.
posted by jackanory stories at 4:23 AM on January 19

Ahraywah ohmankogah skeeda

Took me a few minutes to parse this one, his romaji is so bad: Ore wa omanko ga suki da.


Nice of him to tack on the honorific o- prefix to manko.
posted by emmling at 5:22 AM on January 19

So apparently "Aha!" is Arabic for "Shit!"
posted by Deflagro at 6:17 PM on January 19

Now I just need to know how to say "you fool" and my plan for world domination via Roxette will be nearly complete.
posted by Eideteker at 2:31 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]