# Mis-Translations R US **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757 "2003-06-10T01:25:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/1 "2003-06-10T01:25:20Z")
For those furren speaking Dopers, or dopers with foriegn friends, do you have any funny anecdotes of words that They Say that Translate differently in your own language? An example: The Telly tubbies have a character named **Po**. Po in german slang means butt. This has caused all our german inlaws to want a Po doll. In German, the word **Fahrt** means **Trip**. To say, " Habe eine gute fahrt" (Have a nice trip) Sounds to us, " Have a nice fart." Hilarity ensues. From the Pit. \*\* > [@](#): > > I’m rather tired and **Hummer** means **Lobster in German** Naturally, I will check with my kraut sources on this, but it just cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/2 "2003-06-10T01:44:37Z")
Whenever a school office delivery kid comes into my German class, my teacher baffles them with German and sends them off with “habe eine gute fahrt!” ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/3 "2003-06-10T01:50:01Z")
The number 6 is **sex** in Swedish, and ‘good’ is **bra**. The humor writes itself. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/4 "2003-06-10T02:25:54Z")
There was something in ananova about how Ikea had a children’s bedset that from Swedish to German was either _fucking_ or _Good Sex_. I cannot remember. And, the best part was that the name was actually a town in Sweden somewhere. Ino, help? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/5 "2003-06-10T02:28:05Z")
[Found It](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_771460.html) Ananova: Ikea’s new bed shares name with German obscenity Ikea has apologised after accidentally naming a child’s bunk bed after an obscene German expression. The Swedish firm didn’t realise the problem until after the £110 bed went on sale across Europe. The wooden bed is called the **“Gutvik”** which means **"Good f** \*"\*\* in German. But the Swedish firm’s adverts for the bed were hastily withdrawn from windows and papers after it was pointed out to bosses what the words meant in German. IKEA spokesman Sabine Nold, 40, said: "Yes, we do have a bed of this name that is on offer in our stores at the moment. _“It is the name of a tiny Swedish town. We did not realise that it could also be taken as something obscene.”_ She says the 10,000 articles in the IKEA catalogue have the same names the world over and occasionally a word might have a different meaning in a different language. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/6 "2003-06-10T02:35:07Z")
I got these from various **Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers** that I have at home: **Lost in Translation** **The Dairy Association** : Taking their “Got Milk?” campaign to Mexico, they translated their slogan into Spanish. Unfortunately, it came out as “Are you lactating?” **Johnson Wax** : When Johnson introduced their furniture cleanser Pledge into the Netherlands, they didn’t know that Pledge means “piss” in Dutch. According to one source, audiences in Lebanon were going to see _Titanic_ because the title in Arabic slang translates as _Let’s Have Sex_. What Brazilian would have admitted to driving a Ford Pinto? It turns out that Pinto is slang in Portuguese for “small male genitals.” Ford changed the name in Brazil to “Corcel,” which means _horse_. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/7 "2003-06-10T03:03:47Z")
I use to know a guy who worked for a company called : Michigan Oven Company. MICO for short. When their shipment went to Mexico, the guys down there would all twitter. Mico is slang for booger. Isn’t **Nova** spanish for **Won’t Start**? ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/8 "2003-06-10T03:11:20Z")
Nova = No va = No go. 1st year spanish student chiming in. If there are any actual spanish speakers that would care to correct me, feel free. ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/9 "2003-06-10T03:14:55Z")
I would just like to point out that I made my 111th post at 11:11. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/10 "2003-06-10T03:25:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by XWalrus2 \* > Nova = No va = No go. 1st year spanish student chiming in. If there are any actual spanish speakers that would care to correct me, feel free. Would a [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm) cite do? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/11 "2003-06-10T04:44:47Z")
[sub]lno, not Ino! lno lno lno![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/12 "2003-06-10T07:30:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shirley Ujest \* > \*\*I use to know a guy who worked for a company called : Michigan Oven Company. MICO for short. > > When their shipment went to Mexico, the guys down there would all twitter. Mico is slang for booger. > > \*\* I have never heard of Mico = booger. Moco = booger. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/13 "2003-06-10T07:50:24Z")
In re the Ikea bed, Fick not vick is the German, although I can see how the pronc. is close enough… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flamsterette\_X \* > According to one source, audiences in Lebanon were going to see _Titanic_ because the title in Arabic slang translates as _Let’s Have Sex_. I seriously doubt this. First, while the particle at the end, “nic” can be heard as “fuck” in Arabic, the word itself, Titanic, does not convey the phrase, let’s fuck in any ordinary way of saying the word. Nor did I ever hear any such thing, and I would expect I of all people would have. Did some kids find a way to deform it? Probably, but it’s not something that leaps to mind with the name Titanic. Now the name Niki/Niky/Nicky – well that does sound like “Fuck me” in the imperative. Advice to travelers, don’t use this nickname / shortening in the Arab world. Rather more real, the Afro-pop group Zap Mama raised some titters on its tour as the name, when said by Arabic speakers, comes real close to “Mom’s Dick.” ---
**Author:** ![pierre72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@pierre72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pierre72)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/14 "2003-06-10T08:14:13Z")
I heard, and PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s too good a story to be false… A couple of years ago, (UK soccer team) Arsenal were sponsored by Sega. So Sega was the name writ large across their shirts. They qualified for the European cup, and therefore played teams from France, Italy, Spain and so on… Trouble was… Apparently (and I’m no linguist, so have this only on hearsay), Sega means “wanker” in Spanish… Ad that’s why their European shirts sponsors got changed post haste to “Dreamcast” Not having that? OK. An English friend of mine works in Germany in office A-06. Which in German in A Nol Sechs. Anal Sex. Geddit?? ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/15 "2003-06-10T12:23:43Z")
“Art” in Dutch is “Kunst” seen any nice Kunst lately? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/16 "2003-06-10T12:27:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pierre72 \* > \*\*I heard, and PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s too good a story to be false… > > A couple of years ago, (UK soccer team) Arsenal were sponsored by Sega. So Sega was the name writ large across their shirts. They qualified for the European cup, and therefore played teams from France, Italy, Spain and so on… > > Trouble was… Apparently (and I’m no linguist, so have this only on hearsay), Sega means “wanker” in Spanish… > > Ad that’s why their European shirts sponsors got changed post haste to “Dreamcast” > Not having that? OK. > > \*\* Well, not exactly. they always had “Dreamcast” on their home jerseys, and “Sega” on the Away change strip. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/17 "2003-06-10T12:48:46Z")
In Afrikaans the word _vak_ means “subject” - as in a subject that you would take at school. The “v” is pronounced as an “f”, mix with teenage hormones and hilarity ensues… Grim ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/18 "2003-06-10T12:53:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flamsterette\_X \* > \*\*I got these from various **Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers** that I have at home: > > **Lost in Translation** > > **Johnson Wax** : When Johnson introduced their furniture cleanser Pledge into the Netherlands, they didn’t know that Pledge means “piss” in Dutch.\*\* Huh?? Sorry, but **Pledge** does not translate as “piss”. The dutch word for piss is “plas”, which is not pronounced anything like pledge. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flamsterette\_X \*\*\* > What Brazilian would have admitted to driving a Ford Pinto? It turns out that Pinto is slang in Portuguese for “small male genitals.” Ford changed the name in Brazil to “Corcel,” which means _horse_. > > F\_X \*\* Well, the part about a “pinto” being small male genitals is correct. Little boys have what is usually called a “pinto” in Brazil. However, the trailing “o” is pronounced more like the “ou” in the word “you”. Also, Corcel does not translate as horse. Corcel is some made up name. A horse is a “cavalo”. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/19 "2003-06-10T13:00:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flamsterette\_X \* > I got these from various **Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers** that I have at home: My husband has one of those at home. After flipping through it and catching a few errors, I wouldn’t trust most of the information in it outright. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757/20 "2003-06-10T13:23:31Z")
Actually, **Mycroft** , “corcel” IS a _Spanish_ word for horse, though a bit affected – I think it would be close to “steed”, usage-wise. No idea, however, if it applies to Portugese. BTW, I have no idea where in the whole _hispanidad_ would “sega” mean “wanker”. “Él es un sega”??? Makes no sense. :dubious: As **Bad News Baboon** pointed out, “mico” has nothing to do with boogers. “Mico” is slang for “monkey”. However, **Shirley** , may I point out the “Michigan Oven Company” _could_ be abbreviated _[M.O.Co](http://M.O.Co)._ and then the booger joke would apply… so apparently someone flubbed the retelling of what started as a good story.🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mis-translations-r-us/180757.md?page=2)