# The Simpsons in other lands: Ned Flanders. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501 "2007-07-12T14:53:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/1 "2007-07-12T14:53:12Z")
Some sample dialogue from our favorite neighbor, Ned Flanders: “Thankily-dank, Mayor, I shan’t disappoint. Har ye, har ye. I declare myself pinkled tink about Springfield’s Bicen-cidilly-ti-ten-toodly-rin-tin-tennial Day.” “Well, if you’re talking about root beer, I plead guilt-diddily-ildly as char-didily-arged.” “We’re done for! We’re done-diddly-done-for! We’re Done-diddly-doodly-done-diddly-doodly done-diddly-doodly” I know that _The Simpsons_ is popular throughout the world, and is subtitled or dubbed into many other languages. How is Ned’s dialogue translated? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/2 "2007-07-12T15:38:39Z")
If it’s nonsensical in English, surely it’s not a problem if it’s nonsensical in another language? What I want to know is how do they translate his dialogue in [Flanders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanders)? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/3 "2007-07-12T15:39:03Z")
Well, here’s something interesting. There’s a page [all about Ned](http://www.snpp.com/guides/flanders.file.html). And here is the [Italian equivalent](http://www.snipp.org/aggeggioso/documenti/ned.html) referenced from it. Notice that the entire section on “Speech” from the English page is left out of the Italian page. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/4 "2007-07-12T15:41:54Z")
[QUOTE=Jayrot] If it’s nonsensical in English, surely it’s not a problem if it’s nonsensical in another language? [/quote] Sure, but it isn’t random nonsense; it’s a metrical, alliterative, sometimes rhyming sort of nonsense which is not unheard of in American English. I’m wondering if other nations and languages have similar colloquial usages, and if it’s difficult (or easy) to match them up with Ned when they translate his dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/5 "2007-07-12T15:49:00Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] Sure, but it isn’t random nonsense; it’s a metrical, alliterative, sometimes rhyming sort of nonsense which is not unheard of in American English. [/QUOTE] Someone would surely be able to pick that up even if English wasn’t their first language. Wouldn’t they? Also, remember when Flanders had a family reunion and a Spanish relative said “Buenos didily dias”. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/6 "2007-07-12T15:55:08Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Someone would surely be able to pick that up even if English wasn’t their first language. Wouldn’t they? [/QUOTE] No-didli-no nece-didli-saria-didli-mente. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/7 "2007-07-12T16:04:10Z")
Bien, si usted habla acerca del sabor raíz, yo imploro que ildly de diddily de culpa carbonice como arged de didily. Bien, si vous parlez de la racinette, je plaide la culpabilité-diddily-ildly comme le char-didily-arged. Gut wenn Sie Root Beer besprechen, plädiere ich Schuld-diddily-ildly während verkohlt-didily-arged. Bene, se lei parla della bevanda analcolica aromatizzata con estratti di radice, difendo la colpa-diddily-l’ildly carbonizza come-il didily-arged. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/8 "2007-07-12T16:58:21Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Also, remember when Flanders had a family reunion and a Spanish relative said “Buenos didily dias”. [/QUOTE] And Lord Thisslewick Flanders: “Charmed…umm…a googaly, doodaly.” ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/9 "2007-07-12T16:58:32Z")
In Italian Ned Flanders speaks with a bit of a high pitched voice that conveys a childish way of talking, and often sticks diminutive suffixes to words (which in Italian are used to convey smallness and cuteness), like he’s making an effort to make it sound cute. But there’s no equivalent to the diddly doddly thing. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/10 "2007-07-12T17:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Also, remember when Flanders had a family reunion and a Spanish relative said “Buenos didily dias”. [/QUOTE] It was ‘Buenos ding-dang-diddly dias’ ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/11 "2007-07-12T17:42:22Z")
In German his dialogue is similar but of course the exact words are modified so that they fit into his German sentences. He also often uses German diminutives. Here are two short clips: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OcORocztUQ) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG-grQI-iS4) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/12 "2007-07-12T19:37:36Z")
Is it my imagination, or was he speaking German with an American accent in that first clip? ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/13 "2007-07-12T20:21:10Z")
[QUOTE=Manduck] Is it my imagination, or was he speaking German with an American accent in that first clip? [/QUOTE] Yes, a bit. Especially his “oo” and “l” aren’t typically German. It’s hard to describe but a proper German pronunciation of words like “doodly” or “hoodly” would not only sound different but it wouldn’t flow that well. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/14 "2007-07-12T22:55:22Z")
Ned isn’t as difficult to place in other cultures as some characters. I don’t know about other Brits on here, but to me and anyone I’ve talked to about it, Bumblebee Man just seems odd. No knowledge of Bud Man makes Duff Man a nonentity as well. And so on. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/15 "2007-07-13T00:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Ned isn’t as difficult to place in other cultures as some characters. I don’t know about other Brits on here, but to me and anyone I’ve talked to about it, Bumblebee Man just seems odd. No knowledge of Bud Man makes Duff Man a nonentity as well. And so on. [/QUOTE] Oh, I dunno. Any country with advertising probably has inane brand pitchmen, so I think Duff Man would translate pretty well. And Bumblebee Man is already an obscure riff on Spanish-language television. Most Americans (myself included) aren’t familiar with the source material and still think Bumblebee Man is funny. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/16 "2007-07-13T01:04:15Z")
I…had…no knowledge of “Bud Man” until a couple of seconds ago, and even then only his name. And yet I always got the general idea of “Duff Man”. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/17 "2007-07-13T01:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] I…had…no knowledge of “Bud Man” until a couple of seconds ago, and even then only his name. And yet I always got the general idea of “Duff Man”. [/QUOTE] And that never inhibited your enjoyment of Duff Man, did it? ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/18 "2007-07-13T01:14:44Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] And that never inhibited your enjoyment of Duff Man, did it? [/QUOTE] Nope. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/19 "2007-07-13T06:29:04Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] Oh, I dunno. Any country with advertising probably has inane brand pitchmen, so I think Duff Man would translate pretty well. [/quote] I can’t think of any British parallel. Surely we can’t be the exception? 😉 > [@](#): > > And Bumblebee Man is already an obscure riff on Spanish-language television. Most Americans (myself included) aren’t familiar with the source material and still think Bumblebee Man is funny. Again, it seems to be something that doesn’t cross cultural divides - I don’t know anyone here who doesn’t go 😕 at Bumblebee Man. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501/20 "2007-07-13T06:45:01Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] I can’t think of any British parallel. Surely we can’t be the exception? 😉 Again, it seems to be something that doesn’t cross cultural divides - I don’t know anyone here who doesn’t go 😕 at Bumblebee Man. [/QUOTE] It’s a reference to Mexican television (which you might not ever see in the UK) which apparently specializes in goofy variety shows featuring a lot of slapstick comedy and people in odd costumes shouting dopey catchphrases in Spanish. At least, that’s the way Mexican television gets _parodied_ in the US. Bumblebee Man might be more of a riff on the parodies than on the thing itself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-in-other-lands-ned-flanders/411501.md?page=2)