# The Tamarian language makes no sense **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2013, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tamarian-language-makes-no-sense/668240 "2013-09-07T10:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 23
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tamarian-language-makes-no-sense/668240/23 "2013-09-07T19:17:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But if the metaphors work exactly like words, then why didn’t the universal translator treat them as such? I’m curious: imagine the universal translator is up and running when an enemy warship points its guns at the Enterprise; the alien commander announces that he’ll open fire unless our heroes teleport over a bunch of women along with the priceless artifacts being ferried around. _“Yes, sir,”_ says Picard, as Data instead puts a bomb in the container on the transporter pad; _“I’ll send the Trojan Horse this very minute. I’m ever so glad we can settle this peacefully; trusting us is your Achilles’ heel.”_ What does the alien hear? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tamarian-language-makes-no-sense/668240)._