Bad menu translations

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NormanKliman

Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007

Bad menu translations

Spanish menus aren't often translated very well to English. I've seen some howlers over the years, but there's a place very close to the station in Jerez where the translation of the menu is just hilariously awful. Don't know if they used one of those automatic translation programs or if the owners got one of the kids in the family to do it, but the entertainment value alone merits a visit:

Huevas aliñadas: Tidy spawns

Carrillada: Pig's cheek

Queso curado manchego: Cured of La Mancha cheese

Pechuga de pollo a la plancha: Breast of chicken to the plate

Palometa con queso curado: Wing nut with cured cheese

Choco frito: Shock doughnut

Almejas a la marinera: Clams to the sailor's blouse

Choco a la plancha: I hit to the plate

1/2 ración de tapa fría o caliente: 1/2 share of cold or warm lid

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 19 2009 0:34:46

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

I've seen some funnies too, though can't remember them - will make a note next time I see them.

I do remember once going into a restaurant in Brazil and asking for some bread -pão. Unfortunately, my Portuguese not being that brilliant, I didn't pronounce it correctly, more like pao without the accent over the a. Pao means something quite different... um..... to put it politely, it's slang for penis. I only realised when the waiter started asking me questions like, did I want it warm, how big a piece did I want...

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 19 2009 4:29:22

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

quote:

Wing nut with cured cheese

Those are just great, Norman!

I heard a story about a rather posh lady who was staying at the Ritz, Madrid.

In the morning, she telephoned downstairs for breakfast to be brought up to her.

Trying out her not-too-good Spanish, she asked for an "uva pasada por agua" instead of a "huevo pasado por agua".

Of course, being the Ritz, she got exactly what she had asked for!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 19 2009 5:16:19

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

Wow Norman.. I haven't lol'd that hard in a while. I love "clams to the sailor's blouse"

Im gonna have to show this to my girlfriend... in a Chinese restaurant in Seville, in addition to much other weirdness like a highly intoxicated host/owner and a plate of blue and pink potato chips ("por la guapa"), we got a big kick out of a menu item called......"haunch frog"

I guess it was frog legs, but it sounds like some horrible side effect of medication..."well...you may develop haunch frog"

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 19 2009 5:26:00

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

Hi Norman..I've seen some good ones too. In Nerja many years ago there was a girl who translated menus but her English was terrible and these are some of my favorates

Conejo asado - roast Rabbi
Gazpacho - cold andaluz refresh men
Brocheta de cerdo - pig spit
Fritura variada - variety fried
Choto en su jugo - a baby cooked in its own juices

...and my number1

moule mariniere - mussels in a seaman sauce

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2009 0:21:17

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Pimientito)

quote:

moule mariniere - mussels in a seaman sauce

Pim that just made me laugh out loud in the office and now everyone wants to know what I looking at. Obviously work doesn't make me laugh like that.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2009 2:02:26

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

NOT Bad menu translation BUT... (in reply to Ailsa)

The worst verbal translation I heard was from my dear, departed Dad upon reading a notice in the local bar informing "los mayores" that they could register at the "ayuntamiento" for special "vacaciones"

My Dad read this literally and says to me "I see they have a vacancy for a new mayor. They need to sign up at the town hall"

He got the last bit right and I would have loved to have seen him sign up for a new life in public service, only to pay 50 Euros and get bussed off with a bunch of pensioners to the seaside for a day.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2009 3:25:37

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

Wow Norman, those are some of the best menu items I've seen - and Pim's are great too.

Here's a menu with a couple of curious items seen in Pollensa, Mallorca:

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Attachment (1)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2009 8:50:53

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Estevan)

Thats a great one Estevan. If you like this stuff than check out www.engrish.com
They have hundreds of examples. If you think Spanish translations are funny then check out the menus in china

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Attachment (1)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 1:23:54

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Pimientito)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 1:28:05

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

Worst mistake I ever made ordering something I didn't really know what it was, with a hangover..."manitas de cerdo".

My favorite thing in the hot summer in spain, tinto ver ano.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 10:22:26

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

manitas de cerdo

Is that not pig's trotters, Ricardo?

They are regarded quite highly in most of Europe...

(Mind you, I once had the pleasure of going to a restaurant in Barcelona aptly called, "The Cheapest Restaurant in the World", as recommended by the (then) hippie's bible "Europe on Five Dollars a Day."

)

Still...we, (me and an American friend) met two Danish chicks there...so things turned out not ALL bad...

Not bad at all, in fact..

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 10:53:27

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Pimientito)

quote:

[Pimientito:] If you think Spanish translations are funny then check out the menus in china

Oh yeah, Engrish is one of my favourite things. You can't beat stuff like
THE SHRIMP F*CKS THE CABBAGE

But speaking of "naked oats", in Peru many years ago I saw on a menu "Quacker con leche" - which sounds like a cream of duck soup, perhaps, although it was in the dessert section.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 12:16:29

Estevan

Posts: 1936
Joined: Dec. 20 2006
From: Torontolucía

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

quote[Ricardo:]:

manitas de cerdo

[Ron:]
Is that not pig's trotters, Ricardo?

Not the name of some rustic rumbero?

(Allright, I was just leaving...)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 12:20:02

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

Could somebody translate that for me.. Its somehow strange:

ok I do it... Its a bus-company here in germany. And they use this writing for their commercial. The true spelling is not F U C K E R its F U E C K E R. They just put the two dots over the u so strangely that the people think its just design .... Man.. how lame is that.. pfffft.. I mean there are people in english speaking countries with the name D I C K and there are drinks that are called C O C K T A I L S ... thats really odd.... no translation needed but damn odd. Or the animal tat is called C O C K..... Isnt there a state in the US with the name new vagina and a city that is called myanus??? hahaha.... Man.. you dont need the chinese to have a laugh.. I guess every country has these words.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2009 14:52:29

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Doitsujin)

You are right.....every language has words that translate strangely into other languages....thats why we find it funny! In English a female fox is a vixen. Vixen is something completely different in Germany

And what trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to this sleepy town!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 0:30:58

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Pimientito)

I really hope the bus company is based in that town.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 1:37:11

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

I really hope the bus company is based in that town

Me too....it would mean travellers have to catch the F#cking F#cker

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 1:55:37

minordjango

Posts: 918
Joined: Feb. 26 2005

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

haha classics .

so cool.

i remeber working as an interpreter for a chinese dude, and having an awkward moment(no conversation , then glancing at a sign , and it said no tossing allowed!!!
that was after translating a dish which was like....enter dragon, on bridge. slowly from dawn!(trned out to be noodles !).

chihnese into english , quicker to learn the language .

Spanish is always great fun

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 2:07:31

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Pimientito)

You wait and wait for a f***ing f***er and then three f***ers all come at once

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 3:27:55

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Escribano)

Here's a famous one from Wales:

The Welsh reads "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated."

Which was the text of the autoreply to an email requesting the translation

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 3:43:22

minordjango

Posts: 918
Joined: Feb. 26 2005

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

the scary thing is i can read the chinese menu !!

vanilla fish !!!

i guess fish with vanilla essence , i cook Chinese food , but i dont know that one .

in brackets (it means per dish!).

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 4:43:53

Jenny

Posts: 97
Joined: Mar. 13 2007
From: Oxford, UK

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to NormanKliman)

We have the Mitsubishi 'Pajero' four wheel drive in England - it's called a 'Montero' in Spain as apparently pajero means w*nker in Spanish..

Always makes me laugh when I see one!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 11:30:24

danilo

Posts: 29
Joined: Apr. 28 2009

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Pimientito)

I have been to that F-word village!! It`s in Austria not in Germany.The Mayor was complaining that they have to buy new signs at least 3 times a year because of english tourists....and in the beginning they had no clou why, haha...the shield below says "please not so fast"(because of the children)......some kilometers further you`ll reach "Petting"....and another village in that area is called "Hühnergeschrei" wich means The cry of the henns........very interessting area...

The other car not selling in Spain was the Lada Nova.....

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 13:53:38

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to Escribano)

if your driving around donegal ireland anytime soon visit this lovely town

its even got a diving club for those interested

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2009 13:56:32

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Bad menu translations (in reply to danilo)

quote:

The other car not selling in Spain was the Lada Nova.....

It was the Vauxhall Nova, which in Spanish means "doesnt go"...which was ironically a good name as it turned out!

I cant help noticing that our U.S. members are keeping extremely quiet on this thread. Could they be hiding something....