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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
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...
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"
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
Posts: 6441
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.
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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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...
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.
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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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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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 .
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.....
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