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  #1 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 5th, 2006, 06:09 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
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Default Linguistic Blunders

If you're teaching abroad, you're probably trying to learn the language of the country while you're there - and probably making some daft mistakes. Have you ever said anything really funny? When I was learning Italian we had a terrific thunderstorm one evening and I stayed at the window about an hour just watching it. The next day, talking to some friends who live in a different area, which hadn't had it so bad, I tried to describe what I'd seen. I wanted to say : Il cielo era pieno di tuoni e lampi - The sky was full of thunder and lightning. But what I actually came out with was: Il cielo era pieno di tonno e lamponi - The sky was full of tuna fish and raspberries. I didn't live that one down for quite a while ...
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  #2 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 5th, 2006, 08:08 pm
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Join Date: Oct 30th, 2006
Location: Eastbourne, UK
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Default Re: Linguistic Blunders

I remember not so long ago that I was describing to my brother-in-law that my brother in the UK was a rubbishman during his gap year at Uni. So I thought very quickly when he didn't understand rubbishman, someone who collects rubbish in the UK. I said to him: "내 현, 쓰레기 넘". Basically in English, "My brother was a rubbishman". What i didn't realise during my translation was that rubbishman (쓰레기 넘) in Korean meant a "bl**dy useless idiot". We all had a good laugh when we realised my mistake was totally honest.
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Unread Nov 6th, 2006, 05:38 am
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Clive Hawkins
 
Join Date: Aug 1st, 2006
Location: Italy
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Default Re: Linguistic Blunders

The first one I can remember is when I went to the bank to cash a cheque. I wanted to say "Vorrei incassare quest'assegno" which means "I'd like to cash this cheque".
What I actually said, and there really is only a very small difference, is "Vorrei incazzare quest'assegno" - "I'd like to really piss this cheque off!"
Top marks to the guy behind the counter who managed not to laugh in my face and politely explained the difference in pronunciation.
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