h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For many years, I have gained simple merriment from reading the box that carries a new oil filter, and the long list of alleged 'translations' down the side:

Filtro Olio
Olfilter
Filtro dell'olio
Oljefilter

And so on. All of which clearly and OBVIOUSLY mean 'oil filter'.

I didn't think I'd trump this until today when I picked up the angle meter at work today. This is a simple weighted magnetic gauge that measures the angle of the surface to which is is stuck. And on the side, gloriously, it reads:

'Angle Meter'
'Meter de mesure des angles'

Now, not only is this a redundant translation, but it sound JUST like someone taking the piss out of French people. Think 'Allo 'Allo in its prime.

Any more examples?

B

Anything 'foreign' here has to be rebranded.
My favourite is the big bag of Basmati rice I buy - relabeled Riz Basmati

Every ambulance in wales also has Ambiwlans also written on, just in case the welsh speakers get confused.

I also like the Welsh town names that are (nearly) exactly the same in both languages

E.g. Barry, Barri

Ooh, that reminds me of another of my favourites, very prominent near St Pierre:

'Golf Course
Cwrs Golf'

B

I always found the signs on branches of the TSB annoying: "TSB Bank", since TSB = Trustee Savings Bank, the sign meant "Trustee Savings Bank Bank". Then I went to Wales and saw "TSB Bank/Banc". The Trustee Savings Bank Bank Banc.

There's a certain point while reading that post where I start to sound like Swedish Chef...

B

I think I may have a winner already.

2 languages - one of them is English. I don't know what the other is, but it may be American (!?) And I don't know which is which.

On my deodorant, two versions, same size, same font, on the front of the product. One above the other.

Deodorant stick
Stick deodorant.

I can't think of why this would be labled like this unless they were different languages!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8682968557_b05e27ee70.jpg

PP.

I know! Let's just force everyone to speak English, by jingo!

Tabac????!!

PP, the 1970s called - they want you back.

Here-in Canada where bi-lingualism is entrenched in law
we have developed what I call the bilingue-surround.
EGs:
Rue HAWTHORN Street
Catsup HEINZ Ketchup

Forces CANADIAN Forces
Marine CANADIAN Navy

Ferme AUTOROUTE Closed

Many are so ludicrous they have escaped my memory files.

~jwf~

PP, the 1970s called - they want you back.

What? It's the 80's already?

PP.

Just saw one on TV:

Place MONCTON Place

which reminded me of other classic signs:

City Centre
QUEBEC
centre-ville
and
North SYDNEY Nord
West EDMONTON Ouest

The list of foodstuffs is mindboggling:
Syrop de
MAPLE
Syrup


~jwf~

You remind me of a funny film

'Canadian Bacon' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jf8Bt4gD9Y

In one scene two men steal a truck and start driving down a Canadian highway, after they have spray painted several insults about Canada on the sides of the truck.

They are pulled over and the officer hands them a can of spry paint, insisting they add translations - in French.

F S

Yeah, I only saw that recently myself.

The translations are truly ludicrous.

The Mounties (Royal Canadian Mounted Police - RCMP)
had a rough few years in Quebec as the Gendarmerie
de something something horsey something. But they
finally settled on GRC (Gendarmerie Royale Canadien)
and only show a picture of the horse.

http://www.terracedaily.ca/articles/articles_10401/RCMP_LOGO.jpg


~jwf~

PS:
I believe that all happened during or immediately
after the Disney years when the RCMP had signed
away all marketing and licensing rights to Disney
Corps and had to threaten war to get it back when
Disney lawyers even started suing them for using it.


~jwf~

Dudley Do-Right Strikes Again http://bullwinkle.toonzone.net/characters-dudley.htm



F S

I live in Germany near the Dutch and Belgian borders. When you get very close to any one of the three, place names suddenly appear in 3 languages, making the roadsigns ludicrously huge. I like:

Aachen
Aix la Chapelle
Aken

and

Luttich
Liège
Leuken

or something like that...

I don't know if the first one is that redundant. The German word for oil is the same as the Swedish word for beer. It could go very wrong.

I believe any Germans would not require a beer filter if I'm around...

B

That Liège/Leuken one fooled me when I was driving there last year. It changes when you move between Flemish and French-speaking Belgium, but there's no obvious border where this happens.