Comments on: I’m very pregnant that I’m late: The joys of foreign language miscommunication http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/ Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:40:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: “Could I see your passport?” – “No, no I don’t play sports!” « wanderingeagles http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1650 “Could I see your passport?” – “No, no I don’t play sports!” « wanderingeagles Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:55:08 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-1650 [...] constantly misused “bookstore” and “library”, causing me to end up in the wrong places! ( http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-mi... [...] [...] constantly misused “bookstore” and “library”, causing me to end up in the wrong places! ( http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-mi... [...]

]]> By: will http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1344 will Tue, 31 May 2011 17:17:58 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-1344 I had a great deal of fun with that one in Russian class. Thanks! I had a great deal of fun with that one in Russian class. Thanks!

]]> By: FrenchOnlineGuy http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1320 FrenchOnlineGuy Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:30:57 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-1320 Greaat article - oh, this is a never-ending source of conversation among language-learners, especially ex-pats living in another country (like me) - "Oh no, you'll never guess what I said today...", the story usually begins! In Russian, "pisat'", with the accent on the second syllable, means 'to write', whereas if you accent the first syllable it's "to urinate" (well, I am being polite there!) - actually, the funny thing is even native speakers of the language fluff it sometimes! Let alone foreign speakers, of course. Maybe that's why there's so much writing on the wall in toilets... (sorry!) Greaat article – oh, this is a never-ending source of conversation among language-learners, especially ex-pats living in another country (like me) – “Oh no, you’ll never guess what I said today…”, the story usually begins!

In Russian, “pisat’”, with the accent on the second syllable, means ‘to write’, whereas if you accent the first syllable it’s “to urinate” (well, I am being polite there!) – actually, the funny thing is even native speakers of the language fluff it sometimes! Let alone foreign speakers, of course. Maybe that’s why there’s so much writing on the wall in toilets… (sorry!)

]]> By: McKinnon Language Solutions » Blog Archive » I´m very pregnant that I´m late – False Cognates http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1261 McKinnon Language Solutions » Blog Archive » I´m very pregnant that I´m late – False Cognates Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:45:32 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-1261 [...] http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-mi... Share this: Tags: humour Category: blog October 22nd, 2010 No comments yet [...] [...] http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-mi... Share this: Tags: humour Category: blog October 22nd, 2010 No comments yet [...]

]]> By: Symptoms You Should Expect During Pregnancy | 2BabyBlog.com http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1213 Symptoms You Should Expect During Pregnancy | 2BabyBlog.com Wed, 05 May 2010 01:34:54 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-1213 [...] I’m very pregnant that I’m late: The joys of foreign language … – SomethingAwful is a (generally not work-safe) comedy site that usually gets me laughing with every visit. Perhaps they’re most famous for “Photoshop Phridays“, but they have a variety of columnists and recurring features that are worth … [...] [...] I’m very pregnant that I’m late: The joys of foreign language … – SomethingAwful is a (generally not work-safe) comedy site that usually gets me laughing with every visit. Perhaps they’re most famous for “Photoshop Phridays“, but they have a variety of columnists and recurring features that are worth … [...]

]]> By: Rocket French Review http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-1148 Rocket French Review Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:40:05 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-1148 Haha, I enjoyed reading this. i know all about the problems of miscommunication in foreign languages. I was in Paris a few months ago and sometimes I would say things with my limited french that would raise some eyebrows. Then after a while people would realize i was not being offensive and would go "ahh" :) Cheers Diggy Haha, I enjoyed reading this. i know all about the problems of miscommunication in foreign languages. I was in Paris a few months ago and sometimes I would say things with my limited french that would raise some eyebrows.

Then after a while people would realize i was not being offensive and would go “ahh” :)

Cheers
Diggy

]]> By: Rocket French Review http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-952 Rocket French Review Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:02:58 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-952 French and English are always having this problem. A French friend of mine was discussing how a particular soccer player lacked clairvoyance when he was playing. It means vision or being able to read the play in French but in English it means the supernatural power of seeing objects or actions removed in space or time from natural viewing....but you kinda roll with it and know what people mean in the end. French and English are always having this problem. A French friend of mine was discussing how a particular soccer player lacked clairvoyance when he was playing. It means vision or being able to read the play in French but in English it means the supernatural power of seeing objects or actions removed in space or time from natural viewing….but you kinda roll with it and know what people mean in the end.

]]> By: LeV http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-433 LeV Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:50:04 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-433 I have a nice anecdote, too. On our holiday in Greece my german-speaking mother and me used to drink an orange juice for breakfast. My mother tried to communicate in English, since we didn't speak Greek. When the waitress came with our juices, she smiled at her and said: "I'm very afraid of this orange juice!" She thought "afraid" would be the German "erfreut" and wanted to say: "I'm looking foreward to..." (Ich freue mich sehr auf...) I literally rolled on the floor laughing and the waitress just looked blank. It took me some time to explain the mistake. I'll never forget that. I have a nice anecdote, too. On our holiday in Greece my german-speaking mother and me used to drink an orange juice for breakfast. My mother tried to communicate in English, since we didn’t speak Greek. When the waitress came with our juices, she smiled at her and said: “I’m very afraid of this orange juice!”
She thought “afraid” would be the German “erfreut” and wanted to say: “I’m looking foreward to…” (Ich freue mich sehr auf…) I literally rolled on the floor laughing and the waitress just looked blank. It took me some time to explain the mistake. I’ll never forget that.

]]> By: magdalene http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-421 magdalene Thu, 05 Jul 2007 23:09:32 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-421 There's a video store near my office (in Mexico) called "Bloque Fantasma" -Ghost Block would be the translation-. I suppose they just mixed the meanings of Blockbuster and Ghostbuster when they tried to translate "Blockbuster" to Spanish. As if buster=ghost (fantasma) in "ghostbuster". Every time I look at the neon sign, I chuckle a little. There’s a video store near my office (in Mexico) called “Bloque Fantasma” -Ghost Block would be the translation-. I suppose they just mixed the meanings of Blockbuster and Ghostbuster when they tried to translate “Blockbuster” to Spanish. As if buster=ghost (fantasma) in “ghostbuster”.

Every time I look at the neon sign, I chuckle a little.

]]> By: monday bullets » change therapy - isabella mori http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/comment-page-1/#comment-389 monday bullets » change therapy - isabella mori Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:25:05 +0000 http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/06/19/im-very-pregnant-that-im-late-the-joys-of-foreign-language-miscommunication/#comment-389 [...] and linguistic mystic (love the title of the most recent post: i’m very pregnant that i’m late) [...] [...] and linguistic mystic (love the title of the most recent post: i’m very pregnant that i’m late) [...]

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