Originally posted by Vargin french, the word 'tantot' (not tontot) means 'later'. When 'later' is relatively short-time, they say 'tout à l'heure' or 'toute de suite'. Otherwise, it is the equivalent of 'plus tard', the litteral translation of 'later'.
Well here in Quebec they say 'a tonto' (more likely 'tontot'😉 which means 'until later'.
I asked a driend if it's a corruption of 'a bientot' and he said no it's different. But apparently they don't use it in France.
Gil.
Originally posted by latex bishopHeh, I had this exact same thing last week with Canadians. I had to politely explain the British meaning of 'fanny' and they stopped using it to spare my embarassment and fits of giggles. 🙂
another fun American / British mix up. I was in a car with this girl in Kansas and she casually asks me to pass her fanny pack. I looked at her a bit strange and repeated just make sure she mean't fanny. Well there I was looking for a box of tampons, fumbling away in a embarrassed British way, while she is there looking at me as if I am mad. In the end ...[text shortened]... trade mark tartan trousers think when they go to "quaint" town of Twatt on Orkney!
Andrew
Originally posted by StarValleyWyThis is an urban legend.
Years ago, Chevrolet designed the "Nova" as a car they were going to push hard in south and central america as well as Mexico. Sales didn't go too well until they figured out that "No Va" meant "No Go" or "Won't Go" in spanish... at least that is the legend.
http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm
Hehehe... this has given me a few laughs and it's taken me back to middle school. I remember one time when we were really bored we started looking through the phonebook for names that we wouldn't want.
I flipped open my phonebook and immediately found Harry K. Butts. Who in their right mind would name their child that?
My wife worked at an OBGYN and one lady by the name of Inida name her daughter Iwonna... (I need a.. and I want a..) I was rolling when she told me about it.
I knew this girl whose name was Schmecka. I always thought it sounded like a sound effect for the old Batman Flicks... you know WHAM! BAM! SCHMECKA! 🙄
If we're onto bad names...
I went to school with a Dwain Pipe - (Dwain = drain with a lisp), a Findley Burke and a guy who for no known reason had been given the middle name "Semen".
Also you've got to look out for abbreviations. A friend got thrown out of a department store for signing a cheque "A. Dick". They didn't give him chance to explain his name was Alex Dick. For the same reason I felt sorry for the brother & sister I met at uni, Alex Ness and Pheona Ness.
Some parents need shooting..
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Originally posted by belgianfreakwe had someone called Michael Michael at school, now thats just plain stupid on the part of the parents.
If we're onto bad names...
I went to school with a Dwain Pipe - (Dwain = drain with a lisp), a Findley Burke and a guy who for no known reason had been given the middle name "Semen".
Also you've got to look out for abb ...[text shortened]... t uni, Alex Ness and Pheona Ness.
Some parents need shooting..
Mrs A Willey was also a great teacher's name, especially as ironic as she was the teacher who took the sex education classes. And no, I am not making this up for comedy effect!
Andrew
I suppose I should post an actual mix-up due to cultural differences, and I just thought of one.
A number of years ago, my cousin moved to the USA from England. He was in college and ended up making casual friends with this girl in the apartment above his. One day, they ran into one another at a local cafe or something and made plans to go for a bike ride the following day. Here is the conversation, paraphrased:
Chick: So what time tomorrow?
My cousin: It has to be early because I have to study in the afternoon.
Chick: How about 7 o'clock, then?
My cousin: Sounds good. I'll knock you up tomorrow morning.
Chick: (*stunned silence*)...[expletive deleted]
I guess she stormed off and wouldn't talk to him for a couple of days. They saw each other again in a laundromat and she explained to him that to "knock someone up" means to get them pregnant. He obviously meant it literally and had no idea why she got so mad.
EDIT: I just reread this and realized it's a stupendously boring story. Sorry for wasting your time.
Originally posted by latex bishopTo quote Stephen Fry: "Get in the Carmichael car, Michael Carmichael."
we had someone called Michael Michael at school, now thats just plain stupid on the part of the parents.
Mrs A Willey was also a great teacher's name, especially as ironic as she was the teacher who took the sex education classes. And no, I am not making this up for comedy effect!
Andrew
One time a friend of mine was trying to communicate with a mexican fellow and had quite a misunderstanding.
I have long forgotten the details of what happened, but my friend was giving this mexican fellow some instructions as to what he wanted him to do. Later on, my friend was outraged to find that the man had done absolutely nothing at all. I asked him what happened and he told me something to the effect of, "I was giving him instructions and he kept telling me OK. When I check up on him, he's just standing around doing nothing! If he didn't understand he could have said something, but he told me OK! I know he doesn't speak very good english, but even he has to know not to say that everything is OK when it isn't."
I thought about this for a moment and asked my friend, "Did he specifical say O-K?". My friend replied, " Well, with his poor english he actually just said K, but I understood what he was trying to say." At this point I couldn't help but have a belly laugh. I explained to my friend that what he said was "Que", not "K". "
Que", as in spanish for "What?".😀
Hehehe... this is a fun post.
My wife told me about a couple of other names she met at the OBGYN when she worked there.
Orangelo and Lemongelo a.k.a. 'Orange Jello' and 'Lemon Jello'
Apparently the mom couldn't think of a good name and decided to look in her cupboard for inspiration. 🙄 Honest. I'm not making this up.
I'd have to change my name as soon as it was legally possible...
This might be another urban myth, but there's a 4WD marketed here called the Pajero, which i've heard means 'wanker' in some form of Spanish or another. Also 'Dick Johnson' is a famous racing driver here.
Also I used to have an English teacher called Mrs Heine, pronounced hine-ah. All the kids called her 'vag', but inexplicably i didn't get it until 20 years later, when out of the blue, thinking about something completely different, i went 'ahhhhhhh!'
This thread reminds me of a game we play at work using a software package from BT listing phone numbers and addresses of everyone in the UK. We would spend hours looking for people with the funniest names and e-mail them around the office (something that is now banned). The alltime winner though was a couple who live in Holsworthy, Devon, who were called...no kidding...Mr and Mrs Twatface
Mark