When Menu Translations and Restaurant Names Go Wrong | Lost in Translation part 2

In Part 2 Jon and Gideon look at some the strangest menu translations where you ask yourself either 'no way would I eat that' or 'what the hell does that mean?' Calling your restaurant something in a foreign language is also a risky strategy.

Lost in translation I spend my holidays finding badly written English signs from across the world. Yes, I know I'm weird. This is part two of a two-part special. This is a collaboration the Zeitgeist Banana podcast and Jon from the English with Monty podcast.

Listen to the Zeitgeist Banana podcast here

Listen to English with Monty podcast here

#ZeitgeistBanana
#LetThemTalkTV

If you are a grammar lover you might be interested in our new range of grammarian merchandise exclusive to LetThemTalkTV

We go deeper

Subscribe here

[ashleyng]

Tai Ka Lok is Cantonese for “everybody happy”, which is the meaning of those three Chinese characters

[Cycaszamia]

Gideon, I love your videos a lot and - being a linguist myself - find linguistic inadequacies very entertaining, but this one comes across quite arrogant ...

[rodrigodepierola]

You haven't lived until you see Granola (itself of US origin) translated as "Big Wave" because "Gran ola" is "big wave" in Spanish.

[petyabratko]

This sort of video is absolutely breathtaking, please, make many more such videos!
Thank you very much indeed!

[sergiosorbo]

Please, piglet oil is the fat from the pig used to fry. Perhaps it's lard.

[danielapizzardi]

Hi Gideon and Jon, that’s Daniela from Rome😃 now guys I just would like you to notice the dozens of errors English restaurants keep making in their menu about Italian dishes : it’s fettuccine with e and not fettuccini, is parmigiano not parmesano and so on ! C’mon let’s be more flexible and close an eye in front of this mistakes, they are not lethal 😁 I love you guys, I love your English sessions ! I start my day with you Gideon every morning while having breakfast, you’re almost part of the family, also my cats nos recognize your voice too 😃

[gallomphrattlebone]

Maybe the "piglet" oil cake is what we in Germany call "Schweineohren" meaning "pigs' ears". That's a very crispy kind of cake made of oil dough and/or puff pastry.

[lorenapasten]

Similar to that portuguese translation, in a chilean restaurant they translated the dish "chupe de locos" as "crazy suck"("chupe" is the type of preparation, but could also mean "to suck" and loco is similar to abalone and also means crazy). Also at my dad's job they provide food for the worker and the little pouch of oil says "Wonder oil" on it (because "maravilla" can be used as wonder or wonderfull but also means sunflower)

[franciscoramos]

Hi Gideon, I wish you a happy stay in our Spanish Paradise, Canary Island. Although all of them are close together, each one has its peculiarities. I would recommend you to visit some of them, if possible. Enjoy your holidays!!

[aram]

...but seriously: how much of blasphemy does "God save the fish" carry to an English native's ear?

[mariacebrecos]

The scientific name is Luvarus Imperialis, in English "Emperor". I looked it up on Wikipedia. It's a different fish from marlin. Apart from this, I had loads of fun listening to Gideon say: Grill the emperor! Grill him now! You're unique, Gideon. Epic. Keep brightening up my days, please. 😄

[rezza]

Hey, Gideon! What's up?
I'm the first viewer today.

[gallomphrattlebone]

Unnecessary signs? Unnecesasary orders? Well, there used to be an order for German Army soldiers which ran thus: "Climbing movements must be stopped at the tip of a tree". ...no comment...

[sebashtiannumberone]

God Save the Sex Pistols! So, God Save the Fish is a good one.
It sounds very British. That's the trick

[teddrosenthal]

Starbucks is Nick named " fourbucks"!

[martingrillo]

What about English restaurants menu translations? Do you even have a translation on your menu or everybody is supposed to speak English? I´d love seeing an English menu translated into Spanish and let´s see how accurate you native English speakers may be. I love your videos, but do you have a Spanish, French, German, Chinese or whatever other language translation on your menu in England? At least, in the rest of the world, you might have a little perception of what you are ordering. Even when It´s broken English. No English in England? Good luck with that. I assume it´s not the purpose of the video, but it looks as if you were mocking non native speakers, Gideon. Not everybody gets the chance in life to become a Grammarian.... Yeah, feel free to correct my mistakes.

[Tony]

I thought the mistake was 24h/24, I mean if you're open 24hrs, do you need the /24?
I suppose it would have been more accurate to say Open 22h/24

[neusiacossa]

Hey there! I'm watching you from Mozambique, do you know it?

[Breakfast_of_Champions]

Come on, you're just picking on easy victims😃

[Selene-uX]

Hallo Jon and Gideon! It' s nice to learn english while talking about "cuisine" and gourmet dishes, thanks for the delicious conversation. Greetings! 👍💯👏👏