July 8: Liberty Bell Day

[U4ea]

Today is the Anniversary of the day the Liberty Bell cracked at the funeral of John Marshall (1835).

 

So, I thought it might be rather poetic to discuss other things that have turned into screw ups! These can be funny or sad... totally up to you! :D

 

I found some good ones here:http://www.top20fun.com/funny_jokes/4219.html

 

Here are my favorites from that list:

*Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."

 

*When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful Caucasian baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read.

 

*Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave", in Chinese.

 

*The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Ke-kou-ke-la", meaning "Bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax", depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent "ko-kou-ko-le", translating into "happiness in the mouth."

 

 

*grins* Next?

[Samuraiflip05]

Ummmh, that whole baby food thing....wow.  :o

[Guest Cealestis alDyren]

rofl, that last bit about coca cola! :P

;D

 

[Auld Manriva]

American Ad men are notorious for mangling translations of their sacred cow slogans when entering International markets... Here are some more of what Lor began above.

 

In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan “finger-lickin’ good” came

out as “eat your fingers off.”

 

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was

apparently unaware that “no va” means “it won’t go.” After the company figured

out why it wasn’t selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to

the Caribe.

 

Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company

found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for “tiny male genitals”. Ford pried all

the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.

 

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market

which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of the desired “I Saw the Pope” in

Spanish, the shirts proclaimed “I Saw the Potato.”

 

Chicken-man Frank Perdue’s slogan, “It takes a tough man to make a tender

chicken,” got terribly mangled in another Spanish translation. A photo of Perdue

with one of his birds appeared on billboards all over Mexico with a caption that

explained “It takes a hard man to make a chicken aroused.”

 

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious

porno mag.

 

n Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into

Schweppes Toilet Water.

 

 

 

i have an even longer list of International translations INTO English that I'll post a bit later.

[U4ea]

lol, my favorite badly translated collection is here: http://www.engrish.com/

 

I can poke around this site and laugh for HOURS! Start with the clothing section. The T-shirts are freakin' hilarious... if you can figure them out, anyway...

 

[UrsulaLV]

The name change for Sav-on Drugs to ‘Osco’ which has the same pronunciation as the Spanish word “asco” (oss-ko) which means disgust or loathing,

[Auld Manriva]

Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an

American ad campaign: “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.”

 

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor.

If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of

wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

 

Japan’s second-largest tourist agency was mystified when it entered English-

speaking markets and began receiving requests for unusual sex tours. Upon

finding out why, the owners of Kinki Nippon Tourist Company changed its

name.

 

In a Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that

time we regret that you will be unbearable.

 

In a Leipzig elevator: Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up.

 

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor.

If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of

wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

 

In a Paris hotel elevator: Please leave your values at the front desk.

 

In a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the

hours of 9 and 11 a.m. daily.

 

In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of your underwear with pleasure is the

job of the chambermaid.

 

In a Japanese hotel: You are welcome to take advantage of the chambermaid.

 

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: You

are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers,

artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

 

In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the corridors in the

hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

 

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.

 

On the menu of a Polish hotel: Salad a firm’s own make; limpid red beet soup

with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef

rashers beaten up in the country people’s fashion.

 

In a Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience, we reccomend courteous,

efficient self-service.

 

In a Bangkok dry cleaner’s: Drop your trousers here for best results.

 

Outside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for streetwalking.

 

 

I think those should cause some keyboard damage  ;D

 

 

[Torrie]

In a Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience, we reccomend courteous, efficient self-service.

 

 

LMFAO!

 

 

This should be in every McDonalds that I have ever been in.

 

These are great. I wish I had some to add.