I’m preparing a class on mistakes and mishaps in translation, and it’s going to be really funny. Aside from the well-known “vuela en cueros” (American Airlines “fly in leather”) and Ford Nova, I found a more nuanced Mazda Laura and Audi-Q3 (say it aloud in Spanish if you don’t get it) and a US movie that translated “the Holy Ghost” as “Santo Fantasma.”
Electrolux’s vacuum cleaner campaign with the jingle “Electrolux really sucks.”
There’s also the famous Russian assorted ice-cream that was translated as “ice-cream in the ass.” And the Spanish “favor de descubrir la cabeza” (please remove your hat) translated as “please discover the head.” And “lugar de culto” (place of worship) as “cult place.” And “me da mucha lata” (it’s so annoying) translated as “he gives me many tins.”
Tons of other great examples. I laughed in my office until I cried.
Clarissa's Blog 
Leave a comment