Japlish/Engrish/failure to comprehend the meaning of words/phrases.
When I first arrived in Japan, I noticed that Japanese people loved wearing clothes with English words/phrases on them. I was walking along the street one summer’s day, when I spotted an elderly lady (at least 80-years-old) wearing a T-shirt with the words ‘P*rn Instructor Certified’ across the front.
A few others that you can easily find online:
‘You can enjoy the fresh air after finishing a civilized urinating’.
‘Today, the dining room closed at 6 p.m. Sorry for your incontinence’.
‘Tokyo Towershita’.
‘Dustbox. To be kind to the environment of the earth’.
‘Please do not flash anything but toilet paper’.
‘Building asks a smoked visitor in the outside smoking section that you cannot smoke in’.
I thought so at first, DJR, but knowing Japanese, I have my doubts. There is also a white, sugary drink called ‘calpis’ (which sounds like cow’s p*ss) & a sports drink called ‘Pocari sweat’. Heaps of stuff like this in Japan.
Assuming you are taking the p*ss, but disagree. I honestly reckon they had no idea. Hard for us to believe, but this stuff is common in non-English speaking countries (many of which are socially conservative & wouldn’t get away with such public crudeness - if they actually knew the implication).
The first 2 sites are signs from all over Asia of problematic English.
The third site is one of probably 50 + mistaken song lyrics.
I have used this in English classes. The first two l have the students look up signs and then rework them to correct them.
The third site l have also used for listening purposes. Good fun to be had on all 3 sites.
Long story but some podcasters I listen to were taking the ■■■■ out of them, the company contacted them, and didn’t get any of the stuff they were saying. At all. A lot of Thais are pretty westernised and have super good english - these folks not so much.
Not sure there’s anything particularly ■■■■ like about how she’s holding it. Every coke/beer ad looks like that.
Your first one reminds me of sitting on a train in Thailand in 1975 opposite a very sweet and obviously innocent Thai girl of about 14 proudly wearing a T shirt with “■■■■ COMMUNISM” written across her chest.
It’s like westeners that have Japanese or Chinese writing tattoos that they think say “Family” or “Honour”, but really they say “Honey Chicken”, “Idiot”, or “Purple Monkey Dishwasher”.
