Lost in translation

[Mark Liberman]

There's a discussion of my encounters with (Canadian) French terminology for mild vs. strong coffee here, which may amuse some of you.

[phaelon56]

Fascinating article - thanks so much for posting that link. I'd agree that there's a bit of prestige-lingo in the coffee arena that may be borrowed from oenophiles but in many cases it's so directly applicable that to some of us (me at least), it mkaes sense. After thirty years of drinking coffee, the last four or five being at a greatly heightened level of awareness and appreciation, I still find it difficult to muster up the vocabulary to adequately describe the characteristics of many varietals. It's even tougher with espresso blends as they often have multiple layers of complexity in the flavor profiles.

I did learn a new wine word/concept recently that is perfect for explaining to people why all coffees from a given area are not created equal (e.g. there are great Kona coffees and others that are just average to very good). That is "terroir" - the effect of soil, altitude, placement etc that makes specific plots of land much more suitable for a given crop that another nearby plot might be.

[rockhopper]

I was visiting a new English shop in my hometown of Haddonfield, NJ. when I encountered the following products on the shelf.

Most of us are familiar with Chocolate. Treacle is a "vocabulary word" for us but not so unusual except on menus here. But what on earth could that third one be?

Reminds me of Coca Cola's slogan "Drink Coca Cola" translated into Mandarin but with the wrong tones coming out as "Bite the wax tadpole", or why the Chevy No Va didn't sell well in Mexico or why Vick's of vaporub fame had to modify the name in Germany. Or even the the confusion of the bloke who suggested to the American woman that he "knock her up" in the morning.

[sanrensho]

You've never heard of Double Devon Cream?

Surely, you can't be talking about the Spotted Dick, because it's a rather famous and well-known English dessert. Even I know about it, and I've never even had it.

[DerekW]

Check out "Lobscouse and Spotted dog" for more information.

Basically, Dog, duff and dick all appear in these names as a corruption of 'dough'

Many of these 'name confusions' turn out to be urban legends, by the way. Snopes is usually worth a look.

[Hest88]

Ha! Guess you're not familiar with classic British foods? ;-)

[Peter the eater]

Yesterday we visited a wonderful Acadian bakery in Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada. Pretty sure it's a one-of-a-kind family business, based on the faces and ages of the workers. We bought lots including a buttery donutty item called Pets Soeur. In English that would be Nun Farts.

[SylviaLovegren]

I have a dim memory of MFK Fisher writing about Nun Farts in one of her books about living in France.

Love it!

Were they good?

[Peter the eater]

SylviaLovegren, they were exquisite. They looked like this and smelt delish.

[Peter the eater]

I heard that Ben & Jerry's tried to sell Chunky Monkey ice cream in Japan, and that it never took off because it translated into "Chunks of Monkey". Myth?

[german vegetarian chef]

Hello, I am German, and we have regions (bordering France!) who have baked items which would translate in english into Nuns' farts (german Nonnenfürze). They are similar to doughnuts, but not quite, as there are differences in the ingredients.

[Peter the eater]

Hello, I am German, and we have regions (bordering France!) who have baked items which would translate in english into Nuns' farts (german Nonnenfürze). They are similar to doughnuts, but not quite, as there are differences in the ingredients.

Interesting. My bakery translated the item to "Nun Farts" but now I'm thinking it could easily be "Sister Farts". Either way, it's an unfortunate name for such a delicasy.

[heidih]

Hello, I am German, and we have regions (bordering France!) who have baked items which would translate in english into Nuns' farts (german Nonnenfürze). They are similar to doughnuts, but not quite, as there are differences in the ingredients.

Interesting. My bakery translated the item to "Nun Farts" but now I'm thinking it could easily be "Sister Farts". Either way, it's an unfortunate name for such a delicasy.

Sister/nun is often the same word in many languages. Still as you said an unfortunate name for what appears to be a greasy crispy sweet treat

[haresfur]

SylviaLovegren, they were exquisite. They looked like this and smelt delish.

Are they like funnel cakes? Disturbing images running through my brain...

[SylviaLovegren]

SylviaLovegren, they were exquisite. They looked like this and smelt delish.

The texture looks sorta like that of things called crullers or French doughnuts in the States. (And I could see why Americans would call them French doughnuts rather than Nuns' Farts!). Anyone have any experience with both items?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

There are a number of Ecuadorian things with names that lose in translation; one of my faves is a pile of lightly poached lupines with chifles (plantain chips), tostado, popcorn, and finely sliced onion and tomato with tuna fish on top. It's called a Volquetero, which translates as "Dump-trucker."

Another great one is Chugchucara, which is generous chunks of back bacon fried until crispy in their own fat with panela and spices. That comes out as "Holy crap, an earthquake!" when you translate it.

[EatNopales]

Yesterday we visited a wonderful Acadian bakery in Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada. Pretty sure it's a one-of-a-kind family business, based on the faces and ages of the workers. We bought lots including a buttery donutty item called Pets Soeur. In English that would be Nun Farts.

As Christina Potters explains in Mexico the Woodland Puffball (Lycoperdon Perlatum) is called Pedos de Burro (Donkey Farts)... what if we could get Nun & Donkey farts together in the same pastry.... well I am sure there has to be a Pepito joke that involves Nuns & Donkeys anyway... oh no to let... image emblazoned into my eyeballs is probably... must... exit... thread... to.... save... civilization..

http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2008/09/la-feria-del-hongo-en-senguio-michoac%C3%A1n-the-mushroom-fair-in-senguio-michoac%C3%A1n.html

Edited August 26, 2011 by EatNopales (log)

[liuzhou]

One of my favourite dishes in my local restaurant here in southern China has a dish which I can only translate from the Chinese as "Maternal Grandmother's Fluttering Fragrant Bones." (外婆飘香骨).

It is Sichuan style spare ribs in a mountain of chillis. If you know the popular dish Sichuan dish "la zi ji (辣子鸡)", then just substitute chopped ribs for the chicken.

[mkayahara]

Personally, I've always thought "pâte à choux" sounded pretty un-dessert-like in translation: cabbage paste? Really? There's a reason we kept the French name.

[Kouign Aman]

And then there's the opposite - things which sound worse in the original language, like the steamed puddings "drowned baby" and "spotted dick".

Makes Grandma's fluttering bones sound positively delightful!

[Genkinaonna]

Pocari Sweat has to sound better in Japanese than it does in English...or maybe it just sounds more appealing if you only speak Japanese and not English ...

[gfweb]

What's a pocari look like anyway? A pokemon of some sort? I picture them panting rather than sweating.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I always imagined them to be sort of like Bad Batz Maru.... Which would mean that they only sweat when they're nervous.