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Poor Napoleon. It's like reading directions translated from Asian languages. I always find them amusing, but then how many among us could write directions in, say, Japanese? It's of course fundamental grammatical structure rhat's most daunting. If you want to read something hilarious, check out Twain's translation of his "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" from a French translation back into English.

Poor old Boney indeed, I have a lot of sympathy as I have been trying to learn Spanish for years and have made some cracking errors like asking at a hotel reception desk if I could book a restaurant table for yesterday and telling someone I was tired instead of married whilst pointing to my husband. Not a Freudian slip just rubbish Spanish.

So funny, teenieleek, though I'm sure they commiserated with you in your weariness. I was just recalling President Carter's gaffe during his trip to Poland, when he meant to say that he admired the Polish people but in fact said that he lusted after them.

On the subject of US Presidents, Ich bin ein Berliner apparently means I am a doughnut, but I think that was definitely a case of "we know what you mean". I may be wrong here as my German's even worse than my Spanish! No doubt someone will tell me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner#Jelly_doughnut_misconception

Reminded of a favorite anecdote. I read many years ago that John Steinbeck's widow was in a bookstore in Japan and asked out of curiosity whether they had any of her husband's books. The shopkeeper said, "Oh yes, we have his most famous work, The Angry Raisins."

I had to think about angry raisins for a sec!
I once saw the difficulty of translation illustrated by the following
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"

Groucho Marx?

Groucho indeed. You win a cigar.

when i first tried an online translation, Kiss my arse,(into French and back) gave, Embrace my bottom.
how classy is that?!!