The "Engrish" Thread

[kirei_na_me]

Okay, I'm going to start an Engrish thread for posting photos of funny Engrish. What am I talking about? All Engrish is funny.

Photos from engrish.com do not count. I want to see real amateur photos of Engrish!

And just to be fair, ones of funny Japanese would be good too...

 

[kirei_na_me]

Taken from one of Moto's motorcycle shirts:

"Fastest My Feels"

 

[kirei_na_me]

From one of the many kids' shirts I have with Engrish:

"Power Dog--The Story of Our Greatest Flower--The Mate Club--The Decision that Killed the Lightweight"

 

[den4]

here was my contribution from a long time ago...sorry no pictures, but it's engrish all the same...

http://forum.japanreference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2603

 

[Iron Chef]

That Power Dog shirt msg is seriously messed up... I still can't decipher the meaning no matter how hard I try lol. Where's John Forbes Nash when you need him? 8-p

 

[kirei_na_me]

Pop Child

I thought this was an interesting one. Besides the "Pop Child", it took me awhile to put "collection" together.

 

[kirei_na_me]

Into the Our Party

hehe...

 

[kirei_na_me]

Enjoy Myself

"Enjoy Myself--So Simple That It Is New--I'm A Little Different Today"

 

[kirei_na_me]

Originally posted by den4
here was my contribution from a long time ago...sorry no pictures, but it's engrish all the same...

http://forum.japanreference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2603

Love it, den!

I just wonder why these clothing companies or other companies that obviously have scads of money, don't employ some native English-speaking translator to translate these phrases into English that actually makes sense. Those things just make it harder for them to understand/use English.

 

[kirei_na_me]

Something else that is also funny, is that there is a clothing brand called "Tabatha Crayon" over there. They make extremely cute and well-made clothing, but can you understand how hesitant I was to put clothes on my sons with "Tabatha" all over them?

 

[Satori]

These are great! I think I like the "Enjoy myself" one the best!! And I LOVED Den4's list!! That was hilarious!

 

[Keiichi]

It took me a while to put collection together also. I guess they just decided to put it with 5 letters on each side to make it even.

 

[den4]

Originally posted by kirei_na_me
Love it, den!

I just wonder why these clothing companies or other companies that obviously have scads of money, don't employ some native English-speaking translator to translate these phrases into English that actually makes sense. Those things just make it harder for them to understand/use English.

C'mon, Pretty Eyes, if they hired native english speaking translators it would lose the charm and the fun....'sides, how many English speakers you know that are actually fluent in grammar in the US?
Last time I checked, the Amelikan kids and correge students do a great job themselves in creating new Engrish for the world.....and you want them to destroy the fun-loving Japanese version of engrish? Sacrilege! Blasphemy!!!

As long as they have companies with more money than they know what to do with, they will have engrish...

Long live Engrish!

 

[kirei_na_me]

True, true. You're right. I don't want to lose the Engrish.

Live on, Engrish!

 

[neko_girl22]

basically they just don't care that is doesn't make sense, as long as it looks cool to them I wish they would use a dictionary just to make sure though, some t-shirts, even childrens ones have really rude stuff printed on them .....

There's a sign that keeps popping up around my town that I think is a customer service association called "SOMEDAY - Friendly service".... well, you can keep hoping eh!

I wish I had taken a photo when I was on the ferry to Sakura Jima, there was a sign for a firehose that said " twist **** to left..."
hmmmm ouch!

 

[Carolgirl00]

Engrish is great! I love it! Thanx for the lovely pics kirei, they are appreciated! XD

 

[den4]

Originally posted by nzueda
basically they just don't care that is doesn't make sense, as long as it looks cool to them I wish they would use a dictionary just to make sure though, some t-shirts, even childrens ones have really rude stuff printed on them .....

There's a sign that keeps popping up around my town that I think is a customer service association called "SOMEDAY - Friendly service".... well, you can keep hoping eh!

I wish I had taken a photo when I was on the ferry to Sakura Jima, there was a sign for a firehose that said " twist **** to left..."
hmmmm ouch!

Use a dictionary? That's part of the problem with engrish written and created in Japan.... The Japanese have distorted the use of the dictionary into thinking it's the sole source for all the knowledge of English whether the usage is right or rong...

but what do I know? I don't even live there anymore....

 

[neko_girl22]

well Den I wasn't talking about grammar but some nasty words that pop up now and then ...but I know it's too much for them to check in a dictionary.... it's just disturbing to see teenage girls walking around with English on their t-shirts that I couldn't even write here

 

[kirei_na_me]

Yes, that is kind of...weird. I remember seeing a shirt like that on engrish.com. I can't remember exactly what it said, though.

 

[den4]

One of the first things that most people learn in a foreign language are the swear words or the words that blaspheme in that language....Engrish is no different. Not that I agree with their usage myself, but it is part of the "culture" of the language...
as one friend I knew in Japan that used to make very sharp observations about Japan once said: "If you have virgin ears, or a virgin mind, free and innocent of the meanings of words, then it shouldn't bother you..."

of course, things never work out the way you'd think they should....that's just part of life, I suppose...

 

[neko_girl22]

I'm not arguing with you Den If they know what the words mean, then its their choice - but I bet 95% of Japanese have *no idea* what it says on their t-shirt - it's just a cool pattern to them.

A mild example is of a girl that wore a t-shirt that said "kiss me" and was very upset when a foreign man actually did.....
some t-shirts say alot LOT worse

 

[den4]

it's ok to argue with me...just remember that I know nothing, so it may be a waste of your time, tho....
yeah, t-shirts say a lot worse at times....but it may also say something about the character of the purchaser.....

I once knew one J-lady that wore a t-shirt that read: "Fun girls do it 3 times a day..." she immediately went to the ladies room to remove that after I told her what it meant....
Ignorance is bliss...I guess....

 

[Satori]