Blog | America

Critical Mistakes causing Unintended Humor

Welcome to another episode of “Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You!”Q: When you market your company and its products or services to non-English speakers and global customers, are you certain that your message is translated correctly? These companies thought their messages had been:Parker Pen, when expanding into Mexico, mistranslated "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass… Continue reading

You Can Never Be Too Careful

Welcome back to our irregularly scheduled programming: Here we are in the dog days of summer with a devastating hurricane, a tragic pandemic and an election cycle that's as bitter as any in recent memory - it's time to raise our spirits with a little bit of humor! I'm sure the following applies equally to… Continue reading

New Business Paths and Laughs for the Beginning of Fall

Welcome to Fall 2020! Today is the beginning of the most challenging Fall our businesses have ever faced. Some industries remain heavily constrained by the Covid-19 pandemic while others are rebooting to a new normal. Business strategies are being reevaluated, adjusting to new market realities and unforeseen challenges. It's clear that our business lives have… Continue reading

Turkey, Jabuticaba Sauce, Mashed Cassavas and Banh Trung Thu!

Happy Thanksgiving! Many of us think of Thanksgiving as a uniquely U.S. holiday, but many cultures celebrate their own form of Thanksgiving. Consider the following: Canada - Thanksgiving is observed on the second Monday of October every year, though many opt to feast on the weekend. English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew had the first… Continue reading

A Laugh during this Challenging Holiday Season!

Holiday Greetings to All! I hope this finds you free of Covid and able to enjoy some of the traditional elements of the holidays. Whether it’s celebrating 8 nights of Zoomed Hanukkah, Christmas caroling (masked and socially distanced) or enjoying a Kwanzaa feast with your household family members, this diminished season is one that, with… Continue reading

A language lesson from Mazda

Happy February! It's time for a funny lesson… Imagine that you run Mazda and have a new car for export. The Laputa is a proven success in Japan. It’s safe, reliable, comfortable, inexpensive and is a high mileage vehicle – sure to be a hit overseas. You run a huge advertising campaign to introduce the Laputa… Continue reading

April Friday Funnies – Ask for Bottled Water

Welcome to the April edition of Friday Funnies, Auerbach International's monthly presentation of the humorous but critical foibles of amateur translations and interpreters. Enjoy! A sign outside of a Paris dress shop read, Dresses for street walking. A New Zealand restaurant announced its aggressive schedule, Open seven days a week, and weekends too. Former President… Continue reading

May Friday Funnies – Horny Moses

As we all enter the Memorial Day weekend and the beginning of a normalized summer, let’s have some laughs and a history lesson! 2018 was the Year of the Woman in Mexico. National Public Radio (NPR), reported on the large number of women who were running for elected office and tweeted "Some Mexicans are calling… Continue reading

Friday Funnies – Independence Day Edition

A very happy 4th of July Weekend to all! With the pandemic slowly receding into our rear-view mirrors, it's time to look forward and celebrate the birth of this Nation and the possibilities for better days ahead! Better days that don't include miscues like the following... Fortunately, such laws don't apply in the United… Continue reading