Blog | America

(Funny) Rule #1: Why names that work here may not work there.

Global marketers are an intelligent bunch. But sometimes their over-confidence and past successes blind them to a monumental mistake:After investing millions of dollars launching a new product in a new country, they discover that the company name, product name, slogan, tagline or logo is offensive to the target audience.Had they invested in the cheapest possible… Continue reading

OPI. How to talk (now) when you can’t speak

Over 72% of the world does not speak English. In addition, many countries in Asia and Africa—such as Nigeria, India and the Philippines...

Business Closures, Questionable Composting, Population Control Diet and a Sauce to Avoid – These are the Holiday Friday Funnies

The weather outside is frightful but the month of December is so delightful! It's filled with celebrations and more food and libations than we should probably consume. A month of continuing holiday revelry and thanks, and the warm gathering of kith and kin. With the major holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa all taking precedent,… Continue reading

Invisible Dentures, Nude Covid Protection and Hands-free … Never Mind – It’s the Friday Funnies!

The New Year has arrived and with it the promise of great opportunities ahead! It's a month that brings gradually longer, if colder, days. We begin the month by ringing in the new year and then honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. on January 15th. January is filled with many special days to… Continue reading

“Revising” website translations inexpensively. And website Bloopers.

“I can’t translate my website yet. It’s being revised.” If I had a hundred dollars for every time I’ve heard that, I’d by now have a condo in Monaco. The problem is that websites are rarely “done.” If you can or do derive revenue from other cultures or countries, you are missing tremendous opportunities if… Continue reading

The Importance of Emptiness. Book translations and Bloopers

When companies design brochures or forms for translation, they often forget a critical element: white space. It’s very important to keep empty space on your original pages. That’s because most common languages require far more words than English to express the same concepts.In general, 20% more space is needed for translations into French, Italian, Spanish,… Continue reading

New Year’s Gift: Wonderful signs and bloopers to brighten your day

I have always been amazed that foreigners can learn English so well. Ours is a crazy language where compound words make no sense and where opposites are true. For example: An eggplant contains no egg and a hamburger contains no ham. Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square, and guinea pigs do not come from… Continue reading

Untranslatable words and Humorous signs: A Thanksgiving gift

Our newsletter last month illustrated how simple words such as “reuse” or “recycle” cannot be translated directly in some languages because translations depend on how the words are used in context. This month we wanted to illustrate words in other languages that simply have no direct translations in English, regardless of context. If you try AI or… Continue reading

Drinking, Pigs, Water and the No-Fun Zone – It’s Friday Funnies

November is here; the month of thanks and friendship and family gatherings. In many parts of the country, we rise to frosty mornings and sometimes a dusting of fresh snow. The days have gotten shorter and the evening darkness arrives sooner. The longer evenings provide the perfect setting to celebrate: King Tut Day Clean Your… Continue reading