For more than 30 years, New York magazine has run a contest in which contestants take a well-known foreign language expression, change a single letter, and provide a definition for the new expression. Here are some favorites.
New Phrase
- Meaning
Harlez-Vous Français? (Parlez "Do you speak French?")
Can you drive a French motocycle?
Cogito Eggo Sum (ergo "I think, therefore I am")
I think; therefore I am a waffle
Rigor Morris (mortis "stiffness of death")
The cat is dead
Repondez-Vous S'il Vous Plaid (plait "please respond")
Honk if you're Scottish
Que Sera Serf (sera "what will be will be")
Life is feudal
Posh Mortem (post "after death")
Death styles of the rich and famous
Pro Bozo Publico (bono "for the public good")
Support your local clown
Apès Moe Le Deluge (moi “after me, the deluge")
Larry and Moe got wet
Haste Cuisine (haute "high cooking")
Fast french food
Veni, Vidi, Vice (vici "I came, I saw, I conquered")
I came, I saw, I partied
Mazel Ton (tov "good luck")
Tons of luck
Aloha Oy (Oe "Farewell to Thee")
Love; Greetings; Farewell; from such a pain you should never know!
Visa La France (viva "long live France")
Don't leave your chateau without it
L'état, C'est Moo (moi "The state, it is I")
I'm bossy around here
Two letter changes cheat...
Cogito, Ergo Spud (sum "I think, therefore I am")
I think, therefore I yam
Veni, Vidi, Velcro (vici "I came, I saw, I conquered")
I came, I saw, I stuck around
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7 comments:
nice post :P
+follow
I've seen these before, but they're still funny. My favorite is "pro bozo publico."
Good ones!
As an American I'm offended by all the foreign words in this blog post.
- Jay
S - Thanks
B - But did you have the official translations?
A - Teach these to A & a.
J - No hablo englase senoir
Deo Fendice: With God Riding on My Fender(presumably of a Chevy 4 x 4). This is my modern re-write of Deo Vindice, the Confderate motto, which means With God As Our Defender.
Make that the ConfEderate motto. I can spell; I just sometimes run out of fingers as I type.
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