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Hilarious First & Last Names | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7376 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes  12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 1 of 140 16 January 2006 at 4:02pm | IP Logged | ||
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Sometimes I come across a person's name in a foreign language and find it so hilarious that it gets me smiling for an entire hours. Don't get me wrong, I don't make fun of people because of their names, but some sound so nice or are so descriptive that you just can't help.
Italian is a my main provider of such experiences. Some examples: Giuseppina Millefiori Litterally, 'Josephina A-Thousand-Flowers' I saw her name in a newspaper article about an art heist in a Roman museum a couple years back (she was a witness). Livia Pomodoro Litterally, 'Livia Tomato' an imposing psychologist interviewed in Rai1. There are many more, but some names are so disarmingly poetic they are just a joy to come across. I wonder if other people had similar experiences? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7015 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 2 of 140 16 January 2006 at 4:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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This story reminds me of a woman my grandmother knew. She was called Dolores ("pains" in Spanish). Nothing particularly unusual with that name in Spanish, but she married Seņor Fuerte Debarriga (can be translated as "strong in the belly"). So we end up with the unfortunate Mrs (strong) Pains in the Belly!
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| morprussell Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7163 days ago 272 posts - 285 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 3 of 140 16 January 2006 at 5:14pm | IP Logged | ||
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I always enjoy seeing the last name Cabezadevaca in Spanish. Literally "cows head".
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 Hencke Tetraglot Moderator Spain Joined 6894 days ago 2340 posts - 2444 votes Speaks: Swedish*, Finnish, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: Mandarin Personal Language Map | Message 4 of 140 19 January 2006 at 6:05am | IP Logged | ||
Paniagua - (Pan y Agua) - Bread and Water There's a TV reporter you see on screen now and then by that surname. Geographical names can be funny too: Caravaca - Cow's face Carabobo (a state/province in Venezuela) - Idiot's face And then of course there is the Austrian (or was it German) town of W-a-n-k-i-n-g (sic - sorry for the hyphens, apparently the text is automatically censored here !*) that needs a steady supply of new signs from the factory cause the signs are nicked as souvenirs by British tourists just as fast as they can put them up again. Can't blame them really. I'd probably be tempted myself if I happened by those parts :o). * what about Sc**thorpe ? - Yes, that seems to be censored too (the two missing letters are u and n). That is so silly. Tough luck for anyone who wants to post from there. Edited by Hencke on 19 January 2006 at 6:31am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Kveldulv Senior Member Italy Joined 6953 days ago 222 posts - 244 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Italian* | Message 5 of 140 19 January 2006 at 10:21am | IP Logged | ||
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My surname is Pagnoni, when I was at elementary school my classmates used to call me "pagnotta" eller "pagnottina", round loaf. Edited by Kveldulv on 19 January 2006 at 10:21am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7376 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes 12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 140 19 January 2006 at 10:55am | IP Logged | ||
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Some place names are outright funny. English visitors of France have always been pleased with the village of Condom but here in Switzerland we also have Gland and the lovely Vers-chez-les-Conne (litterally close-to-the-she-moron). License plates around here all bear a large VD sign that is always a hit with anglophone first-timers.
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| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7376 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes 12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 140 19 January 2006 at 10:58am | IP Logged | ||
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I would ask people not to include any 'funny' African-American or European Jewish surnames. Some of these people's ancestors had suddendly been assigned new names by local officials due to legislative changes and sometimes they tried to make jokes on the poor people (Mr Snowwhite or Mr Blumenthal, etc...). I prefer if we don't mention such names in this context as this would be cruel and inappropriate. Thanks.
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| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7015 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 8 of 140 19 January 2006 at 1:31pm | IP Logged | ||
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