I’m always looking for new and interesting books on grammar, English, words, and other such things to share with you. One of my recent purchases did not end up being a favorite, but I have found a few things I can share with you. This book is called I Never Knew There Was a Word for It, by Adam Jacot de Boinod.
This first piece is from page 447 and is titled “You’re safer with prison.” It is a list of words that mean something completely different in English than they do in other languages. Travelers beware!
· Atum Bom: Portuguese tinned tuna
· Bimbo: Mexican bread (We know this one!)
· Kevin: French aftershave
· Polio: Czech detergent
· Vaccine: Dutch aftershave
· Flirt: Austrian cigarettes
· Naked: New Zealand fruit and nut bar
· Noisy: French butter
· Happy: Swiss chocolate
· Prison: Ugandan body spray
Kara Church
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