The hotel we are staying in provides a breakfast buffet, which each day includes hard-boiled eggs, and omelets on request. One morning I was hoping for some scrambled eggs, so I did a Google translate, which told me scrambled eggs = omelet. I chalked it up to faulty translating, so I pulled up a picture of scrambled eggs and showed it to the kitchen staff. They obliged, with an omelet cut up into small pieces. Later, I confirmed with one of our Turkish handlers that scrambled eggs are not a thing in Turkey, and that the word does indeed translate to omelet. I’m picturing the kitchen staff’s reaction, upon hearing my request: “Lazy Americans, they can’t cut up an omelet for themselves, they’re asking us to do it for them?”
3 Years Around the World
14 responses to “Lost In Translation”
I want to use the phrase “Lost in Translation” for my auto biography but there is already both a book and film with this title. I have a long list of “lost” word meanings. The other side of this is when another language adopts a word from another because it doesn’t have that particular concept in their vocabulary. The funniest one for me is Polish – seks apil.
Oh my gosh, I didn’t know that Polish one! Hilarious.
Time for a training session in the kitchen!
This makes me think of our trip to NZ twenty years ago, and an experience you might relate to as a former resident. Our first night in Queenstown, our group of six went out for food and drink. Things may have changed, but at the time NZ was really a beer-and-wine kind of place. It soon became evident they really didn’t know how to make the cocktails we ordered. One of us eventually got behind the bar and did all the work.
Similarly, you might need to head into the kitchen! Since you’re spending a month there, you might as well get them in line early!
I would, but one of the joys of going on this cruise was that I would not have to cook for 3 years. I don’t want to relapse back into that…
Yeah, helping in the kitchen could be a slippery slope!
🙂
Tomorrow morning go in and ask for eggs Menemen. Tell them no peppers. I think you will get the kind of eggs mom made at home ( well almost)
Here is the link with pix.
https://www.giverecipe.com/turkish-egg-dish-menemen/
Donna, this morning I heeded your suggestion and showed the picture in the link to the cook. He smiled in recognition, and told me tomorrow he will make me the eggs. Can’t wait!
So funny!
One of the joys of travel, losing things in translation.
Thank you, Basia, for starting off my morning, with a hearty belly laugh!
Always happy to generate belly laughs!