Zed started a neat thread "Hmmm" inviting people to post examples of words imported into english, such as "macho", which have an inflection in the original language which would produce comical results if that inflection were associated with the english usage.

Here's what Zed says about "macho":

One of my favorites was a very old Spanish English dictionary that translated the Spanish word macho as i) masculine, ii) a male mule or iii) a very stupid man.

I personally regretted that I couldn't respond to Zed's challenge because I am not proficient in any language other than english.

I did a little search on the Internet and came up with the tale about the CIA using an early computer to translate Russian. The CIA director tested the translation program himself by entering the phrase "out of sight, out of mind" into the computer. He obtained the Russian translation and then fed the Russian translation back to himself in english. The result: "invisible insanity".

Altho this story is said to be apocryphal, it sounded plausible so I decided to see what would happen if I followed the same approach using AltaVista's "babelfish".

I entered "out of sight" for translation into Spanish and I got "fuera de vista".

Then I entered "fuera de vista" for translation into English and I got "outside Vista".

Now here's a game anyone can play, and it is sure to produce some very interesting results.

"outside Vista" is just the beginning.

I am going to call this game "FiddleFaddle", at least for now.

It is not as cerebral as Zed's game, I concede.

Since I am probably the only one on this Board who can't play Zed's game, I may end up playing FiddleFaddle by myself. [It wouldn't be the first time. No matter. I have lots of "sock puppets" to keep me company. ]

Hmmm. I wonder how "sock puppets" would FiddleFaddle?

Hmmm. I wonder how "sock puppets" would FiddleFaddle?

Babelfish results for "sock puppets":

English to Spanish: "marionetas del calcetin"

Spanish back to English: "marionettes of the sock".

Hmmm. It doesn't exactly knock my socks off.

"Live it up" becomes "it lives for above".

[I may have trouble living this down. ]

I thought I would give Babel Fish one more try by FiddleFaddling some book or play titles or wise sayings. [Mostly Babel Fish cheats by repeating at least one of the words to be translated in both languages.]

FiddleFaddle results for:

"Long Day's Journey into Night" becomes:

"Long trip of day's in night"

Now we're getting somewhere!

I've had a few nights like that myself.

"A penny saved is a penny earned" becomes:

"A saved penny is a gained penny"

Hmmm. All of a sudden, our maxim sounds a little Benjamin Franklinesque. The work ethic of Ben's day ["early to bed, early to rise", and all that Puritan claptrap) has gone the way of the Dodo bird.

"Earn my keep?", you've got to be kidding! Show me the $$$$!!!

I think the Spanish translation has got it right.

OK, let's play FaddleFiddle and see if that attracts any interest ... other than my own.
[I feel like the after-dinner speaker in a roomful of post-prandial narcoleptics. ]

I give you the "FiddleFaddle" result of a popular phrase or aphorism or book title or whatever, and you guess the original input.

Here's an easy one to get started:

FiddleFaddle result:

Do my day.

Original input:

Make my day.

OK, now we're ready to play FaddleFiddle.

FiddleFaddle result (Sp/Eng): "upon, upon and far"

Original input: ???

FaddleFiddle this, Plutarch.

Your mother uses shippers of the army.

Take a length walk of a short wharf, Wordminstrel.

It raises yours, Plutarch.

Twat

Thanks for keeping the thread going, Capfka. It had pretty much petered out.

I've seen you use that word several times before. It's becoming a signature.

What's the problem? Scat's got your tongue?

Capfka: The word you have chosen to repeat again and again without provocation or encouragement, and now once again on another thread ["Laika"], is not one I personally would use in polite company, and, in fact, it is not one I would choose to use at all ... except now, upon considerable reflection, in reference to you --- because it is your chosen signature, and, more importantly, because you have chosen your signature most fittingly.

Henceforth, whenever I see you post anywhere, I will think of you by your signature.

But I will not demean myself or this Board by actually using it.

If, however, you have it within you to apologize, not to me but to the Board, I will cleanse my mind of the memory of your persistent obtuseness.

Against the chance that you have been posting on AWADtalk for almost 2 1/2 years and you are, notwithstanding that, unfamiliar with the meaning your chosen signature has in common parlance on this side of the Atlantic, if not on your own side of the Atlantic, I refer you to a page of definitions in A-H, a source you have considered authoritative yourself in the past:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=twat

Stop acting like one and I will stop calling you one.

Plutarch is right, Capfka, here in the States only base people use the term "twat" in public or in private. And even the basest of the base would not post this abject vulgarism on the WorldWideWeb.

Sometimes kids read here. Why not be magnamous and apologize to Mister Plutarch for calling him a you-know-what!

You'll feel better and
it won't break your jaw.

Stop acting like one and I will stop calling you one

Using the language you have chosen to use does not dishonor me, Capfka. You dishonour yourself.

I have no reason to 'out' you. You have 'outed' yourself.

I think we all know that if anyone outside the inner circle had used the language you have used flagrantly and repeatedly, that person would have been swarmed with Carps, shunned and then banned from the Board long before this.

It seems you have 'outed' more than yourself, Capfka.

Please, would you two or three or four or however damned many of you there are all please stop this innane and childish nonsense.

We can have a lot more fun if we don't have to wade through this crap.

TEd

NOT a Carp

It has always been my policy not to interject my views into these unpleasantnesses, and it was only with great reluctance that I did so this time. I would love not to have another on drat what was that word, stramash, I think.

yeah TEd; that's a good word. here's another word (continuing the broaden our vocabulary theme):
ultracrepidarian

Oh goody...obscure words! How about...

To floccipend meshantery is to gesten micropsychy.

( To treat as trifling a wicked deed is to welcome as a guest - pusillanimity.)

Oh so true!

To floccipend meshantery is to gesten micropsychy.

Mr. Dodgson, your car is waiting...