Sayings that you hate now

[Rhubarbodendron]

see? Exactly my point. Everyone is making fun of that wrong word. Why couldn't they have called it something German?
Wikipedia has a shockingly long list of other wrong anglicisms in German: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denglis...udo-anglicisms

[RoJoHen]

Rhubarbodendron wrote:

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in Germany, we elect one un-word every year. Do you have something similar in your respective countries?

I totally hate the word "Handy" in German. It's used as a synonym for cell phone. They wanted an anglicism at any price (because if it's not American it's not good. Ahem - what about Pershings, GWB, A-bomb, MacCarthyism, Wounded Knee, etc.?) What they meant was hand-held, some bloody idiot got it wrong and now we're stuck with an embarassingly wrong word. Ironically, that wrong expression has recently begun to turn up in the local slang of some major US cities (and apparently in GB as well, from what I'm told).

Yeah, a "handy" in America definitely does NOT mean cell phone.

[Rhubarbodendron]

I don't dare to ask...

[Jim Gamma]

Well, it's not something I'd ever heard before I heard the German definition. Might be limited to certain (parts of) countries.

[lurok]

B.J. wrote:

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But this one is so much fun when Jack O'Neill says it!

And political interviewees when on the ropes. Along with 'That's a good question.../I'm glad you asked that...' and then don't answer.

Miss Chicken wrote:

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10 – It’s not rocket science

Unless it is

Miss Chicken wrote:

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I only knew that a cell phone was called a Handy in Germany because I saw it on QI.

Such a great show. Has it been shown in US or adapted yet?

[Jim Gamma]

Probably not... way too cerebral for most US TV networks.

[Retu]

I don't like the phrase "in the long run", especially since it has been adopted to Finnish language by translating it literally. Now when someone uses that phrase in Finnish it conjures up an image of someone running a marathon.

[thestrangequark]

Miss Chicken wrote:

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I only knew that a cell phone was called a Handy in Germany because I saw it on QI.

Oh man, I remember that episode! The first time I watched that one I laughed so hard my eyes teared up!

[RoJoHen]

Rhubarbodendron wrote:

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I don't dare to ask...

It's short for handjob.

[thestrangequark]

^

[flandry84]

When you absentmindedly ask "What day is today?"and someone answers "Monday....all day long".Grrr.

[thestrangequark]

^Well, it is Monday. If you want the date, you have to ask for the date, not the day!

[Miss Lemon]

Peacemaker wrote:

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It is what it is.

Will somebody please tell what the fuck "it" is!

That woud be my choice as well.

Talk about stating the obvious.

[Miss Chicken]

Jim Gamma wrote:

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Probably not... way too cerebral for most US TV networks.

I read that the main reason it isn't aired in the USA is because of copyright issues concerning many of the photos shown during the show. It seems that the photos are only cleared for usage in the UK and it seems that US networks aren't willing to pay for the rights to the photos.

It seems that the only countries, outside the UK, that the show is shown in are Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

[thestrangequark]

Jim Gamma wrote:

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Probably not... way too cerebral for most US TV networks.

This coming from the nation that gave us Benny Hill.