Randahl FinkMar 7

Examples that Danish is the most confusing language for English speakers:

In Denmark, when washing machines are done, their displays write, "Slut!", which means "Finished".

When someone enters an elevator, the display changes to "I fart", which means "On the move".

Tourists have difficulty finding a nice WC, because the signs often say "Bad toilet", meaning "Bathroom and toilet".

In lobbies with multiple elevators, one sign may say, "Gods elevator", which means "Freight elevator".

#offtopic

Show threadrhempelMar 7
@randahl ... and of course the always hilarious signs on the high street for the final sale - Slut Spurt!
Show threadRandahl FinkMar 7
@rhempel nowadays were have the opposite problem, as window signs will often say "Sale!", which is confusing to Danes, as that means "Halls!", as if there is some big rooms inside the building.
Show threadToni M.Mar 7

@randahl @rhempel

Same here in Germany. Some people believe "Sale" is a brand.

Show threadHraban (fiëé visuëlle)Mar 7
@mad @randahl @rhempel
No, no, that only hints at salted prices!
(In German that means overly expensive, dunno if it works in English.)
Show threadC++ Wage Slave

@fiee @mad @randahl @rhempel

A Frenchman I know always laughs when he visits the UK and sees the words "for sale". In French, "fort sale" (in which the T is silent) means "really dirty".

Mar 7 at 12:02pmWeb
Show threadClic 🌱 ↙↙↙Mar 7
@CppGuy I am always pleased to see a “Garage sale” sign.
@fiee @mad @randahl @rhempel
Show threadHraban (fiëé visuëlle)Mar 7

@CppGuy
Oh right, sale is dirty (while salé is salted).

@mad @randahl @rhempel

Show threadC++ Wage SlaveMar 7

@fiee @mad @randahl @rhempel

Yes — but salt isn't "sal", it's "sel", and that makes me get the word for "salted" wrong every time. Natural languages are rarely simple or consistent!