Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing corporations. It shouldn’t be that hard, yet even the big multi-nationals run into trouble because
of language and cultural differences. For example, observe the following examples below.

The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been
printed that the phrase means “bite the wax tadpole” or “female horse stuffed with wax” depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters
and found a close phonetic equivalent, “ko-kou-ko-le,” which can be loosely translated as “happiness in the mouth.”

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”

Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan “finger-lickin’ good” came out as “eat your fingers off.”

The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, “Salem – Feeling Free,” got translated in the Japanese market into “When smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed
that your mind seems to be free and empty.”

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that “no va” means “it won’t go.” After the company figured out
why it wasn’t selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” However, the company
mistakenly thought the spanish word “embarazar” meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that “It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

An American t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of the desired “I Saw the Pope” in Spanish,
the shirts proclaimed “I Saw the Potato.”

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes Toilet Water.

As you slide down the banister of life:

                 1. Jim Baker  and Jimmy Swaggert have  written
                     An impressive new book.  It’s called  ………
                    ‘Ministers Do More Than Lay  People’

                 2.  Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat,  drink
                     And be  Mary..

                 3.  The difference between the Pope  and
                     Your boss,  the Pope only expects  you
                     To kiss his  ring.

                 4.  My mind works like lightning, One  brilliant
                     Flash  and it is  gone.

                 5.  The only time the world beats a path  to
                     Your door is if you’re in  the  bathroom.

                 6.  I hate sex in the movies. Tried it  once.
                     The seat folded up, the drink spilled  and
                     That ice, well, it really chilled the  mood.

                 7.  It used to be only death and  taxes
                     Now, of course,  there’s
                     Shipping and handling,  too.

                 8.   A  husband is someone who, after  taking
                      The trash out, gives the impression  that
                      He just cleaned the whole  house.

                 9.  My next house will have no kitchen –  just
                     Vending machines and a  large trash  can.

                          10.  A blonde said, ‘I was worried that  my
                         Mechanic might try to rip me  off.
                       I was relieved when he told me  all
                       I needed was turn signal  fluid.’

                 11. Definition  of a  teenager?
                      God’s punishment…for enjoying  sex.

                 12. As you  slide down the banister of life,  may
                      The splinters never point the wrong  way.
                       NOW  GO HAVE A GOOOOD  DAY…….
 

Maria is a devout Catholic. She gets married and has 17 children. Then her
husband dies. She remarries two weeks later, and has 22 children by her
next husband. Then he dies. A while later, she dies.

At the funeral, the priest looks skyward and says, “At least they’re
finally together.”

A guy sitting in the front row says, “Excuse me Father, but do you mean
her and her first husband, or her and her second husband?”

The priest says, “I mean her legs.”

And Still Think You’re Having a Bad Day?

Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn’t pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with “Return to Sender” stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb,
he opened it and was blown to bits.

There now, feeling better?