Slide in on a shrimp sandwich
17th March 2017
Did you slide in on a shrimp sandwich? The term ‘slide in on a shrimp sandwich’ or ‘sliding in on a shrimp sandwich’ comes from a Swedish phrase meaning ‘when someone hasn’t had to work to get where they are’. One supposes this could be for all sorts of reasons; from nepotism, to being very friendly with the boss, to simply being in the right place at the right time. Either way, the translation of the phrase sounds very strange to English speaking ears.
Translating foreign idioms into the English language is always a tricky business, with the end result sometimes being a translation that simply doesn’t make sense or something that sounds utterly bizarre, as the infographic below, created by Citybase apartments, reveals.
Translating into English
Another thing that the infographic highlights is that translating foreign language idioms, or any colloquial term or phrase, in to English can result in utter nonsense. While sometimes amusing, it can leave the reader in a state of confusion, which is not something you want to happen when translating Client proposals’ or end-of-year reports – quite the opposite, in fact! ‘Funny’ translations certainly have their place, whether shared via a Facebook post or other social media, but when it comes to the world of business, you need the support of a professional team of linguists.
Professional Translation Services
Foreign Tongues has been providing professional translation services to the market research sector for more than twenty years. Our team of linguists have certainly had their work cut out for them on numerous occasions, with controlled creative licence needing to be applied to the translation of some respondents’ answers that simply wouldn’t make sense or be of any use if translated directly.
Our ability to adapt heavily localised source material into words that mean something and convey your message to your Client is what sets Foreign Tongues above the majority of translation agencies with respect to quality the translation produced and the most efficient turnaround times.
Start your next project by getting The 20 Minute Quote and you’ll see why many market research companies choose to partner with Foreign Tongues when it comes to getting a professional translation service.
We didn’t just slide in on a shrimp sandwich, you know!
