by Barry Kaufman
Last updated: 7:00 PM ET, Mon September 28, 2015
All illustrations courtesy of HotelClub.com
We don't want to let a frog out of our mouth here, but you should really avoid having a stick in your ear for this one.
The spoken word is a wonderfully ambiguous thing, and while this mutability can be a great way to turn a phrase, it can also make picking up a new language a living hell. When traveling, you not only have to get a feel for the language, but for the many intricate turns that can be taken when transforming thought into expression. For example, if you were encountering English for the first time, you might be startled to hear that you had thrown the baby out with the bath water or confused that it was time to face the music.
Such as it is with any number of foreign tongues, where the actual meaning of a phrase can often be lost in translation if taken literally.
In the infographic below, HotelClub.com has gathered some of the most entertaining, from the baffling (having the midday demon) to the wonderfully illustrative (not my circus, not my monkeys).
Have a read through, then start seeing how well you can work them into conversation next time you're abroad. In the mouth of a wolf (which means good luck, for some reason)!
Source - HotelClub
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