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Talk about misunderstanding!

English translation: Was it something I said?

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Talk about misunderstanding!
Selected answer:Was it something I said?
Entered by: Mikhail Kropotov

06:03 Apr 29, 2005
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Marketing - Advertising / Public Relations / - title of a cartoon series
English term or phrase: Talk about misunderstanding!
"Talk about misunderstanding!"

This is for a cartoon series title. Do you like it? The cartoons portray people who get into trouble because they are in a foreign country and can't understand what is going on sometimes. (It's a promotional move, if that's important to you :)

Also, how does it compare with the alternative "Talking about misunderstanding"?
Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 06:17
Was it something I said?
Explanation:
How about that as an alternative? I think it grabs you.
Your source term just falls on the floor for me. Maybe it's just me, but there's this je ne sais quoi that bothers me about it. So I'll do my 5 mea culpas for that. And since you asked, I like your second alternative even less. Please forgive me.
Selected response from:

Can Altinbay
Local time: 00:17
Grading comment
Thanks Can, even though I couldn't use your version, it is really nice!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +11Was it something I said?
Can Altinbay
4 +3The Land of Babel
Refugio
4See what I mean?
Elevenít (X)
3(And) here we go again!
Irene N


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +11
talk about misunderstanding!
Was it something I said?


Explanation:
How about that as an alternative? I think it grabs you.
Your source term just falls on the floor for me. Maybe it's just me, but there's this je ne sais quoi that bothers me about it. So I'll do my 5 mea culpas for that. And since you asked, I like your second alternative even less. Please forgive me.


Can Altinbay
Local time: 00:17
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks Can, even though I couldn't use your version, it is really nice!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Orla Ryan: i like the implied humour here, more colloquial :)
25 mins
  -> Thank you kindly.
agree  French Foodie: Yes, I really like this. And even though the cartoon characters don't always say something, this still sums up the idea (people unwittingly doing something they shouldn't) with a great touch of humour.
59 mins
  -> Thank you kindly.
agree  Armorel Young: Excellent idea. I certainly think "misunderstanding" needs to come out of the original title - it's just too ponderous to ever be snappy.
1 hr
  -> Thank you kindly.
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
2 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Jörgen Slet
5 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Rania KH
8 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Robert Donahue (X): Probably the one best suited for a cartoon.
9 hrs
  -> Thank you, Robert.
agree  Ali Beikian
12 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Pawel Gromek
15 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  jennifer newsome (X)
1 day 10 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
2 days 3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
talk about misunderstanding!
(And) here we go again!


Explanation:
I'm not all so sure and would like to think some more, but I would love to hear natives' opinion.

Irene N
United States
Local time: 23:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
talk about misunderstanding!
See what I mean?


Explanation:
This would cover the non-verbal gags, too.

Some others that I rejected along the way where:
- Talking at cross purposes [with the double meaning of 'cross']
- Following/picking the wrong thread [the thread of an argument/idea]
- Ruminating on the unpalatable [puns on 'ruminating' and 'unpalatable' for unfamilar language, ideas, customs and food]

But, the more I think about it the more all of these stink.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 22 mins (2005-04-29 10:25:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

swap \'where\' for \'were\' in my post!!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs 22 mins (2005-04-29 11:25:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just to spell it out \'Do you see what I mean?\' is another way of saying \'Do you understand me?\'. \'See what I mean\' being the more colloquial way of asking the same thing.

Elevenít (X)
Hungary
Local time: 06:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
talk about misunderstanding!
The Land of Babel


Explanation:
You are right that 'talking about misunderstanding' is all wrong, but on the other hand, 'talk about misunderstanding' is pretty boring also for a cartoon series title. This is just one more suggestion.

Refugio
Local time: 21:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  humbird: Wow Ruth, how fantastic!
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, humbird
agree  RHELLER: good one! (this is so true about our world - people NOT communicating with each other)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Rita
agree  Can Altinbay: I still like mine better, :), but I do want to give a thumbs up to this one.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Can, I like yours too
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