Boing Boing: Worst English phrasebook in the history of the world

Monday, September 5, 2005

Worst English phrasebook in the history of the world

English as She is Spoke (1883) is the worst English phrasebook ever produced. Its author, a Portuguese speaker, did not speak English. Rather, he took the a French-English phrasebook and a Portuguese-French phrasebook and translated the former using the latter.

With a hair dresser.
Your razors, are them well?
Yes, Sir.
Comb-me quickly; don't put me so much pomatum. What news tell me? all hairs dresser are newsmonger.
Sir, I have no heared any thing.

Link (Thanks, KnowAngel!)

posted by Cory Doctorow at 06:15:04 PM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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