Linguistic Blunders
 

If you're teaching abroad, you're probably trying to learn the language of the country while you're there - and probably making some daft mistakes. Have you ever said anything really funny? When I was learning Italian we had a terrific thunderstorm one evening and I stayed at the window about an hour just watching it. The next day, talking to some friends who live in a different area, which hadn't had it so bad, I tried to describe what I'd seen. I wanted to say : Il cielo era pieno di tuoni e lampi - The sky was full of thunder and lightning. But what I actually came out with was: Il cielo era pieno di tonno e lamponi - The sky was full of tuna fish and raspberries. I didn't live that one down for quite a while ...

Re: Linguistic Blunders
 

I remember not so long ago that I was describing to my brother-in-law that my brother in the UK was a rubbishman during his gap year at Uni. So I thought very quickly when he didn't understand rubbishman, someone who collects rubbish in the UK. I said to him: "내 현, 쓰레기 넘". Basically in English, "My brother was a rubbishman". What i didn't realise during my translation was that rubbishman (쓰레기 넘) in Korean meant a "bl**dy useless idiot". We all had a good laugh when we realised my mistake was totally honest.

Re: Linguistic Blunders
 

The first one I can remember is when I went to the bank to cash a cheque. I wanted to say "Vorrei incassare quest'assegno" which means "I'd like to cash this cheque".
What I actually said, and there really is only a very small difference, is "Vorrei incazzare quest'assegno" - "I'd like to really piss this cheque off!"
Top marks to the guy behind the counter who managed not to laugh in my face and politely explained the difference in pronunciation.