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Rating: 
Summary: An amusing piece of non-fiction (fiction?)
Review: Examples of language mutilations always appeal to me. I found the content in this book very interesting and humorous. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the lack of sources for the quotes. Allegedly, the phrases are "real" but we never see any evidence of that. I was surprised by the lack of credits on the movie quotes. Over-all, this was a quick and funny read, which could have been a bit better if I were convinced the quotes were taken from real life.
Rating: 
Summary: I think this is a great little book!
Review: I was going to give this as a gift, but once I started reading it, I had to buy a second copy for myself. I think this book is
hysterical. Sorry, but lines from foreign movies like "Honey, this food smells weird. Did you fart?" never fail to make me laugh. If I'm easily amused, so be it, but then, can't help it. I enjoy laughing.
The book is not written to be a scholarly tome, so it does not have exact references, but from my own experiences in travelling, buying foreign products and watching MANY foreign movies this stuff rings true.
The book costs only cost a few bucks and I've more than gotten my money's worth in smiles, chuckles, giggles and outright laughs.
Lightweight, yeah. Worth it, definitely!
Rating:
Summary: I think this is a great little book!
Review: I was going to give this as a gift, but once I started reading it, I had to buy a second copy for myself. I think this book is
hysterical. Sorry, but lines from foreign movies like "Honey, this food smells weird. Did you fart?" never fail to make me laugh. If I'm easily amused, so be it, but then, can't help it. I enjoy laughing.The book is not written to be a scholarly tome, so it does not have exact references, but from my own experiences in travelling, buying foreign products and watching MANY foreign movies this stuff rings true. The book costs about $$$ bucks and I've more than gotten my money's worth in smiles, chuckles, giggles and outright laughs.
Lightweight...yeah. Worth it...I think so.
Rating:
Summary: Also a great gift!
Review: My friend and I accidentally read this book cover-to-cover while killing time at a bookstore. We just couldn't put it down, and for this I blame the chapter on English subtitles to foreign films ("Look! His torso is here, but his arm is fighting all the way over there!") This book is well-presented and covers a wide variety of topics, from store marquees to the aforementioned English subtitles to product slogans, and really has something for everyone. I am not being at all liberal in giving it five stars; I feel everyone should read it. Just make sure you're not drinking water when you do, or it will wind up sprayed from your mouth onto the floor. Believe me, I know.
Rating: 
Summary: Halfbaked "joke book"
Review: So of course reading some of the English-mangling examples is damn hilarious. Also, I do believe that some of them are real. Unfortunately, no real source is ever given - which is very strange, considering that the authors usually say they personally "saw" or "encountered" those linguistic catastrophes. A shame, as some graphical proof would have greatly enhanced the reading. Thus, the overall effect is like reading one of those horrible "joke books" which collect everything your most hated uncle though funny to say at family dinners. No real value for linguistic fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning: May cause milk to be snorted
Review: This is a cute, stocking-stuffer sort of book that will make anyone who reads it giggle uncontrollably. Anyone who has checked out It includes various signs ("Drop your trousers here for best results" at a dry cleaners'; "Not to perambulate the corridor in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension" -- whatever that means!), menus ("bosom of chicken," "garlic coffee," "fried hormones" and "gelatinous mutant coconut"), faulty movie subtitles ("To eat the chicken, first you must catch it with your teeth"), helpful instructions on various products ("For indoor or outdoor use only," "This package will self-destruct on Mother Earth"), various advertisements ("In France, you can cruise on many canals and see the peculiarities," and "So keep your eye skinned!"). We make a brief foray into the English language then, with a bunch of labels that are just dumb English ("Fits one head" on a shower cap, and "do not attempt to stop chain saw with your hands"), then some signs that were clearly not double-checked ("Archery tournament/Ears pierced," "Marital arts studio"), brand names in other countries that seem a little off (mineral water called "Kolic," soap called "Parrot Toilet," and canned squid called "Battleship"), assorted slogans that don't quite work ("Today I Smoke, Today I Smoke, Today I Smoke, Yes," "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux"), newspaper clippings that don't translate very well ("Ban Body Odor"?), and a hilariously distorted interview with Madonna, which was retranslated so many times that it now is worthy of this book. Then there are movie titles where some of the letters/words flickered out ("Ear of Living Dangerously," "Bugs Lie"), and then this little volume rounds off with a last spattering of weird signs ("GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS -- Live Shoes Daily," and "Free Drinks for Ladies With Nuts"). Perhaps the main letdown of this book is that occasionally, perhaps as filler, O'Boyle has to grab some not-as-funny items from English, like the movie titles. But otherwise it's a hilarious little way to spend a half-hour, especially for befuddled Americans who found obscene street signs in other countries.
Rating:
Summary: (4-) The Misuse and Abuse of the English Language
Review: This is a delightful collection of what the author terms "mangled English"; it includes malapropisms, inappropriate although sometimes technically correct translations, misspellings, and instances that simply reflect a lack of thought or care by the individual involved. Most of the items included in the book are very brief, they often consist of only a few words (e.g. menus items that were translated in a humorous fashion) or a single phrase. Very few of the selections are as lengthy as a complete paragraph. Thus, the book can be sampled and skimmed in bite size morsels, and it is a wonderful item to be placed in locations where people pick it up, get a good laugh by reading a few selections and then return to it at their convenience (e.g waiting rooms in offices, subway briefcases, coffee tables, and magazine buckets in bathrooms). The author has segmented the items into twelve categories; the majority involve inappropriate translations in some context, such as the suggestion at a Bangkok dry cleaner to "Drop your trousers here for best results" or the Swedish ad that "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux". However, there are also some sections that involve American misuse of our own native language, such as the sign in a hospital maternity ward that advised "no children allowed", or the warning in a Pennsylvania cemetery that "persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves". One of my favorites was the Ohio shop that proudly advertised "We buy junk and sell antiques". Of course, the quality of the entries are uneven, as is inevitable in a collection of this type, Some are clever and will make you laugh out loud, some are quite cute and will occasion a smile, some involve words that are inappropriate and quite embarrassing in the context in which they are used, and a few seem to not deserve being included. But probably each reader's judgment will differ with regard to the level of humor of the individual items included in this collection. This is also a great book for sharing with others. I was reading one section while watching TV with my wife, and found myself frequently reading the more enjoyable items out loud to her. And when I was reading it alone, I'd on occasion feel compelled to note the items that I wanted to share with others in the future. While the pieces are too long to include in this review, my favorite section is definitely "Ads with Impact", written to appeal English speaking customers by people who often have just enough knowledge of our language to mangle the impression that they are trying to create. So while this is not a great piece of literature, nor a work of wonderful insights, and certainly not filled with action, adventure and romance, Jane O'Boyle has managed to assemble an enjoyable collection of fractured English signs, movie marquees, advertisements, product names and other miscellaneous items that certainly approaches a four star level of enjoyment. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but overpriced
Review: This is a rather overpriced but entertaining collection of English phrases as mangled, sometimes quite suggestively (as in the title) by foreigners. Actually, there are a few examples of domestic screw-ups as well from information on the outside of a product ("Directions: use like regular soap."). Other sources include signs, restaurant menus, movie subtitles, instructions, ads, brand names, advertising slogans, and a truly bizarre interview with Madonna ("Are you a bold hussy-woman who feasts on men who are tops?"). Great bathroom reading but a bit expensive at [price]for under 130 small pages.
Rating:
Summary: Also a great gift!
Review: You must have this book! It is so much fun
Rating:
Summary: Never Laughed So Hard
Review: You must have this book! It is so much fun
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