Countries of Origin

Three businesses on the same side of the 1500 block of Fourth Street in San Rafael, California:

 

French bakery

 

Cuban restaurant

 

Polish … wait, what?

 

That’s Polish-with-a-short-O, I was told.

As I’ve said before—about Polish on Piedmont here in Oakland—changing Polish to Polished could clear up the confusion. Better yet, pick another name: Gloss, Gleam, Bella, Rafaella…

Here’s another example of polish/Polish confusion:

“Polish sausage” mis-translated into French as “polish the sausage.”

 

Via Traductions de Merde by way of Language Log.

Comments

[Ron McCoy]

Interesting post Nancy. I suggest the nail spa also add a line of sausage, just in case there is any real confusion about what they offer. That way they're prepared and no one should be disappointed.

[Esther Wanning]

I just caught up with this. I see it's the sort of silly mistake anyone could make, walking in and saying, "Where are the Polish people," and possibly remaining confused when the people there look very confused. I will make sure they see this. I'm sure they will be grateful for your free naming suggestions, although a surprising number of people seem to understand that they are neither Polish nor sell sausages. And they are becoming well known even as Polish Nail Salon because they don't use any toxic products and maintain a quiet Zen-like atmosphere. I'm not sure that's the way the Poles would run a place, but the owner of this place had worked in other (Vietnamese) nail salons for 19 years and had had enough of phthalates and toluene.