Lost in Translation
Misadventures in English abroad
Dodgy English from around the world
Lost in Translation
Misadventures in English abroad
Several years ago somebody told me about a notice seen in a Tokyo hire car: ‘When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.' Shortly afterwards I found myself on a ferry from Tenerife to the island of La Gomera, reading the instruction: ‘Keep this ticket up the end of your trip.' And I found myself thinking, ‘There might be a book in this ...' There was. As it was very different from my other books, my agent suggested using a pseudonym. Charlie Croker has gone on to have a life all of his own. (Why the name? It's Michael Caine's character in The Italian Job.)
‘Too funny for public transport.’ Sunday Times
‘Very funny and beautifully illustrated’ The Spectator
Others...
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