Mar 21, 2002 19:40
22 yrs ago
English term
Making the languages work...
Native in: Russian 
, Belarusian
Works in: English to Belarusian, Russian to Belarusian, Russian, and 6 more.
The strangest phrase EVER seen!!!!
English
Marketing
Advertising / Public Relations
advertising
As I was looking through some tube-ads I noticed a slogan that drove me up to wall: Sorry, it was in Russian, now I will translate it:
Typically British - A Peanut Struggle!!!
It showed too "spicy" peanuts fighting with each other...
I was shocked!!! With all my education and experience in Linguistics I could not understand it? Is it some sort of your cultural knowledge? Is it as allusion to some "Peanut war, struggle, fight, etc."
Please, help me. I feel down in the dumps!!! Not to mention the "target group" !!!
Typically British - A Peanut Struggle!!!
It showed too "spicy" peanuts fighting with each other...
I was shocked!!! With all my education and experience in Linguistics I could not understand it? Is it some sort of your cultural knowledge? Is it as allusion to some "Peanut war, struggle, fight, etc."
Please, help me. I feel down in the dumps!!! Not to mention the "target group" !!!
Responses
Responses
+3
24 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
19
Selected
Typically British - fighting over peanuts
Or could be "Typically English..."
No, I'm a Brit (English) myself and I don't really understand this. But "peanuts" is often used as a scornful term for inadequate pay, as in the saying "pay peanuts and you get monkeys".
I don't myself think fighting over trifles is typically British (or English) and I have never heard us accused of it before, so I've no idea why this should turn up in a Russian ad.
No, I'm a Brit (English) myself and I don't really understand this. But "peanuts" is often used as a scornful term for inadequate pay, as in the saying "pay peanuts and you get monkeys".
I don't myself think fighting over trifles is typically British (or English) and I have never heard us accused of it before, so I've no idea why this should turn up in a Russian ad.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
John Kinory (X)
: As another Brit, I have no idea where the British allusion comes from.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Margaret Lagoyianni
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Sheila Hardie
: I agree and I am British too - Scottish:)
22 hrs
|
|
I said English, but my paternal grandmother was a Scot.
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ."
+1
9 mins
Olga Simon
Hungary
Hungary
Works in field
Hungary
TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER SINCE 1989
Native in: Russian
Works in: English to Russian, Hungarian to Russian, Russian to English, and 3 more.
Fight over trifles
My 2 cents.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-21 20:04:26 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
From Merriam Webster:
Main Entry: 2peanut
Function: adjective
Date: 1836
: INSIGNIFICANT, PETTY <peanut politics>
Peanut fight = petty fight = insignificant fight.
Good luck!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-21 20:20:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Everything what I said above referrs only to the expression \"peanut fight\".
I do not know what is the connection with \"Typical British\" or \"Typical English\".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-21 20:04:26 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
From Merriam Webster:
Main Entry: 2peanut
Function: adjective
Date: 1836
: INSIGNIFICANT, PETTY <peanut politics>
Peanut fight = petty fight = insignificant fight.
Good luck!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-21 20:20:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Everything what I said above referrs only to the expression \"peanut fight\".
I do not know what is the connection with \"Typical British\" or \"Typical English\".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tatiana Neroni (X)
: Looks like a "racial slur" - bashing an alleged "national character", like tight-fistedness. Obviously, was said by a person of non-British nationality...
1 hr
|
|
Yeah, I still don't know what does it have to do with the Brits.
|
2 hrs
Piotr Turski
Poland
Poland
Poland
Medical Doctor, >20 years in translation
Native in: Polish 
Works in: English to Polish, Polish to English, Polish
"British" sense of humour
Maybe the advertisers thought it's an example of British sense of humour?
10 hrs
the strangest people ever been
Well it doesnt strike any chords with me either.
So if it means nothing to me and my fellow Brits above, I though, perhaps it rather says something about Russian thinking?
BUt there you are, University of Minsk, linguist etc., and it doesn´t mean anything to you.
I have concluded that what is really on display here is the wonderful world of marketing.
So if it means nothing to me and my fellow Brits above, I though, perhaps it rather says something about Russian thinking?
BUt there you are, University of Minsk, linguist etc., and it doesn´t mean anything to you.
I have concluded that what is really on display here is the wonderful world of marketing.
15 hrs
Michael Deliso
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
Your Linguist needs are my needs
Native in: English , Italian
Works in: Italian to English, English to Italian, English
a peanut fight is a non significant fight.
Also I don't believe it says "too" peanuts but "two".check it out better and to it seems that it says two and not too.
Discussion
I have thought it was a joke, unfortunately, I do not remember the brand, nor if it belongs to Bratain... It was just that the phrase was catching...
I am sure the English (or rather the British) are not associated with an aggressive nation in Russian culture...
There are some traces of its origin (petty, small fights)...
Thank you every one!!!