At a Somali restaurant my Pakistani friend heard my uncle ask for "sharaab". He was stunned. He said: akhi, I thought your dad was a wadaad. Why is he ordering alcohol? I said what are you talking about? He replied "sharaab means beer". And sure enough, when I looked it up that's what the word means in Urdu. Talk about lost in translation.
Later, my pal told me that he was driving his cousin Ayan to the airport. I said where is she going? No, he said, his cousin was a man. "Your male relatives are called Ayan?" I asked. I recalled that Pakistan recognizes transgender people, so I said, a little embarassed, "is she a chick with a dick?". No, he explained, Ayan is a guy's name in Pakistan. Amazing.
Somali words can land you in hot water in other languages.
I was watching a documentary about Indonesia some time ago. One of its presidents is named Gus. It's pronounced the way Somalis pronounce male genitalia, not the way in which the Western name of the same spelling is. His surname is Dur. It's pronounced the way Somalis say the word "pierce". So basically the guy's name means "dick piercing". I would love to have been a fly on the wall when the Somali prime minister heard the name of his presidential counterpart.
Got any others?
Later, my pal told me that he was driving his cousin Ayan to the airport. I said where is she going? No, he said, his cousin was a man. "Your male relatives are called Ayan?" I asked. I recalled that Pakistan recognizes transgender people, so I said, a little embarassed, "is she a chick with a dick?". No, he explained, Ayan is a guy's name in Pakistan. Amazing.
Somali words can land you in hot water in other languages.
I was watching a documentary about Indonesia some time ago. One of its presidents is named Gus. It's pronounced the way Somalis pronounce male genitalia, not the way in which the Western name of the same spelling is. His surname is Dur. It's pronounced the way Somalis say the word "pierce". So basically the guy's name means "dick piercing". I would love to have been a fly on the wall when the Somali prime minister heard the name of his presidential counterpart.
Got any others?
super cucks
sandniggers aka dune coons 
farm equipment 
