I need a French translation for "World's Best Grandpa" but do not know French. My best candidate is "Le meilleur grand-père sur le monde" which I suspect is too formal, ungrammatical, or hopelessly wrong. I'm also stumbling over the sur/dans distinction and suspect there is likely an idiom which is just better in every way. This is intended to be embroidered on a pillow so brevity and informality are prized in that order.
posted by fydfyd on Dec 23, 2009 - 7 answers

My wife and I always joke about the preponderance of shitty luck we have and how if our family had a crest part of it would be the words "Always an Ordeal" written in Latin. I'm thinking I'd like to actually design it as a gift but know nothing of Latin. Anyone out there know how "Always an Ordeal" would be written in Latin?
posted by Nyarlathotep on Dec 9, 2009 - 17 answers

Looking for a Marcel Proust quote in the original French. [more inside]
posted by 1f2frfbf on Oct 23, 2009 - 3 answers

Spanish filter: please translate this short paragraph. [more inside]
posted by twistofrhyme on Oct 9, 2009 - 5 answers

Automatic language translators: which is the best, for now? What efforts are underway to improve them? How much progress have we seen, on what sort of time scale? My interest pertains to Latin script languages, but I'm curious about the matter generally.
posted by woodway on Oct 8, 2009 - 7 answers

This proverb has me stumpified... [more inside]
posted by shino-boy on Oct 7, 2009 - 20 answers

Polish translation for "I have nothing"? [more inside]
posted by rickim on Oct 6, 2009 - 1 answer

How would I write “Peanut Butter Cups” in French? [more inside]
posted by hydrophonic on Oct 2, 2009 - 15 answers

I have found a written reference to a person with a last name of: ten Thije ook genoemd Boonkkamp. I am assuming that it is Dutch? and can anyone transliterate it into English, especially the non-capitalized parts? Does it mean 'Thije' who is married to 'Boonkkamp' or anything like that?
posted by eaglehound on Sep 25, 2009 - 8 answers

I am designing a poster in which i would like to include one phrase in roughly 15-20 languages, but would like to know how to say this phrase PROPERLY... [more inside]
posted by slograffiti on Sep 1, 2009 - 37 answers

I'm looking for a Latin translation of an American colloquialism (knowing that such translations are at best approximations/don't work because the idiom never existed in Latin.) [more inside]
posted by usonian on Aug 12, 2009 - 5 answers

Swedish drunk text translation help please :) Note: may be slightly off color language, THAT word I think I recognize! [more inside]
posted by rampy on Aug 4, 2009 - 14 answers

Latinfilter: Help me translate "From the library of humanity/man/" into latin. So "Ex libris …" something or other…
posted by monocultured on Jul 16, 2009 - 10 answers

Can anyone please translate this short phrase into German? It's from the Rankin-Bass movie, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. [more inside]
posted by rahnefan on Jul 10, 2009 - 16 answers

I need help finding a romantic phrase in Tagalog [more inside]
posted by sporaticgenius on Jul 7, 2009 - 8 answers

I want to invite a woman (via letter) I like out on a date to see a Shakespearean play later this month. I want it to read somewhat like the general language used in his writings, but also instantly understandable to someone not very familiar with his plays and/or language. If someone could point me to a resource to help out or if you're willing to rewrite it yourself, I'd be very thankful. [more inside]
posted by Jason Land on Jul 5, 2009 - 7 answers

How do I become a better translator for the open source project that I'm volunteering for? [more inside]
posted by Foci for Analysis on Jun 6, 2009 - 2 answers

As it seems others have found, it's difficult to find/figure out a Scottish Gaelic translation on the intarwebs. I need a phrase translated and I've come up dry. [more inside]
posted by Medieval Maven on May 28, 2009 - 5 answers

Help me name my Spanish-English translation company [more inside]
posted by imaswinger on May 22, 2009 - 13 answers

Would someone translate the text around this pomegranate, please? [more inside]
posted by Tufa on Apr 20, 2009 - 2 answers

A friend asked for some help translating some Asian characters (phonetic and meaning I suppose). The poor guy thought that I could help him. I cannot, and I hope one of you can. [more inside]
posted by thirteen on Mar 8, 2009 - 12 answers

I am making a door-sized poster for my classroom that will have two phrases in fifteen languages: “We speak German” and “We learn/are learning German.” I have German, French, Russian and Romanian covered. I need eleven more. [more inside]
posted by vkxmai on Mar 7, 2009 - 41 answers

GISfilter -- I have a PostGIS table containing spatial data in the form of a few thousand shapefiles. Anybody know a quick way I can move *all* of them by about 40 metres? [more inside]
posted by genghis on Jan 10, 2009 - 11 answers

Help me translate the word "variations" into as many lanugages as possible. (Or recommend good online translation services.) [more inside]
posted by tiamat on Jan 9, 2009 - 24 answers

Please help with translating this ship manifest. [more inside]
posted by snugglebunny on Jan 8, 2009 - 8 answers

Greek translation filter: I got a t-shirt from Delphi with a Greek phrase embroidered on it a few years ago and I have forgotten what the phrase means. It seems to say "EN OIDA OTI OYDEN OIDA," though the "O's" are diamond shaped on the shirt and the "D's" are rendered more like slightly askew triangles. Any guesses? [more inside]
posted by Curry on Jan 2, 2009 - 5 answers

What is the translation for this Greek inscription on my ring? [more inside]
posted by illenion on Dec 27, 2008 - 5 answers

Russian-speaking mefites, could you please help me with the lyrics to this Manul (aka Pallas Cat) Song? [more inside]
posted by notquitemaryann on Dec 19, 2008 - 3 answers

Does anyone know the original french to this quote, "perfection is a lot of little things done well"? [more inside]
posted by ecks on Dec 16, 2008 - 7 answers

Latin Translation Request: "Vire sone couirit eundo" [more inside]
posted by ursus_comiter on Dec 3, 2008 - 3 answers

What do other cultures call the "pony tail” and "pig tail" hair styles? [more inside]
posted by dangerousdan on Nov 19, 2008 - 26 answers

Quick Spanish translation please [more inside]
posted by canoehead on Nov 4, 2008 - 10 answers

Translating the French dialog in Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain. [more inside]
posted by nanojath on Oct 29, 2008 - 2 answers

Macedonia is all about a page I made and I'd love to know why. Translation request inside! [more inside]
posted by soma lkzx on Oct 22, 2008 - 7 answers

What does "wegdrückbar" (in a medical context) mean in English? [more inside]
posted by feathermeat on Oct 20, 2008 - 4 answers

Comi, bibui, lascivi. Does it mean what my friend was aiming for? [more inside]
posted by lilywing13 on Oct 7, 2008 - 8 answers

What does this Japanese character on this Daruma doll mean? At least, I assume it's Japanese...
posted by killerinsideme on Sep 29, 2008 - 12 answers

I am searching for the translation of the Bible in which the Book of Job 14:12 is rendered thus..... [more inside]
posted by bukharin on Sep 29, 2008 - 9 answers

When I was younger I was told that Kraftwerk's Man-Machine/Mensch-Maschine album had a French-language version (L'homme-machine, presumably) that was never released. Does anyone know whether this is true or not? [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Apr 19, 2008 - 4 answers

MusicFilter: In the long version of the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" (available on the 12") there is a female voice saying something in what I believe is Japanese. Can anyone translate that for me? Thanks. [more inside]
posted by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal on Mar 20, 2008 - 27 answers

What does this Italian note say? [more inside]
posted by Lotto on Mar 19, 2007 - 3 answers

English - Latin translation question. I should have paid attention in school but there was this really nice girl sitting next to me and you know how it goes... [more inside]
posted by longbaugh on Aug 3, 2006 - 6 answers

I need help to translate some Icelandic text (fleiri inni). [more inside]
posted by melissa may on Jan 3, 2005 - 6 answers