Hong Kong English

Manufacturers all know that they have to be careful when translating their products into a different language.

But in the case of Hong Kong, even with the best of intentions, such translations can be "bastardized" (Mr. ECP Flintstone, remember there is copyright on this word? 10 usage for $1, due to inflation).

Rolls-Royce has a grand sounding name in Chinese - 劳斯莱斯. But when the Hong Kong people say it in Cantonese, it sounds like 辘死老鼠, or "a rat dying of famish".

Motorola has a mundane sounding name in Chinese - 摩拖罗拉. But when said in Cantonese, it sounds like 毋得捞啦, or "no way to make money". That, of course, is highly inauspicious in Hong Kong where the pursuit of wealth is secondary only to breathing.

The combination of English names with Cantonese family names can often have unintended connotations, especially when uttered in Cantonese English.

Peter So - 皮蛋酥, century-egg pastry
Philip Yu - 肥立鱼, fat vertical fish
Robert Ko -萝卜糕, carrot cake
Vincent Mok - 浑身剥, peel off the whole body, or tear off clothes from top to bottom
Rupert Chan - 箩pat青, a Cantonese term to describe a baby's bottom.

When pronounced in the Cantonese way, "my name is the same as your name, and that is, James" will be "my nam is the sam as your nam, and that is, jams", according to Hong Kong writer 陈钧润.

In the book, the writer also noted how some English words were deliberately mispronounced.

Such as singing "God shave the Queen", instead of "God save the Queen". This was of course in the good/bad old days where Hong Kong was still under British rule.