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To: NicknamedBob; moose07; Covenantor; Darksheare

The first edition of the adjusting instructions for the four quadrant static power converter (we didn’t get that fancy, we just called it an scr drive - even though it didn’t have scr’s - because the sales department couldn’t grasp the four quadrant static power converter thing) were, of course, translated to English from Finnish. By people who had a working knowledge of neither the English language nor the technical concepts they were supposedly making ‘plain’ to us.

It was a work of, umm.. It required great powers of, um... It was..

Descriptives fail other than in multiple places it was humorous. And you would have killed someone if you followed the ‘instructions’ to the letter using normal American English comprehension..

I wish I had kept a copy but corporate made us turn them all in when they printed the ‘real English’ version (which I do still have.)


1,392 posted on 08/03/2016 9:00:29 PM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: NoCmpromiz; moose07; Darksheare
Sounds like the first documented case of Finngrish.

Encountered a somewhat similar case of perhaps unintentional Finngrish in a documentary of the Winter War.

A woman was describing the Finns use of the puukko knife against the Soviet invaders. Brandishing one on camera, she referred to it as a weapons system, with a sly smile. So it may have been just wry Finnish humor.

Proceed to the hot link for reading suitable when snowed in by a Finnish type winter.

More than you ever wanted to know about Finnish Bayonet History and Doctrine and The Puukko knife

The Finns I have know are a dour lot, they have to invite Estonians, over to teach them how to party and tell jokes that actually are funny.

1,403 posted on 08/04/2016 4:55:38 AM PDT by Covenantor (Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern. " Chesterton)
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