When speakers of foreign languages try to adapt their own idioms into English, the results can be poetic, if not downright puzzling. A Dallas listener shares some favorite examples from his Italian-born wife, including “I can put my hand to the...
A Michigan woman working a study-abroad program at a large university is bemused by the many applicants who write that they want to study overseas so they can be “submerged in the culture.” She thinks there’s a difference between immersed and...
Foblish n. stilted or incorrect English spoken or written by a non-native speaker. Etymological Note: From FOB “fresh off boat” + English. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)