coffee shirt

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

I have a t-shirt that says "The Sensuous Bean" on it. How would I say that in Russian? In English, to me, it has a somewhat ridiculous/somewhat sexual connotation. I think it's from a coffee company.

So far, I've come up with these:
плотский (кофейный) боб
чувственный (кофейный) боб

Do either of those sound right?

Comments

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

None of it. First of all, it's зерно, not боб. While боб is probably scientifically correct, the word зерно is commonly used to describe coffee beans. Secondly, Russian sense of humor is somewhat different from American or English. I can't even imagine how can you translate something like that to Russian while saving the message. Literal translation would olny look/sound very silly, and not in a good sense of the word.

[khathi.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure. As far as I'm concerned both "зерно" and "боб" for the coffee bean are perfectly legal in Russian, even if the latter is much more recent. And I really don't see why "чувственный боб" is loses any message -- it's indeed sounds both slightly sexual and ridiculous at the same time.

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

(shrugs) Whatever. I'm not going to argue - everyone has the right to look as ridiculous as she/he wants to.

[http://users.livejournal.com/celsium_/]

я реально не понял что значит плотский боб? Это смешно?

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

You're asking me? I did say it makes no sense in Russian, didn't I?

[http://users.livejournal.com/celsium_/]

and what sens does it make in english?

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

That's just it: it doesn't make much sense in English. It's just a weird phrase that has some strange connotations. But I wear the shirt in Russia, and I often get asked to translate it. I'm usually at a loss.

боб

[pcmag.livejournal.com]

бобы на американском сленге означают женскую грудь. Не знаю, насколько это значение распространено у нас, но я сразу понял :-). Наверное, слишком много смотрел американских фильмов. Перевести надпись на майке, по-моему, лучше так:

сладкий боб.

Sorry, что пишу по-русски, но после ответов на прекрасном ars_longa и khathi, ломиться с моим деревенским английским просто неудобно.

Re: боб

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

Actually, it doesn't make me think of breasts at all.

Re: боб

[oryx_and_crake]

I am sorry but the working language of this community is English.

[oryx_and_crake]

Please note the working language of this community is English. Thank you.

[http://users.livejournal.com/celsium_/]

please, explane what this phrase means?

[aka-lacerda.livejournal.com]

I'm almost sure ambiguity is meant to be in the word 'Bean' here, because it's a US slang for 'head'. So translation to Russian loses a lot of sense :)

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

I'm from the US, and I've never heard "bean" used as slang for "head."

[aka-lacerda.livejournal.com]

Well, I too don't know all Russian slang :). Also probably this is not case here. At least this makes some sense "The Sensuous Head" ?

[missa-gorightry.livejournal.com]

I've only ever heard "bean" used slangily as a verb, meaning "to get hit on the head"--i.e., REM song "Man on the Moon" which says "Newton got beaned by the apple good."

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

Yes, this I've heard. Is that what the previous commenter meant?

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

So there is no way to translate it accurately and retain the sense of the phrase? It doesn't actually mean anything in English, either. Unfortunately, I wear this shirt in Russia, and routinely get asked to translate it. I've been saying "чувственный боб," which, like you say, usually gets pretty blank reactions.

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

Frankly, I think people think you're a little short in the marbles department or just don't know how to translate it properly. Why would someone wear something that makes totally no sense on herself? :)

[miketaran.livejournal.com]

кофейный боб
плотский боб
чувственный боб
These all phrases sound very strange, but do not seem to be funny,.. without context ofc...

[oryx_and_crake]

I agree, none of this is funny in Russian. Чувственный боб is nonsense.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

+1.

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

So there isn't really a way to translate it accurately and still retain the feeling? It's difficult, because it doesn't technically mean anything in English, either.

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

it means "sensuous bean" in English -- it is not utter nonsense
it makes sense in the context of coffee bean promotion/advertizing for the new age/yuppie/wasp types
and it is also the name of a coffee shop in NYC

[oryx_and_crake]

Could anyone please explain why it is supposed to be funny in English? I don't get it.

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

it's not *meant* to be funny but hip or quirky (pick your adjective)

the humor, I suppose, can arise out of the absurdity of describing coffee beans in those words
or out of the fact that people wear t-shirts with such phrases to self-express (with or without irony)

(no offense to the poster meant as she did say it was a ridiculous phrase)

t.

[oryx_and_crake]

Oh, I see.
Then one of the possible translations would be чувственный аромат кофе, or сексуальный кофе, or something around these lines. But most of the connotations (coffee bean promotion/advertizing for the new age/yuppie/wasp types, the name of a coffee shop in NYC) would be lost anyway.

[miconazole.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, I don't get it either.

[ex-blueskyfr438.livejournal.com]

I'd say “нежное кофейное зернышко”…

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That's more like what I was looking for...

[ex-blueskyfr438.livejournal.com]

You’re always welcome…

My mind lives in the gutter.

[zhirafov-nyet.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one who thinks it's talking about the clitoris? After all, "flicking the bean" is a euphemism for female masturbation.

Re: My mind lives in the gutter.

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

Well, that's pretty much what I thought about it.

Re: My mind lives in the gutter.

[ex-blueskyfr438.livejournal.com]

Hah, when it's about the clitoris “зернышко” wouldn't do… I can't think of any russian coffee-related euphemisms similar to “flicking the bean”, but, um, the word “горошинка” will probably get people thinking in the right direction :-)

Re: My mind lives in the gutter.

[zhirafov-nyet.livejournal.com]

"Flicking the bean" isn't coffee-related. It just has to do with the fact that the clitoris kind of looks like a bean. I never said anything about there being coffee involved.

Re: My mind lives in the gutter.

[ex-blueskyfr438.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant “bean-related”