History Main / GratuitousEnglish

* Icy in ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'', or at least the French dub, has a couple of [[CallingYourAttacks attacks with English names]]. The original Italian also has plenty, considering the heroine is named Bloom, there's a character named Icy, and "Winx" is a pun on wings. Whether this is due to it being influenced by anime, or due to the creator's wife being Singaporean, is up for debate.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' during the 'Mouseketeer' shorts which took place in France, Jerry was accompanied by a little gray French-speaking mouse named Tuffy, who occasionally threw English phrases into his speech. In one short, when giving a long-winded explanation in French as to why he ran from Tom, he ends it with "and besides that, I'm chicken!"

** The Japanese dub of the ''WesternAnimation/MagicAdventuresOfMumfie'' episode "The Chase is On" has Mumfie yell "Nice catch!" instead of "I've got it!".

** This is more prevalent in TheBoondocks' Japanese dub, due of the use of some words (like ''nigger'') whose Japanese equivalents are forbidden to use in Japanese media, so the translators used the original words ''untranslated'' from English instead.

[[SelfDemonstratingArticle There are number of reasons for this]]. [[GratuitousForeignLanguage Foreign languages in general]] help spice up work, and with fact that English is something of [[CommonTongue general trade language]], many viewers will have some idea what going on, regardless of their native language.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoRClRfv4HE&feature=kp Go Homu! Prease Go Homu Young Bucksu!]]

When the English is actually pretty good, it's SurprisinglyGoodEnglish. Compare BilingualDialogue for a more surreal linguistic experience, and BlindIdiotTranslation for the ''really'' bad version. See also GratuitousForeignLanguage and all its subtropes. When these works are translated into English, the GratuitousEnglish is often changed into GratuitousSpanish or GratuitousFrench.

One thing of note, Japanese and other foreign languages have a lot of English loan words in established vocabulary. [[note]]In Japan, this is called wasei-eigo.[[/note]] Some of them sound like Engrish even. This can't be used as an example of GratuitousEnglish.

* Montreal based International Championship Wrestling had "Sexy Team", which seemed normal enough until the viewer realized their names were "Sexy Team #1" and "Sexy Team #2". It also had "Ninja Team" and [[StudentAndMasterTeam Fresh and Master]], and...well they're use of English tended to be [[YouNoTakeCandle accurate but inarticulate.]]

** That phrase "Let's fighting" is an example of what is, tragically, a very common Engrish construction in Japan. The bowling episode of ''MegaManNTWarrior'' has a bunch of characters repeat the catchphrase "Let's bowling!" -- making it perhaps the only one that's ''more'' painful to watch subbed than dubbed, [[{{Macekre}} ShoPro]] and all.

* Montreal based International Championship Wrestling had "Sexy Team", which seemed normal enough until the viewer realized their names were "Sexy Team #1" and "Sexy Team #2". It also had "Ninja Team" and [[StudentAndMasterTeam Fresh and Master]], and...well they're use of English tended to be [[YouNoTakeCandle accurate but inarticulate.]].

* Montreal based International Championship Wrestling had "Sexy Team", which seemed normal enough until the viewer realized their names were "Sexy Team #1" and "Sexy Team #2".

* Menelaos from ''GreekNinja'' speaks English by making direct translations from Greek, which of course results in terrible mistakes and people not understanding him. Eleonora often takes the role of the translator between him and the rest of the world, having full knowledge of both languages.

* Wrestling/DragonGate theme song names frequently run along this trope, with names like WILD DRANK HUSKEY (Don Fujii) and KICK START THE ELEPHANT (Yasushi Kanda). Yes, they spell the song names in ALLCAPS.

* [[Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling VERY VERY VERY]] [[UnbreakableWeapons BREAKY BREAKY BREAKY]] [[EpicFail BISHI BISHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk21JebXL6M !!!!!!!!!]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoRClRfv4HE&feature=kp Go Homu! Prease Go Homu Young Bucksu!]]

* A lot of classic [[Wrestling/AllJapanWomensProWrestling Zenjo]] tag teams name fall into this. Some, like the Dynamite Girls, sound normal enough. Others, like the Queen Angels or Beauty Pair, straddle the line. And then you have teams with names like Marine Wolves and Dream Orca...

[[SelfDemonstratingArticle There are number of reasons for this]]. [[GratuitousForeignLanguage Foreign languages in general]] help spice up work, and with fact that English is something of [[CommonTongue general trade language]], many viewers will have some idea what going on, no regard native language.

* [[Series/{{Zone Fighter}}]] tricks [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Shinji]] into thinking he has to do this to unlock his powers in ''[[Fanfic/{{Gods Angels and Kings}} Hail to the King]]''.

* A French translation of a ''{{Peanuts}}'' comic strip once had Linus Van Pelt, after speaking in perfect French, refer to his blanket-hating, caffeine-addicted grandmother as "Granny." Pretty jolting, especially since the French have pet names of their own for their grandmothers, the most common being "Mamie".
* [[http://garfield.com/us-acres/2012-09-06 This]] USAcres strip has Orson receiving a phone call from {{China}} after sneezing. Guess what's wrong with the message.

One thing of note, Japanese and other foreign languages have a lot of English loan words in established vocabulary [[note]]In Japan, this is called wasei-eigo[[/note]]. Some of them sound like Engrish even. This can't be used as an example of GratuitousEnglish.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4_cWd_waKg This is Bitch]]. A Japanese ad.

[[caption-width-right:336:Inexplicable shirts are privilege reserved for ''Samurai'' lords.[[labelnote:*]][[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff and even ''Samurai'' lords loving American cars![[/labelnote]]]]]]

* For some reason, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvV5D8OK5aU&feature=my_watch_later_videos&list=WLCD7A06BB016A9505 this]] Taiwanese advertisement for a product called Auto-Mat is in [[BlindIdiotTranslation (broken)]] English. It's also spoken [[MotorMouth incredibly fast.]]

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* [[Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling VERY VERY VERY]] [[UnbreakableWeapons BREAKY BREAKY BREAKY]] [[EpicFail BISHI BISHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!]]