History Main / GratuitousEnglish

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

However, most of time writers don't actually speak English (or least not fluently), resulting in rather silly or nonsensical phrases. If grammatically incorrect, it can end up YouNoTakeCandle. [[NoPronunciationGuide Ifu puronanshieishon izu za puroburemu]], shii JapaneseRanguage ando rereitedo toroupuzu.[[note]]
[[NoPronunciationGuide If the pronounciation is the problem]], see JapaneseRanguage and related tropes.[[/note]]

However, most of time writers don't actually speak English (or least not fluently), resulting in rather silly or nonsensical phrases. If grammatically incorrect, it can end up YouNoTakeCandle. [[NoPronunciationGuide Ifu puronanshieishon izu za puroburemu]], shii {{Japanese Ranguage}} ando rereitedo toroupuzu.

* The "Alabama Song" (which, of course, was CoveredUp by Music/TheDoors) and "Benares Song" in ''Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny'' (''Theatre/TheRiseAndFallOfTheCityOfMahagonny''). Creator/BertoltBrecht's use of English is rather awkward in the latter: "There is no boy with whom to shake hands. Where is the telephone? Is here no telephone?" In the former, the {{Shotacon}} implications of the line "show me the way to the next little boy" were doubtless unintentional. The use of the word "Song" in preference to "Lied" is itself Gratuitous English.

* The "Alabama Song" (which, of course, was CoveredUp by Music/TheDoors) and "Benares Song" in ''Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny'' (''Theatre/TheRiseAndFallOfTheCityOfMahagonny''). Creator/BertoltBrecht's use of English is rather awkward in the latter: "There is no boy with whom to shake hands. Where is the telephone? Is here no telephone?" In the former, the {{Shotacon}} implications of the line "show me the way to the next little boy" were doubtless unintentional.

** He probably meant "chicken" as in "coward," a French stereotype.

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 Gratuitous English.

* In ''{{Cabaret}}'', many of the phrases in the opening number "Willkommen" are sung in GratuitousGerman, then in GratuitousFrench, then in GratuitousEnglish.

However, most of time writers don't actually speak English (or least not fluently), resulting in rather silly or nonsensical phrases. If grammar incorrect, it can end up YouNoTakeCandle. [[NoPronunciationGuide Ifu puronanshieishon izu za puroburemu]], shii {{Japanese Ranguage}} ando rereitedo toroupuzu.

* The narrator from ''WebVideo/DigimonResumido'', just because he has an epic voice. And J.K.simmon in the second episode.

** Additionally, the English version of show's first theme song, "Under the Sign of the Winx"[[note]]As heard in the "RAI English" version of the show.[[/note]] is clearly being sung by people didn't learn English as their first language. The song itself also seems to be a loose translation of the Italian lyrics as well ("If you desire, you can become, one of our bunch!"...). This also applies to the other songs as well.

* [[GratuitousEnglish.AnimeAndManga Anime and Manga]]
* [[GratuitousEnglish.{{Film}} Film]]
* [[GratuitousEnglish.LiveActionTV Live Action TV]]
* [[GratuitousEnglish.{{Music}} Music]]
* [[GratuitousEnglish.RealLife Real Life]]
* [[GratuitousEnglish.VideoGames Video Games]]

[[folder:Comics]]
* This is implied rather heavily to be part of the reason for the Japanese ComicBook/SuperYoungTeam's awkward sounding names in Franchise/TheDCU, the other being simply awkward translation. Big Atomic Lantern Boy's name is almost certainly entirely in English, though.

[[folder:Eastern European Animation]]
* ''Animation/LavatoryLovestory'': This is a Russian cartoon but all the signs are in English. The sign above the rest room says "Lavatory", and the woman reads a newspaper called "Happy Woman" with headlines like "Bravo! Best!" Interestingly, this is averted at the end, with the sign in her booth that says "срочно требуется работник"—"Urgently required worker."

* In [[http://youtu.be/wAJFkpJX8K0 this]] Japanese fan-dub of a scene from the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Party of One", "Mrs. Flour" speaks in Gratuitous English.
* The ''FanFic/TouhouM1GrandPrix'' has "[=JudgEE=]" for ever time judging comes up. There are also a few skits with not-quite-english, one of the worst (for [[RuleOfFunny comic effect]]) was in the 3rd contest when Tewi tried to do an English routine... while only knowing a few words. Made funnier as even the other comedian realizes it's wrong.
-->'''Tewi:''' "Yes yes yes yah yes yes ah yes ah yes aha aha ah yes aha Tewi Tewi Tewi--"
-->'''Rinnosuke:''' 『That is just weird! What are you doing?! 』

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* A French translation of a ''ComicStrip/{{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]] ''ComicStrip/USAcres'' strip has Orson receiving a phone call from UsefulNotes/{{China}} after sneezing. Guess what's wrong with the message.
[[/folder]]

* ProfessionalWrestling in Japan provides a pleasing real-life example of this trope. Since the conventions of pro. wrestling were adopted wholesale for the Japanese version of the sport ("puroresu" -- itself an example of GratuitousEnglish), all the names of the moves are the English ones (except those invented in Japan, like the enziguri), which the announcers faithfully reproduce in commentary, even when they sound ridiculous. Examples include "DIIIIVING BOOOOOODY AAAAAAAAAAAAATAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!" and the famous "LAAAAAAARIIIIIIAAAAAT-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!"
** and the now-ubiquitous "SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING WIIIIZAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

* The narrator from WebVideo/DigimonResumido, just because he has an epic voice.
** J.K.simmon in the second episode.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' (episode 801, "Good Times with Weapons"), in the fight-sequence song "Let's Fighting Love". However, the real joke was [[BilingualBonus in the Japanese lyrics]]. Since Trey Parker is fluent in Japanese, rather than being ForeignSoundingGibberish, it was actually...

** That phrase "Let's fighting" is an example of what is, tragically, a very common Engrish construction in Japan. The bowling episode of ''Anime/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.
* ''{{Seacht}}'' has quite a few English words mixed in with the Irish dialogue; this is particularly surreal as the series is set in Belfast, and one would think that this means the characters are [[TranslatorMicrobes actually speaking English]].
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in the "Mr. Sparkle" commercial.
* Many characters ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' have [[CallingYourAttacks attacks with English names]]. The original Italian also has other examples, such as Bloom (one of the Winx), and Icy (one of the Trix). Moreover, "Winx" is a pun on wings.[[note]]This is despite that the [[Creator/FourKidsEntertainment 4Kids]] version might [[{{Macekre}} claim]].[[/note]] Whether this is due to it being influenced by anime, or due to the creator's wife being Singaporean, is up for debate.

** Same case in Japan with WesternAnimation/SouthPark, but less exaggerated.

-->Oh Toki, it's adorables. You really wants to takes more solos, but I am the lead guitarist. You know, why? Because I ams, hows do you says, way more gooders than you.
* In all non-English foreign versions of DoraTheExplorer except for the Turkish, Serbian and Irish versions, the characters speak in Gratuitous English.
* The first [[AlternativeForeignThemeSong Japanese opening]] for ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', "Mirai Start", has it in the title, but the subtitles along the bottom run something like this:

** Some of the characters would occasionally insert English words into their dialogue, especially Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie (In fact, Pinkie says her first two words of dialogue in English - "Surprise! Hi!" - before she says anything in Japanese.).

* In the German version of the [[ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} Popeye cartoons]] (the newer ones), an English word is inserted ''just'' for the rhyme: "Hallo ihr daheim - jetzt ist Popeye-''Time''!"

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaVPCTXIBeE KOMINGU SUUN DAKUPO!]] [[note]][[FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance Coming soon, kupo!]][[/note]]

* [[http://garfield.com/us-acres/2012-09-06 This]] ''ComicStrip/USAcres'' strip has Orson receiving a phone call from {{China}} after sneezing. Guess what's wrong with the message.

* [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] throughout ChrisJericho's first book, ''A Lion's Tale,'' while recounting his times in Japan. He often referred to it as "English just good enough to make no sense."

[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Non-English media interjecting English even when it's not always appropriate]].

For gratuitous examples of other languages, see also: GratuitousSpanish, GratuitousFrench, GratuitousItalian, GratuitousGerman, GratuitousJapanese, GratuitousRussian, etc.

For gratuitous examples of other languages, see also: GratuitousSpanish, GratuitousFrench, GratuitousItalian GratuitousGerman, GratuitousJapanese, GratuitousRussian, etc.

* The "Alabama Song" (which, of course, was CoveredUp by TheDoors) and "Benares Song" in ''Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny'' (''Theatre/TheRiseAndFallOfTheCityOfMahagonny''). Creator/BertoltBrecht's use of English is rather awkward in the latter: "There is no boy with whom to shake hands. Where is the telephone? Is here no telephone?" In the former, the {{Shotacon}} implications of the line "show me the way to the next little boy" were doubtless unintentional.

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 Gratuitous English is often changed into GratuitousSpanish or GratuitousFrench.

[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Non-English media interjecting English even when it not always appropriate]].