History Main / TeasingFromBehindTheLanguageBarrier

* In the 1980's ''Literature/MikeHammer'' tv series, a woman from a FictionalCountry flirts with Mike in her own language, the implies that what she just said is rather naughty. Mike repeats the phrase to another beautiful babe who's quite shocked and asks if he knows what that means. When Mike admits he doesn't, she [[CoitusEnsues offers to demonstrate]].

* In the 1980's ''Series/MikeHammer'' tv series, a woman from a FictionalCountry flirts with Mike in her own language, the implies that what she just said is rather naughty. Mike repeats the phrase to another beautiful babe who's quite shocked and asks if he knows what that means. When Mike admits he doesn't, she [[CoitusEnsues offers to demonstrate]].

Another notable example is shorthand: many wives and mothers employed it to write their Christmas lists so that it wouldn't be necessary to hide them from husband and children, and some of them even '''deliberately''' left them in plain sight to make everyone wonder.

* Code languages, like PigLatin, often served this purpose--both on elders' and on children's part.
* Many wives and mothers employed shorthand to write their Christmas lists, so that it wouldn't be necessary to hide them from husband and children. Some of them even '''deliberately''' left them in plain sight to make everyone wonder, thus invoking this trope.

Suppose Alice knows a language (either real or invented) Bob does not. Therefore if she is in a playful mood (and/or has feelings for Bob), she may deliberately speak it to him (or in front of him), knowing that it will puzzle him. May sometimes be used for comic effect: for instance, Alice may imply that she’s saying something offensive about Bob, while in reality it would be exactly the opposite (like “I love you”).

Subtrope of CrypticConversation and LanguageBarrier. Compare DelightingInRiddles, when a character speaks in understandable language, but in a very cryptic way, for exactly the same purpose. Also compare LovesSecrecy, when a character withholds information for the sake of puzzling others.

* In James Clavell's ''Literature/TaiPan'', the mandarins--the Chinese officials--"renamed" the highest British official His Exellency Longstaff: they translated his last name into Cantonese as "Odious Penis". This nickname was used in all official letters addressed to Longstaff for more than a year.
* In ''Magicae Mathematica'' series by Jim West, the protagonist Alex was taught Latin by her mother; they often spoke it in front of husband/father just to tease him.

* In an episode of ''Series/BabylonFive'', Marcus Cole told Susan Ivanova "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met." in Minbari, saying that it was a Minbari greeting. In a [[BrickJoke later episode]], it's revealed that Ivanova has an [[PhotographicMemory eidetic memory]], and in that time she's actually learned a bit more Minbari, enough to know what it really means.

* Code languages, like PigLatin, often served this purpose - both on elders' and on children's part.

Suppose Alice knows a language (either real or invented) Bob does not. Therefore if she has a playful mood (and/or feelings for Bob), she may deliberately speak it to him (or in front of him), knowing that it would make him puzzled. May sometimes be used for comic effect: for instance, Alice may imply that she’s saying something offensive about Bob, while in reality it would be exactly the opposite (like “I love you”).

* ''FanFic/EvangelionR'': During one of Asuka's rants, Shinji asks why she's so angry with him, and she replies "Because... ''ich liebe dich'', you jerk!" ("I love you" in German). A while later Shinji tells her that he looked up what the phrase means and therefore has known for a while how she feels about him.

* A ''Website/NotAlwaysWorking'' story has a person use Arabic [[https://notalwaysworking.com/how-to-win-the-war-against-telemarketers-part-3/33342 to screw with a telemarketer]]:

* WordOfGod has it that something like this may have been what Nick was telling Judy in {{Disney/Zootopia}} when he said something other in sign language she did not understand.

[[folder:Film]]
* {{Film/Once}}: when the Guy asks the Girl whether she loves him or her husband, she answers in Czech: "Miluju tebe" ("[[BilingualBonus It is you I love]]"), and archly refuses to translate it.
* WordOfGod has it that something like this may have been what Nick was telling Judy in {{Disney/Zootopia}} when he said something other in sign language she did not understand.

Subtrope of CrypticConversation and LanguageBarrier. Compare DelightingInRiddles, when a character speaks in understandable language, but in a very cryptic way, for exactly the same purpose.

Unlike HidingBehindTheLanguageBarrier, when the aim is to transmit information from person A to person B without person C eavesdropping, in this case the whole purpose is to make person C intrigued and/or frustrated (person B may not be present at all). And while the former trope may be invoked in very serious circumstances (like communicating in front of an enemy), this one is usually applied for good-natured teasing between friends or family members. It is also quite often employed in romantic relationships, especially by the female side. Because it is common assumption that “every woman should be a mystery for her man”, and there’s just something about a beautiful girl saying cryptic things in an exotic language you will probably never understand.

* In James Clavell's [[AsianSaga ''Tai-Pen'']], the mandarins--the Chinese officials--"renamed" the highest British official His Exellency Longstaff: they translated his last name into Cantonese as "Odious Penis". This nickname was used in all official letters addressed to Longstaff for more than a year.

* WordOfGod has it that something like this may have been what Nick was telling Judy {{Disney/Zootopia}} when he said something other in sign language she did not understand.

* WordOfGod has it that something like this may have been what Nick was telling Judy {{Disney/Zootopia]] when he said something other in sign language she did not understand.

Subtrope of CrypticConversation and LanguageBarrier.

* ''FanFic/EvangelionR'': During one of Asuka's rants, Shinji asks why she's so angry with him, and she replies "Because... ''ich liebe du'', you jerk!" ("I love you" in German). A while later Shinji tells her that he looked up what the phrase means and therefore has known for a while how she feels about him.

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