"Pervert" and "Testicle" T-shirts

Reader "Wayne C." has emailed me the following photos:







Even though 变態 does mean "metamorpheous" or "transform", but in Chinese and Japanese, it is also used to describe someone has abnormal fetishes or a pervert.



变 （Traditional version 變) = to change; to become different; to transform; to vary; rebellion

態 = manner, bearing, attitude









This guy in the black leather jacket is wearing a t-shirt that says "testicle".



睾 = testicle

丸 = small round object; pellet, pill

Nike's "Extinguish Fire But With Base"

Nike Basketball's latest ad campaign to promote their basketball shoes featuring Lebron James has made some interesting mistakes.



I am sure Nike has plenty of well paid language experts working on this "trans-cultural" promotion, but some details have slipped away under their eyes.



When I first read the slogan in the image above, it said "extinguish fire but with base". After I read it over several times more, then I realized it was meant to say "extinguish fire from the base", not "with the base".



Frankly, it sounded like an ad for antifungal medication. Watch out, Tinactin, you have got competition!



去 = go away, leave, depart

火 = fire, flame; burn; anger, rage

但 = only; but, however, yet, still

是 = indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that

和 = and; together with; with; peace; harmony; union

基 = foundation, base







This character circled in the poster is missing a dot on top. The correct character is 實 and means "real, true, solid, honest".



誇張失實 = exaggration without any truth



Update: Nike has responded to my email (pdf file).