Even after 11 years here, I can still find myself lost in translation. Seriously.

Sometimes my colleagues will toss a joke or an idiom my way, and it flies waaaaay over my head. I don’t always almost never get the French punchline or the underlying meaning. But I always ask, because my fake pretend-I-get-it laugh is really really fake.

So I am rather enjoying the new campaign by iDBUS for their one year anniversary. They are also offering a competition on their facebook page. Contribute your story of how you’ve been #LostInTranslation and perhaps you’ll win a iDBUS ticket to a destinatin of your choice!

But their celebratory campaign is also a fun way to learn different idioms in French or English and their counterparts. It can get pretty funny when you translate literally!

And while you are at it, check out their super cheap prices for travel in Europe! When I used to work in study abroad, many of my students would use the bus systems to get around for less but it was always a hassle for them. iDBus makes it easier. I wish I had had that when I was 19…

Here’s some more idioms I’d like to see them illustrate :

“Être aux anges” (to be with the angles) = The be over the moon.

“Avoir un chat dans la gorge” (to have a cat in your throat) = To have a frog in your throat.

“Coûter la peau des fesses” (costs the skin off your ass) = To cost an arm and a leg.

“Se plier en quatre” ( to bend oneself in four) = To bend over backwards.

“Prendre son pied” (to take one’s foot) = To get your kicks.

Check back on their facebook page to see others!