Canada's language watchdog, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, is facing scrutiny after a Valentine's Day social media post missed the mark. The post, intended to promote bilingualism, featured a cartoon of two dogs gazing at each other with the caption "My tail starts wagging and my heart is all aflutter… when you practise your second official language!".
The French version, however, contained a significant mistranslation. The phrase "Ma queue et mon cœur s'emballent…" was used, which literally translates to "My tail and my heart get excited…". However, "ma queue" is also a common slang term for a penis in French. The double entendre was quickly spotted by Francophone internet users, leading to widespread amusement and criticism.
The office has since removed the post and issued an apology. "We acknowledge that the post may have been interpreted in different ways, and we sincerely regret the situation," the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada wrote. Heritage Minister Marc Miller also weighed in on X, stating, "With Valentine's Day approaching, dogs and sausages and all, the joke might have been good if it worked in French… But the commissioner's office must lead by example instead of doing 'translation'". The incident has sparked debate about the importance of accurate translation and cultural sensitivity in official communications, especially within a bilingual country like Canada.
