.png)
3 days ago
2
This phrase is used in a sketch about a badly translated English-Hungarian phrasebook from the British TV comedy show, Monty Python's Flying Circus. There's a video of the sketch on YouTube and a transcript on this site.
It's possibly the most useful phrase there is, and a handy one to have when you're asked to say something in a language you're learning.
Click on any of the phrases that are links to hear them spoken. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
To see more phrases in each language click on the language names. If you'd like to see these phrases in any combination of two languages, try the Phrase Finder.
Notes
- The Judoon are race of rhinocerid humanoids in Doctor Who and their language is English words split into syllables with an o added to them all. [More information].
- Al Bhed is a cipher based on English that appears in the game Final Fantasy X.
- Kikristol is a constructed language based on Swahili, Old and Modern English and Afrikaans created by Iac M. and sjacik
The sketch this phrase comes from:
Information about the sketch and translations of this phrase
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Hungarian_Phrasebook
https://python.mzonline.com/sketches/hungarianphrasebook
https://tatoeba.org/fra/sentences/show/348790
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English/my_hovercraft_is_full_of_eels
Here are some new idioms I came up with based on this phrase:
- a few eels short of a hovercraft = somewhat stupid / crazy
- he has eels in his hovercraft = he's stupid / crazy
- they took to it like eels to a hovercraft = easily, like ducks to water
- as easy as filling a hovercraft with eels = as easy as falling off a log
- can't see the hovercraft for the eels = can't see the wood for the trees
- I could eat a hovercraft full of eels = I could eat a horse
People who have contributed to this section
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Silly phrases
My hovercraft is full of eels | Stop the world, I want to get off! | Say cheese! | Colorless green ideas sleep furiously | I am the king of the chickens | So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish | Thingamajig
Silly phrases in particular languages
Czech, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Finnish German, Romanian, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh
Other phrases
Index by phrase | Index by language | Index by language family | Phrase finder
[top]
You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com
[top]
