Semantic confusion is common even between speakers of the same language. Translating from one language to another offers an even greater challenge. Here are a few examples of semantic blunders committed across the globe:

1. Kellogg had to rename its Bran Buds cereal in Sweden when it discovered that the name roughly translated to "burned farmer."

2. When PepsiCo advertised Pepsi in Taiwan with the ad "Come Alive with Pepsi," it had no idea that the slogan would be translated into Chinese as "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead."

3. American medical containers were distributed in Great Britain and caused quite a stir. The instructions to "Take off top and push in button," innocuous to Americans, had very strong sexual connotations to the British.

4. Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken," was translated into Spanish as "It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate."

Adler, Ronald, and George Rodman. Understanding Human Communication. 11th. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2011. 122. Print.