Subtle phallic joke or bad translation: Valentine's Day card by official languages watchdog causes a stir

OTTAWA — The Official Languages Commissioner was graded a D in translation Friday after posting a spoof Valentine’s Day card in French suggesting that practicing a second tongue is surprisingly… arousing.

It’s common practice for organizations to post joke Valentine’s cards on the internet to promote their cause on the official day of romance.

What’s less common, however, is for the federal government’s bilingualism watchdog to post one suggesting practicing a second official language is exciting for both the mind… and lower body.

“My tail starts wagging and my heart is all aflutter… when you practise your second official language!,” reads the English version of the commissioner’s card posted Friday .

In the centre of the image, two dogs gaze at each other lovingly around a picture of a heart, tails locked together.

The French version of the card features the same graphic and begins with “Ma queue et mon cœur s’emballent…”, which translates literally to “my tail and my heart get excited when…”.

The only issue, Francophone internet denizens were quick to point out, is that French term for “my tail” (“ma queue”) is a common slang for a penis.

The internet was quick to roast the office for the spunky post.

“Pretty sure that if I say that to a colleague on Valentine’s Day, I’ll find myself in front of HR,” wrote one Facebook commenter in French.

“It’s time to hire a translator at the Commissioner’s office,” joked another poster.

What’s unclear to all is if the double-entendre was intentionally playful or if it was posted willy-nilly.

While some thought it was a witty joke, others assumed it was a case of poor translation from the office meant to promote the use of both French and English in Canada.

“Was there not a SINGLE Francophone at the office of the Commissioner of Official Languages ​​of Canada to raise even the tiniest flag (excuse the Anglicism) before approving and publishing this?,” wrote communications consultant and sports journalist Arcadio Marcuzzi in French on LinkedIn.

In a statement, commissioner spokesperson Hélène Lachance said the office often tries to strike a humorous and light tone when sharing on social media. But she admitted Friday’s post was “open to interpretation.”

“Our intention was not to sexualize the content, but rather to bring a smile and make our messages about official languages more accessible,” she wrote to National Post. “We will review our content to help prevent this type of misunderstanding in the future.”

It won’t stop internet commenters from having fun with this post, though.

“I’m… speechless,” Quebec-based communications specialist Louis Aucoin commented on LinkedIn. “I don’t know if I should admire the audacity or be concerned about the approval process.”

National Post cnardi@postmedia.com

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