One of the lesser known annual commemorations is International Translation Day, held every Sept. 30. It is also known as the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator, who is considered the patron saint of translators. While it would be wonderful to point out all of the great translations over the ages, it is the particularly-hilarious mistakes that remain in our memories for the long haul. There are a number of comical translation variations that have given a smile and chuckle to many an expat. In honor of this day celebrating such a critical line of work, I have taken the liberty, along with the help of many from the expat community, to compile some of the chart-topping hilarious mistranslations in Turkey, because what better way is there to celebrate than with laughter.As many of us know, there are many menus circulating out there in Turkey with a variety of creative, hysterical and absolutely incorrect translations that have given us a giggle. Many may recall the popular translation of the popular savory phylo-dough pastry dish gözleme as being translated to "observing" and "observation" and even "mixed monitoring" to name a few. The second most popular mistranslation on Turkish menus would have to be the wide variety of the popular meat dish çöp şiş. Inadvertently, this dish of specially-prepared meat grilled on skewers, is often translated as "trash shish" or "garbage shish" and sometimes simply as "garbage needle," which needless to say does not sound appetizing in the least!With the fact that döner kebab is one of the most prevalent street foods out there in Turkey, it should come to no surprise that there are a number of interesting variations on its English interpretation. Sometimes simply written as "bread inter turning," then if you want a half order the translation sometimes is "half of bread turns" or for a döner platter, "returns on top of rice." Then of course there is "Alexander returns" for the delicious dish of iskender döner. Yet daunting as that may seem, if you wanted a mixed variation of iskender, in Turkish is "karışık," you may very well find yourself ordering a "confused Alexander." On the same note, there is also "confused toast" and many a local food stall has translated toast variations as simply "kind of toast." We can't forget the ever present, and absolutely unappetizing, "hair roasting," for what is actually the delicious dish of saç kavurma. My own personal favorite has to be the "Adana situation," the latter being the word unfortunately used for "durum," which actually infers to a type of wrap. Seeing the translation "situation with chicken" also always gives me a giggle. Another translation mishap with the favored wrap is the "Adana status" or "lamb shish status" as it were.Perhaps the most hilarious of them all, however, would have to be "intimate meatballs" for içli köfte, the traditional meat-stuffed croquette loved by many, a mistranslation of which is only topped by its alternative "sensitive meatballs." On the opposite spectrum, you may find yourself forced to order "crushing pain" for the classic meze dish acılı ezme. Acılı, which in food context actually means 'spicy' in Turkish, can unfortunately be misinterpreted for its other meanings, which are pain, sorrow and anguish. In most Turkish restaurants there are options when ordering a dish: spicy or mild. In these cases, you may find yourself having to choose between "pain and painless" for acı and acısız, such as "painful meatballs" or "meatballs without pain" or the even more appetizing if possible, "painless lahmacun."Another poorly translated popular food is piliç çevirme or, in English, rotisserie chicken. It is regularly written on signs as "chicken translation," the latter being just one of the many translations of the word çevirme, which in this context should actually be translated as "rotating." There is also "language fish" for dil balıgı, which is actually flounder or sole. You also may find yourself wanting to order "angry shrimp" meaning kizgin karides, which may have been best translated as "crispy shrimp". One of the most popular street food pastries just happens to be kol böreği, a stuffed puff pastry dish that is prepared in long rolls. Now the word "kol" in Turkish has a number of meanings, such as column and sleeve, however, many a mistaken menu preparer has chosen to use the less-fortunate definition of the word in this context, which happens to be "arm." Therefore, one may find themselves ordering a "cheese pastry arm" or if they wanted it cut up into small portions, the ever unfortunate "mince-meat pastry portions of arm." Yum!The painstakingly prepared beğendi, a dish of stewed meat served on a bed of creamy roasted eggplant puree, is simply translated on menus as "liked." This translation is curt and to the point as well as accurate for many who do indeed love the dish, however, not at all explanatory and definitely a different context for the word, more appropriately used on Facebook.What a difference a letter makesYet another memorable one that really makes you think is the translation of the dumpling dish mantı as "logi". We can only assume the menu preparer's logic was to take off the final "k" in the Turkish word for logic, which is "mantık," and then doing the same for its English definition "logic" leaving us with just "logi." Then there are the careless translations where the lack of a certain letter or wrong letter use can end up with some not so appetizing ramifications. Many a times the delightful and refreshing yengeç salatası is unfortunately offered up on menus as "crap salad," while the lack of the letter "h" can lead to ordering "tick yogurt" instead of "thick yogurt."Many menus devote a whole section to hot starters, which in Turkish is ara sıcak, but they have translated the word for ara, which in this context means "interim," for its more regularly used definition of "searching," hence "search for heat." Currents can be called "bird grapes," potato wedges have overwhelmingly become "apple sliced potatoes" and the most offensive may very well have to be "ayran" as "buttermilk." If the consumer didn't know what was in store for them, this salted yogurt drink may come as quite a surprise when they are expecting something that tastes like eggnog.In Sultanahmet, Earl Grey Tea has pretty much become "Early Grey Tea" and many a tea stand, which in Turkish is çay ocağı, has been translated as "tea December." Although not a menu mishap, when it comes to months the most endearing mistranslation would have to be "leave the door December," the meaning of which I will leave you all to figure out for yourselves.