McDonald's Hmong Billboard in St. Paul Gets Lost in Translation

Always on the lookout for fresh arteries to clog, McDonald's has begun advertising in Hmong on billboards in St. Paul, Minn., which has more Hmong people—tens of thousands—than any other U.S. city. But the effort backfired, as native speakers are complaining that McDonald's dished up unhealthy portions of the Asian dialect. One message, via ad agency Arnold, reads, "Yuavtxhawbpabraukojsawv yuavntxivzograukoj mus," which translates roughly to "Coffee gets you up, breakfast gets you going." Thai Lee, a local doctor, tells the St.