lose (something) in translation

idiom

: to fail to have the same meaning or effectiveness when it is translated into another language
Something must have gotten lost in translation because the joke isn't funny in English.

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“Lose (something) in translation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose%20%28something%29%20in%20translation. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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