Pedro Carolino

Pedro Carolino was a 19th-century Portuguese author about whom very little biographical information survives. He is remembered exclusively for his 1855 work "English as She Is Spoke; or, A Jest in Sober Earnest," a Portuguese-English phrasebook and conversation guide. Lacking actual fluency in English, Carolino appears to have compiled the book using a French-English dictionary and a Portuguese-French phrasebook, resulting in wildly inaccurate and often absurd translations. For example, he renders "to walk" as "to promenade one's self" and offers phrases like "He has spit in my soup." Despite its errors, the book gained a cult following, praised by writers such as Mark Twain for its unintentional humor. Carolino's literary legacy rests entirely on this single volume, which remains a fascinating artifact of linguistic misunderstanding and a beloved oddity in the history of publishing.