be lost in translation

Of a word or words, to lose the full subtlety of meaning or significance when translated from one language to another, especially when done literally. My friend tried explaining a few French idioms to me, but I'm afraid they were lost in translation. It's amazing how much is lost in translation in the subtitles of foreign films.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Jamison	JAY-mi-sən	English
Ermentrud	ER-men-troot	German (Archaic)
Panagiotakis	-	Greek
Booker	['bukə]
Beniamin	-	Romanian, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Hess	[hes]