Misunderstandings, colloquialisms, wrong words and false friends: 8

 

DANUTA: I heard Peter Gabriel on the radio yesterday! He was having an audition.

SUNIA: An audition? For what? Surely he doesn't need to do that as he is already a professional musician!

 

A good example of a false friend in the Polish language.

 

In Polish, the translation of 'audycja radiowa' is, quite simply, a radio broadcast. This can be an individual programme on the radio, a concert, a magazine programme, politics - any subject that gets its own broadcast.

 

In English, an audition is not an interview a famous person has with a chatshow host; however, it is a kind of job interview. Or to be more clear, a job interview for the candidate to see if they can be involved in the performing media. The audition is to see if the candidate is good enough to take on a role that may involve performing in some way: actor, dancer, musical, and so on. The individual then has to give a practical demonstration to prove that they are able to do the job that is needed.

 

Now Peter Gabriel's career in rock music began in 1967 with the rock band Genesis, but as he was one of the five original members (along with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks), it is unclear as to whether he needed to audition to 'officially' become one of those band members.

 

Unless he was actively looking for another performing job of some kind, it is rather unlikely that he was having an audition on the radio. It is more likely that he was having an interview, just generally chatting, or was involved in a radio programme that included his life and work.

​

Back to Misunderstandings or home page