“Halten Ruhe und Sprechen Deutsch”

Wait — what? This is supposed to say “Keep Calm and Speak German” (because what the world really needs is more variations on “Keep Calm and Carry On”). But (1) the words are in the wrong order and (2) if you put them in the right order they say “Keep Quiet and Speak German.” I don’t translate into German, but if someone put a gun to my head and forced me to help produce another “Keep Calm…” item, I would put “Ruhig Bleiben und Deutsch Sprechen.” If any native speakers think of a better version, they are encouraged to share it here.

Much as I disapprove of this mug, I do love Cafepress. They have some of the best things, like my mouse pad.