26508


Occasionally I've seen _"itadakimasu"_ translated as **Rub a dub dub, Thanks
for the grub**.

Most often it's used as an joking example of subbing/dubbing that doesn't
stick strictly to the original Japanese script.

Where does it come from though? Was there a show that actually translated it
as such?

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CMS2Cm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CMS2Cm.jpg)
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6jhUpm.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6jhUpm.png)


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2015-10-08T12:09:45.573
26496
2017-05-07T12:52:16.760
1530
question
meme
Rub a dub dub, Thanks for the grub


[HamtaroWarrior's claims](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/26507/1908) that
it doesn't have much to do with anime and that "It just seems to be a way to
translate "Itadakimsu"." [sic] miss the point.

There is, in fact, a clear anime-related reason that "rub a dub dub, thanks
for the grub" has become emblematic of over-localized translation: the
abortive [gg] fansub of _Toradora!!_ back in 2008 featured this very line as a
translation of Minori's " _itadakimasu_ " in episode 4 (around 08:52). This is
an absurdly over-the-top translation choice, as any American could attest -
Minori is certainly a cheerful and quirky character, but this goes well beyond
that.

This was widely hailed as [an innovation in
trollsubbing](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:EGWwaDhreP8J:https://archive.moe/a/thread/15831373%20&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)
on [gg]'s part, and was one of the factors that cemented their reputation as
the leading trollsubbers of their time. I mentioned that the fansub was
abortive - indeed, [[gg] stopped subbing _Toradora!!_ after episode
4](http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=50209#msg1980927), and I guess they
decided to go out with a bang (all of the relevant blog posts I'd like to cite
appear to have bitrotted out of existence, unfortunately). I emphasize this
again - almost surely nobody actually thought that "rub a dub dub, thanks for
the grub" was a good choice here. Rather, it was presumably chosen to get a
rise out of its viewers (and succeeded quite well at it!).

It is as a _result_ of this particular incident that images like [this
one](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cIkD9.jpg) exist (the "gg" column, at least).
Likewise, the _Sasami-san@Ganbaranai_ image in the question is a deliberate
"homage" (if you can call it that) to [gg]'s _Toradora!!_ subs of auld.


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2015-10-08T23:38:59.573
26508
2015-10-08T23:38:59.573
2017-04-13T12:54:48.953
-1
1908
26496
answer


Im very sorry that I accidentally tripped over this strand because now I feel
obligated to contribute. When I was a pre-medical undergraduate at a small
United Methodist liberal arts college in the late 1970's, I competed in
intercollegiate athletics. We were obligated to "say grace" before a team
meal, so this line was part of our team prayer. The full blessing was:

"Rub a dub dub, Thanks for the grub, Yea God! Amen!"

I hope this contribution rgarging the linguistic history of this irreverent
ritual is helpful to this most fascinating discussion.


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2017-05-07T12:52:16.760
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2017-05-07T12:52:16.760
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answer