The funny point is, that the direct translation to Japanese is so similar that there are literally blogposts about how to "correctly" use it e.g. in business context.
Sometimes completely different cultures can come up with the same idiocy.
Heh! Having been a history major, when I say "The old days," that could mean anything from the hunting and gathering days to Roman times to just a few decades ago! I always try to place the phrase in context, though.
Heh! A Saudi was asked by my father's friend what manana meant in their country. He thought about it and replied "Not quite as urgent as in your hemisphere."
Obligatory:
“Bahala na," as the Filipinos say, which is an untranslatable phrase containing the same germ of philosophy as the Arabic "inshalla" or the Spanish "mañana" or the English "you must have me mixed up with somebody who gives a shit".”
― P.J. O'Rourke
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Sometimes completely different cultures can come up with the same idiocy.
Me (to my landlord): Hey, my AC has been out for a week, when are you going to fix it?
Landlord: Mañana, man!
“Bahala na," as the Filipinos say, which is an untranslatable phrase containing the same germ of philosophy as the Arabic "inshalla" or the Spanish "mañana" or the English "you must have me mixed up with somebody who gives a shit".”
― P.J. O'Rourke