The 1989 Disney classic The little Mermaid is widely credited with reviving the company’s animation division. While Ariel and her search for earthly love garner the most attention, the film’s MVP could be Flounder, the precocious sidekick to the fish of seemingly undetermined species.
With the live-action remake starring Halle Bailey opening in theaters, language learning center Preply decided to investigate Flounder’s name in various parts of the world.
As you can see from the map, Flounder is having a bit of an identity crisis. Although it is known by its original name in Italy, Romania and several other countries, other international markets have chosen to use different names. In Denmark, flounder is known as Fall, which means “tumble” in Danish. Its penchant for clumsiness led to similar branding changes in Sweden, where it is known as Goof; in Norway it is Formor “grope”.
France took another tact by nicknaming him duffelor “duffel”, which may refer to his fellow traveler status.
Although it looks like a tropical fish, The little Mermaid an animated television series classified him as a guppy. Although neither type of fish is typically served as a source of protein, plaice is often prepared in a variety of ways, including baking, pan-frying, and in tacos.
The little Mermaid opens May 26.
