The Daily Mail has published a list of consumer products whose names may make perfect sense in their countries (and languages) of origin, but are . . . ah . . . shall we say, less than optimum when read in English. Here are a few examples.
Iranian washing-powder:
Cola from Ghana:
Rice crisps from China:
There are plenty more at the link. Good for a laugh!
Peter
4 comments:
Yep, sometimes the 'English' gets a bit fractured... :-)
And of course, don't forget how General Motors marketed the Chevy Nova in Mexico. Couldn't sell a darned one when someone figured out "nova" means, "won't go".
Bob Perrow
Not only the 'No-Va', but about 30 years ago, there was an attempt to sell 'Cue' toothpaste in France, which is the pronounciation (but not the spelling) of the French word for @ss.
One I ran into, years ago, while working in Germany - a "washing soda" (powdered detergent) for laundry branded "Dusch Duff".
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