On 02/13/2004 10:03 PM, "MohanG@aol.com" <MohanG@aol.com> wrote:
> How about CIOCC, or CHOKE?
>
> Still, Gippieme can never approach the absurdity of the Chevrolet Nova,
> which, when translated to Spanish means: DOESN'T GO. Congratulations to GM for
> truth in advertizing.
Don't tell that to Pemex (the Mexican oil monopoly), whose bestselling gasoline is called .... "Nova".
This is an urban myth:
http://www.snopes.com/
Nova connotes "new" and "star" in Spanish speaking countries, just as it does in the United States.
> Coors once translated its slogan, "turn it loose" to: "Suffer from Diarrhea."
>
> Puffs tissues had the unfortunate German slang name for whorehouse.
>
> Wonder what the jihadis have against us? Jolly Green Giant was translated
> into Arabic as "Intimidating Green Ogre."
>
> Coca Cola flopped in China with its translated name came out as something
> like "Bite the Wax Tadpole." (I've also heard Coke Adds Life was translated a
> bot
> too literally as "Coke brings your ancestors back from the dead." )
Urban myth: http://www.snopes.com/
> When Frank Perdue tried to explain to Spanish speakers that "It takes a tough
> man to make a tender chicken," he told them: "It takes a sexually stimulated
> man to make a chicken affectionate." True, but not the right message, at least
> not for this particular product.
>
> Bacardi once introduced a product called Pavian in France. Just across the
> border, in Germany, folks looked on in puzzlement at why a beverage would be
> called "babboon."
>
> Lastly, Gerber always wondered why it was so hard to sell its baby food, with
> the cute picture of the baby face on the label. Turns out in Africa, most
> labels have pictures of the INGREDIENTS of the jar. No jokes on cannibalism,
> please ....
Yet again: http://www.snopes.com/
While I can't speak for all of the above examples, there are enough definite urban legends to cast doubt on most of them ...
Steven L. Sheffield Bursting bubbles in Midvale, Utah
--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
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