Post #51,018
9/7/02 11:29:31 PM
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Okay, time to improve your vocabulary......
[link|http://www.engrish.com/snacks.html|I was hungry and decided to boost my vocabulary at the same time...]
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Post #51,020
9/8/02 12:01:10 AM
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Wince
"Dipper Dan" reminds me of Mad TV's "Honeydipper Dan" sketch.
The lawyers would mostly rather be what they are than get out of the way even if the cost was Hammerfall. - Jerry Pournelle
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Post #51,025
9/8/02 2:06:20 AM
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From Owner's Manual for first Honda 'Dream'
motorcycles (whose quality made the Honda rep and began its US ascent)
After expraining the machine, it concluded -
..so hopping on your jolly Dream and riding off!
Sso.. Murican GI, you are surprised I speak your ranguage?
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Post #51,037
9/8/02 10:14:51 AM
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Extremely Funny And Bizarre
All your Mother Stick Chocolate and Naive Shampoo are belong to us.
For years I've wondered how they come up with English names for cars - Celica, Camray, Tercel, etc. At least the product names use actual words - these don't mean anything. I'm inclined to think that they just use English words that sound OK to the Japanese ear.
What's also curious is the perfunctory, automatic addition of ingratiating, haiku-like phrases. "Whenever and everywhere, we can meet our best friend-nature. Take a grip of steering!"
-drl
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Post #51,063
9/8/02 9:38:07 PM
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About the sounds.
While I can't corroborate the story 98%, years ago I heard it from nominally believable sources within the company:
'Sony' was meant to evoke in English the idea of sonny. IIRC it evokes no Japanese association. There were some other candidates they kicked around, apparently with some real English speakers chiming in.. but clearly the sound, and a connotation of 'friendliness'- was no accident. Hey.. they Listened to Demming! (We never did)
I don't think any Japanese car name was ever chosen casually, though anyone's guess how they made the final cut.
(Now as to the AMC Matador and the Nova (no va = doesn't run, in Spanish). Obviously US carmakers in past, could care less what their names represented beyond our borders, whereas Japanese if anything - were/are obsessed?)
Ashton
who hasn't the foggiest either, what Camry or Celica might be trying to evoke.. but damn sure grok what Acura intended: and, it wasn't a lie. Fortunately. (Also their Legend, a name they discontinued about as wisely as HP went to *#@#$% pompously meaningless Agilent -- has indeed become its own connotation, as one of the best built cars ever: 250K+ miles is routine, now.
Ashton
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Post #51,075
9/9/02 12:23:35 AM
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Japanese contractions.
It's know that owners of a language will modify a language over time for various reasons. Many of these changes are seeded in "butcherings" or contractions. I'm sure you all know how English contractions work --- well, Japanese ones work very differently. What they do to English words is a good example of what they do to their own words!
Company name example: the famous name "Nikon" is a contraction of "Nippon Kogaku" with a "-n" suffix added for euphony. But I've heard a variation on the "Sony" story before, too.
Wade.
"Ah. One of the difficult questions."
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Post #51,095
9/9/02 11:37:37 AM
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Datsun.
Have you heard of the Japanese auto manufacturer that went to a German advertising agency to get them to come up with car name? When the Germans asked how much time they had to do the work, they were told "by end of the next day".
"Dat soon?" they replied.
Sorry, couldn't help it! :)
Alex
Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
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Post #51,045
9/8/02 2:28:49 PM
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Popeye brand snacks
not sure why, but Popeye is also popular in Thailand as well. He can be seen on one of those "Balance Bars" from the link you referenced. So I guess he is popular in Japan as well?
No Engrish did I see in Thailand, I wonder why?
[link|http://games.speakeasy.net/data/files/khan.jpg|"Khan!!!" -Kirk]
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Post #51,047
9/8/02 3:05:39 PM
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Re: No Engrish did I see in Thailand, I wonder why?
Japan was occupied by the US after WW-II and a democracy was established. The Japanese loved Makkasa-san (General Douglas MacArthur). In any case, the Japanese have alway been open to borrowing from other cultures.
The US does the same. The expresiion "just a skosh" comes from the Japanese "sukoshi" meaning little.
"It's a good thing!"
Alex
Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
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