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They name cars, don't they?

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    They name cars, don't they?

    The names they give to cars often upset me.

    A lot of them are genuine words, usually in French, Spanish or Italian. Which is fine. You know, I'm OK with things being called 'Esprit' or 'Finesse' or whatever.

    But then you get those pseudo-Latinate ones, in a kind of quasi-Esperanto, which end in a vowel but don't exist in any earth language. Like 'Movano'. I guess it's a van, and it moves. I see what they did there.

    The one that really gets on my tits right now is 'Kashqai'. What the holy fuck is that meant to be, other than sounding like 'cash cow' in both an aristocratic AND a Norn Irish accent and subliminally convincing the would-be purchaser that it has a high sell-on value?

    And, to quote Libby Shuss, maybe that's the point.

    #2
    They name cars, don't they?

    Hmm, I'm not alone on this. Review of the Qashqai, with some very interesting comments

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      #3
      They name cars, don't they?

      As a bit of a petrolhead that's a pet peeve of mine. I think Koreans and Japanese are the worst offenders, probably going for that vaguely Western sound.

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        #4
        They name cars, don't they?

        I don't see anything wrong with using genuine foreign-language words as names for cars. I mean, I can't see any semi-nomadic, Farsi-speaking Shia Muslim tribespeople complaining.

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          #5
          They name cars, don't they?

          Mumpo wrote:
          I don't see anything wrong with using genuine foreign-language words as names for cars. I mean, I can't see any semi-nomadic, Farsi-speaking Shia Muslim tribespeople complaining.
          I tried to ask one, but he wouldn't keep still.

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            #6
            They name cars, don't they?

            Ah, well, you've obviously found a fully-nomadic one. Schoolboy error.

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              #7
              They name cars, don't they?

              I asked the Iranian guy I share the office with, and he pronounced it "ash-eye", with a bit of a French inflection.

              Wasn't the famous case the one about calling a car "Nova" in Spanish-speaking countries?

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                #8
                They name cars, don't they?

                Wasn't the famous case the one about calling a car "Nova" in Spanish-speaking countries?
                Urban myth.

                Naming cars is very difficult though. Would anyone on the board care to try?

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                  #9
                  They name cars, don't they?

                  The Nissan Greenfast

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                    #10
                    They name cars, don't they?

                    The new Nissan Rapist.

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                      #11
                      They name cars, don't they?

                      yeah, go on then. you describe the car, i'll give you a name for it.

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                        #12
                        They name cars, don't they?

                        Urban myth

                        The one about the Mitsubushi Pajero meaning "wanker" in Spanish is true, though.

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                          #13
                          They name cars, don't they?

                          yeah, go on then. you describe the car, i'll give you a name for it.
                          Okay, a new Ford hatchback with a focus on economy.

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                            #14
                            They name cars, don't they?

                            Ford Mercenary

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                              #15
                              They name cars, don't they?

                              Ford Equitas

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                                #16
                                They name cars, don't they?

                                Ford Fiesta, Ford Escort and Ford Readers' Wives Big Jugs Special.

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                                  #17
                                  They name cars, don't they?

                                  Ford Too Fucking Lazy To Find An Alternative Power Source

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                                    #18
                                    They name cars, don't they?

                                    The company that helps keep me in beer and fags makes a car called "One". It took them years (literally) to come up with the name.

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                                      #19
                                      They name cars, don't they?

                                      The Audi Qunt

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                                        #20
                                        They name cars, don't they?

                                        okay, so i'll fess up to buggering off on my lunch and letting everybody else get the drop on me with their excellent suggestions.

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                                          #21
                                          They name cars, don't they?

                                          Qashqai update - m'lovely wife, who of course has Farsi as her native tongue, informs me it is pronounced 'Gash-key', which opens up a whole new fishy kettle of subliminal meanings. Though she imbues the hard 'G' with a very glottal sound, like a deep-throated swallow.

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                                            #22
                                            They name cars, don't they?

                                            You mean like this?

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                                              #23
                                              They name cars, don't they?

                                              Cars and perfumes, they probably have the silliest names.

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                                                #24
                                                They name cars, don't they?

                                                Coincidentally I was reading an article about the Paris motorshow today and specifically a newish type of car called "Ludospace" by the French, a mix of "ludique" and "espace". An example of such car is the Renault Kangoo whose new model is the Be Bop (retractable roof at the back). We rented a Kangoo once, cracking little car, perfect if you want to drive to a spot in the middle of the mountains and don't fancy staying in a tent, the seats can be adjusted to turn it into a pretty decent double-bed.

                                                Fiat has such a model called Qubo but taking the price is Peugeot with their " Bipper Tepee Outdoor"...

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                                                  #25
                                                  They name cars, don't they?

                                                  1890 wrote:
                                                  Coincidentally I was reading an article about the Paris motorshow today and specifically a newish type of car called "Ludospace" by the French, a mix of "ludique" and "espace". Fiat has such a model called Qubo but taking the price is Peugeot
                                                  Don't get me started on French neologisms...

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