Job Discussion Forums

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

Fun topic!

It's often thought to be "cool" or "exotic" to use English in Mexico for business names or descriptions, but so often it goes horribly wrong, much to the amusement of native English speakers. This came to me this morning in a gas station on Eje 8, D.F., which has a:

CARWASH & STETIC CENTER

Well, why not? Very Happy

After all Spanish/English translation is just a case of removing the "e" before the "s", and the vowel from the end!!!!

Never really got NEW'S (sic) DIVINE, either. "New is divine" would be an explanation, but I'm sure they didn't mean that.

Any others that you've seen?

lydia.bainbridge · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 33

Rwandese confuse Ls and Rs in speaking and in writing; therefore one sign read "Manicules and Pedicules." Another read "Medicules and Pedicules." On the back of a truck hauling a big load, the sign said "Abnormal Load."

MotherF · Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 5:46 pm Post subject:

Ones I've seen around here:

Helados Harry Pointer.

Now, if only they had made it Hairy Pointer!

And the now defunct Crudi Chicken. Oh how I wish I would have gotten a photo of that. They place sold raw chicken in case you were wondering.

leslie · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 235

The Funniest Restaurant!

the peanut gallery · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 264

There are a couple of supermarkets in my neighborhood....Hualmart and Mr. Free. Hualmart is expensive and Mr. Free looks to be struggling to turn a profit.

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:42 pm Post subject:

Well, this wasn�t in Mexico, but in Guatemala, there was a donut shop called American Dognuts. There is a clothing store called F*ckers, in the Commercial Zentro and there is a magazine a magazine called Dog Planet, that is completely in Spanish. I also saw a store called Elvis Sot Free, it�s actually near F*ckers.

notamiss · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:14 am Post subject:

1) http://twitpic.com/5jtrp1 (This is at Galerias Coapa in DF.)

2) Ads I've seen on utility poles: Stripers, and Streppers.

3) Names. Since �h� is a silent letter, and �y� (as vowel) and �i� are identical, from the Spanish language point of view, English names have random, meaningless h�s strewn here and there, and any �i� and �y� can be randomly switched. So, with apologies to the real people who bear these names, who I�m sure are wonderful, intelligent individuals, in spite of the names their parents gave them: Cintya, Jhonatan, Jhenifer, Jenifher, etc.

New Haven · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 52 Location: Merida, Mexico

In Merida they sell all sorts of jewelry including necklesses. It's even printed on business cards listing the store's wares.

I guess necklesses are for the anatomically challenged.

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

I saw a laundry in D.F. called:

G�ash & G�er

I suppose that's where you take your dirty g�ashing, G�ey

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

BTW, I love the sporting terms, nocaut and jonr�n!

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:48 pm Post subject:

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

Sorry, don't remember BBB.

notamiss · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:36 pm Post subject:

New Haven · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 52 Location: Merida, Mexico

I always wondered whether Jhonaton/Jhonatan, Jhon started out as a transposition of letters in the name John, which was picked up and applied to other names starting with "J."

Enchilada Potosina · Joined: 03 Aug 2010 Posts: 344 Location: Mexico

Still haven't been to 'facebar' in SLP, mind you, neither has anyone else.