Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Swim4life]

My Chinese friend will buy a car. He chose 888, lucky numbers in Chinese culture, for his plates. He will also choose another three letters and is wondering if you have lucky letters in English just as the lucky numbers in China. Or please tell me a lucky/good word that consists of three letters. It�s urgent, no jokes please. Thanks a million!

[CP]

I would choose "LKY 888" or "888 LUK" to mean "lucky" and "luck."

In California, you can pay extra for a personalized plate of up to seven numbers, letters, and characters (star, hand, heart).

I have seen such plates as "BLUE VW" [on a blue Volkswagen bug, of course], "LEGEND" [on a Bentley], "DUKE" [on John Wayne's car years ago], "RE 4 U" [real estate for you], "2TH DR" [tooth doctor], "CRE8TIV" [creative], "2 CUTE 4U" [too cute for you], "[Heart] MY KIDS" [love my kids], "[Hand] SUM" [handsome], and on and on.

They are also called "vanity plates" for obvious reasons.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Swim4life]

Thanks CP. How about AAA888? Does it make any sense?

[CP]

Well, in the U.S., AAA (or triple-A) often means very good. AAA baseball is just one step below the major leagues, with AA and A leagues below AAA.

But AAA also stands for Automobile Association of America, which sells auto insurance, among other things. Because of the association with "the Auto Club," I wouldn't want it on my car unless the plate was an old California plate and read "AAA000."

Reason: Back in the 1970s, California plates had three letters and three numbers, beginning with AAA000, then AAA001, AAA002, ... ZZZ999. Whoever had AAA000 had the first of its kind, and people tried to bribe the Department of Motor Vehicles to get that plate. (Before that, the plates were 000AAA, 001AAA, ... 999ZZZ.)

Eventually, the state government woke up to the idea that people would pay more for a special plate -- even ZZZ999 would sell for a high price, wouldn't it? So the state started selling personalized plates, and now I think all 50 states do.

Somewhere along the line, the ordinary designation switched to 1AAA000, with seven places instead of just six, so that opened up more possibilities for the personalized plate market as well.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Swim4life]

Thanks again. Anyone there think "TOP888" is good? "LUK888" is one option...which one is better?

[lotus]

How about:


EASY888

LUV2888

10888

20888



--lotus
_________________
War does not make one great --Yoda

[Swim4life]

Thanks Lotus. Okay, last question...sorry to bother you...how about "WOW888"? He is supposed to use 3 letters and 3 numbers. I'm thinking about TOP888, LUK888 and WOW888. no idea which one is better. open to your suggestions.

[lotus]

Swim4life,

You won't be able to fit much with three letters - maybe an acronym, initials or a short last name:


TLC888

JFK888

LEW888


I like your LUK888. He's not likely to get any of these, though. Common combinations are probably all taken.


Good luck,


--lotus
_________________
War does not make one great --Yoda