Business names that sound strange to others?

[CLD]

In certain Spanish-speaking countries, chi-chi is a slang word for mammary glands, the vulgarity level varying from place to place. 

I don't think that's why the chain disappeared, but I remember Spanish speakers laughing about it way back when.

[Redsoil]

The things you learn!  Some good ones here.

[Shopaholic]

That reminds me that in Spanish, Pajero is a slang word for one who likes to please oneself.
I guess nobody at Mitsubishi bothered to check that beforehand.

[dawnfire]

There's a medical waste company called Sweeny Todd

[baglady]

When I was in Spain, there was a local confection called a "chocho." Every souvenir shop in the city had a little sign advertising "Chochos Tipicos de Salamanca." There were a couple of Mallorcan students living with my host family, and they got a kick out of this because in Mallorca, apparently "chocho" was slang for lady bits.

I've never actually seen Fanny May candies. The first time I heard the name, I thought someone was confusing Fannie Mae (the Federal National Mortgage Agency) with Fannie Farmer (which is a candy brand as well as the name of a famous cooking school/cookbook line).

I'm curious as to how "fanny" came to mean lady bits in British. After all, in "A Christmas Carol," Scrooge had a sister named Fan (short for Frances, I presume?). If there were females called Fan, did they never get called Fanny as children? Or is it one of those slang terms that started out as a perfectly OK proper name, then developed a secondary vulgar meaning (like D!ck and Willy)?

[Luci45]

I didn't know Fanny May candy was not nationwide - US. The first time I had them was in 1963, and they have some chocolate mints that are almost too good to be true.

http://www.fanniemay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryNavigate?catalogId=12302&categoryId=400005581&storeId=20052&langId=-1&subCatName=Best+Sellers&catName=Best+Sellers

When I was growing up, 'fanny' meant a person's rear end, as well as being a fairly old and common woman's nickname  or given name. Guess it just shifted a bit.

There's a medical waste company called Sweeny Todd

 

[emwithme]

When I was growing up, 'fanny' meant a person's rear end, as well as being a fairly old and common woman's nickname  or given name. Guess it just shifted a bit.

Here in England, fanny is definitely not the same as in the US.  It means *ahem* front bottom, rather than bottom.  It always made me laugh in the late 80s (I was ten or so), when people on American TV wore "fanny packs" - to us here they were "bum bags". 

[camlan]

Fannie Farmer was a real person, who was president of the Boston Cooking School. For many years, there was a Boston area chain of candy stores named Fanny Farmer, but although named after her, the chain was started after her death. They had the best cream-filled Easter eggs.

I've wondered about the UK usage of fanny as well--in Austen's Mansfield Park, the main character is named Fanny.

[Thipu1]

Fannie Farmer was a real person, who was president of the Boston Cooking School. For many years, there was a Boston area chain of candy stores named Fanny Farmer, but although named after her, the chain was started after her death. They had the best cream-filled Easter eggs.

I've wondered about the UK usage of fanny as well--in Austen's Mansfield Park, the main character is named Fanny.

My mother had the Fanny Farmer cookbook.  The candy shops were also quite common in the New York area.  In Canada, virtually identical sweets were sold under the name of Laura Scudder.

In the USA, fanny is a very mild term for the 'back of the lap '.  It's perfectly acceptable to use the term around young children. 

It seems that the US use of the term is probably only about 70 years old. As a child in the 1950s I remember shopping for birthday cards with my mother.  There was one about getting older that cracked her up.  The verse included something about, 'You and I both remember when Fanny was a girl's name'.

[shadowfox79]

We have a hair salon near my house called Kurl Up and Dye.

[Thipu1]

How about the 'One Stop Cop Shop'?

It's a store in Brooklyn that caters to law enforcement officers.  The place offers uniform components, accessories and firearms. 

Civilians can certainly shop there.  Police shoes are popular among people whose jobs require them to be on their feet a lot.  NYPD  sweatshirts and caps are also good sellers.  However, to buy anything sensitive, the buyer must present appropriate identification. 

[Leafy]

DH and I fell about laughing when we were visiting San Francisco and saw a van for a plumbing business called "rescue rooter". As has been mentioned numerous times on this board, 'root' in Australia is slang for 'play scrabble'. We could not imagine how you could be rescued by a scrabble player/rooter. We were so amused we took a picture  . 

[Redsoil]

When I was visiting Tasmania, I drove through a place called "Penguin".  Stopped and took a couple of photos:

"Penguin Butcher"

"Penguin Meals-on-Wheels"

[Thipu1]

The neighborhood has a lovely wine shop called 'Big Nose, Full Body'.

[Marisol]

Beard Papa's Fresh'n Natural Cream Puffs.

Just sounds so odd.  I want to try one though.


Chi Chi's was around for a long time.  I remember eating at them all the time.  They still rank best in my mind for having perfect fried ice cream made just how I like it.  No one else does it the same.  They also had this wonderful Sunday brunch occasionally.  We used to have it on Easter Sunday for some reason.  However, the food started going downhill in the 90's.  The fried ice cream was still good.