BajaNomad

Poorly named cars for Latin American market

arrowhead - 3-20-2010 at 09:49 AM

Suzuki — manufacturer of the “Kei” class (very light vehicle) Moca, and Mazda — which has had success in Asia with it’s Kei-SUV crossover, Laputa – seem to both be having trouble selling these products in Latin America.

David K - 3-20-2010 at 09:55 AM

The Chevy Nova... No Va = Doesn't Go

DENNIS - 3-20-2010 at 10:14 AM

KIA....from Korea? Poor planning on that one.

Tano - 3-20-2010 at 12:03 PM

C’mon, guys.

I’m buttin' in only in the interest of not having those truly interested in the language be mislead.

The only legitimate snafu would be using “Laputa,” a word first used by Jonathan Swift in his “Gulliver’s Travels,” to name something in a Spanish speaking culture because it suggests the words la puta, the hoar, prostitute, etc.

Moca does not mean snot. Moco does, but it is a different word. Otherwise, foods labeled with that name to suggest a type of coffee would have been a bust. The name actually has some cachet in the gourmet food area.

Also, it is a myth that cars named “Nova” were poor sellers because the name means “it doesn’t go.” Nova means a type of star and nothing else. If the car had been named Nová, that’s a different story, and so is the word.

Arrowhead, your No soy por ni contra apatía. is cute but badly worded. It should be, No estoy a favor ni en contra de la apatía.

DENNIS - 3-20-2010 at 01:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
KIA....from Korea? Poor planning on that one.


Say that in Español, but spell it out.

Killed In Action...from the folks who brought you the Korean War.

arrowhead - 3-20-2010 at 02:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
C’mon, guys.

I’m buttin' in only in the interest of not having those truly interested in the language be mislead.

The only legitimate snafu would be using “Laputa,” a word first used by Jonathan Swift in his “Gulliver’s Travels,” to name something in a Spanish speaking culture because it suggests the words la puta, the hoar, prostitute, etc.

Moca does not mean snot. Moco does, but it is a different word. Otherwise, foods labeled with that name to suggest a type of coffee would have been a bust. The name actually has some cachet in the gourmet food area.

Also, it is a myth that cars named “Nova” were poor sellers because the name means “it doesn’t go.” Nova means a type of star and nothing else. If the car had been named Nová, that’s a different story, and so is the word.

Arrowhead, your No soy por ni contra apatía. is cute but badly worded. It should be, No estoy a favor ni en contra de la apatía.


Thank you Tano, for your important lesson on how to ignore creativity and turn good prose into crap. I see you mention you make a living as a translator. Too bad you did not make a living as a creative writer. Had you taken courses in that area, you would have learned that a short phrase only has impact when it is truly short. Adding additional words which do not change the context even one iota only dilutes the message and is considered a poor writing style.

While I may not be 100% fluent in Spanish, I do read some a little each day, and watch for what is used in the everyday vernacular. Here are some examples of why you are not correct.

"La dirección de la SNCF no se pronuncia ni por ni contra la liberalización pero destaca que la competencia la lleva a proponer mejores servicios para obtener la preferencia de los usuarios."

http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/internacional/noticias/8613...

"Actitud mental. No tomes partido ni por ni contra nada, sea lo que sea."

http://www.librosbudistas.com/descargas/OCEANO.htm

"Antes que nada quiero aclarar que no quiero hacer campaña por ni contra nadie.

www.taringa.net/posts/humor/2829501/De-Narvaez-=-Sr_-Burns.h...

"La intervención no es ni por ni contra de algún implicado en el juicio..."

"No fue un plesbiscito por ni contra el modelo."

http://www.mineducacion.gov.co/cvn/1665/article-181093.html

You should note that each one of these examples are clearer than your translation. They are clearer because one does not have to read words which add nothing.

As for "soy" vs. "estoy", you could not have any possible way of knowing what I meant. I know what I meant. I wrote it. That's how I know. I was not referring to a transient condition, I was referring to a permanent condition.

..and yes moco is masculine, however note the changes for gender when used in context:

Él es un mocoso. [He is a shot-nosed brat.]
Ella es una mocosa.[She is a shot-nosed brat.]

Tano - 3-20-2010 at 04:40 PM

Nice try.

Debunking the Chevy Nova Myth

Gypsy Jan - 3-20-2010 at 05:13 PM

http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp

DENNIS - 3-20-2010 at 05:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
Nice try.



That's lame. Make a meaningful response if you have one.

arrowhead - 3-20-2010 at 07:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
Nice try.


Yeah, and how's that Bolivarian Revolution coming along these days? I used to use hired translators for legal documents. I know they get paid by the word, not a good incentive for clarity. Here is how Benjamin Franklin would write a line of prose:

"A stitch in time saves nine."

Here is how a translator would write it:

"If one were to immediately repair a tear in a garment before it enlarged, it would save the extra effort of performing a larger repair later, when the tear enlarges naturally while the garment is in use."

Both statements say the exact same thing.

mtgoat666 - 3-20-2010 at 08:19 PM

how about bad car names in gringolandia?

hummer (nuff said, but namer did make a good joke in several ways)
aspire
luv
aztek
vue
325 (anything with a number,... yawn)
probe
brat
le car (i kind of like "le car")
touareg
tacoma (i grew up near there, wouldn't name my dog after that town, though it does smell better now that mills have shut down)

Tano - 3-20-2010 at 08:55 PM

I’m going to stay on my high horse, and for those who want to take the high road on this, I’d like to add that the link about the Nova validates my point, even though I wasn’t aware of it. I speak from experience, inasmuch as I grew up in a Spanish speaking country and was a teenager when the car came on the market there.

In the same vein, what many do not know is that GM did have trouble with the Chevy Malibu in some Spanish speaking cultures because the word “Malibu” back then did not have the swanky connotation it did here, in the States, but there it sounded like an Indian name (malibú). Subconsciously, many people thought, “If I’m going to ride something having to do with the Indians, I can get a horse.”

I’m going to bring out my favorite saying now, intended for those who have the stomach for it: “You may try to ignore reality, but reality doesn’t ignore you.”

[Edited on 3-21-2010 by Tano]

DENNIS - 3-20-2010 at 09:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
I’m going to bring out my favorite saying now, intended for those who have the stomach for it: “You may try to ignore reality, but reality doesn’t ignore you.”



Ohhhh Jeeeezo....who said that? Did you say that, Tano, or are you just ripping off a world class Bon Mot?
Stuff like this is dialog gold. I mean, who would want to be ignored by reality...uhh...except every teenager and Democrat in the world. And lets not forget them Iranians and Dog The Bounty Hunter.
Might want to add a few more like Queen Elisibeth and every fundamentalist Muslim west of the East Side. Aside from those very few, you're right. Reality is El Gran Árbitro.

Thanks, Tano.

dtutko1 - 3-21-2010 at 07:24 AM

I love the play on words. One question I have is how come I peso much for things.

C205Driver - 3-21-2010 at 06:04 PM

. . . I, for one would like to see the adults act accordingly; everyone is allowed an opinion and if you do not like one persons opinion then how about IGNORE and move on but quit acting like babies & fighting in public. . .geez . .Put on you big boy pants PLEEZE. . .