Do you like LaCrosse? Eh? (1 Viewer)

[dave_brogli]

from yahoo....

MAKUHARI, Japan (Reuters) - General Motors Corp will rename its Buick LaCrosse in Canada because the name for the car is slang for masturbation in Quebec, embarrassed officials with the U.S. automaker said on Thursday.

GM officials, who declined to be named, said it had been unaware that LaCrosse was a term for self-gratification among teenagers in French-speaking Quebec.


GM officials in Canada are working on a new name for the car, a sedan that will go on sale next year to replace the Buick Regal.


The mix-up is reminiscent of another GM vehicle with an unfortunate name. In the 1970s, GM exported its Chevrolet Nova to Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, only to be told that Nova translated into "doesn't go". Despite the name, and contrary to popular folklore, the car sold well.

They come up with names for everything, huh?

 

[John_Berger]

Then, of course, there's George Carlin's definition which I would mention but I'm not going to risk getting my HTF account closed.

 

[John_Bonner]

GM officials in Canada are working on a new name for the car, a sedan that will go on sale next year to replace the Buick Regal.

I guess the Buick Stroker is out of the question...

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

In a related story, Ford had cancelled plans to introduce its "Wanker" SUV in the United Kingdom...



Joe

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

But you could always get your crank reground and stroke it yourself. IIRC Buick engines are oversquare, i.e. the bore is bigger than the stroke from the factory.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The mix-up is reminiscent of another GM vehicle with an unfortunate name.

No, it isn't. The Chevy "no-va" story is an urban legend.

I e-mailed the author to tell her as much, but don't know if a correction ever appeared.

Regards,

Joe

 

[NickSo]

Another unfortunate naming incident is with Toyota's MR2...

When said in french, it is said as "em erre deux", which sounds like "merde" which means "shit".... They dont even sell that car in canada.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

That's OK, the GM/Toyota joint venture around here is called "NUMMI" www.nummi.com which always makes it sound like their cars should taste good.


The odd thing is that Fiat and Alfa really ARE acronyms, but only the oldest motorheads recall what they stand for.

 

[Jon_Are]

I'd always heard that FIAT stands for Fix It Again, Tony.

Jon

 

[alan halvorson]

Really? La Crosse, WI is just 100 miles from where I live. There's also La Crosse boots. I wonder if someone is funnin' us?

 

[dave_brogli]

Yeah, I live about 100 miles from Lacrosse to. Maybee I'd fit in better there.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

argh, i have a 'joke' about this topic that would almost certainly get me banned from the htf :frowning: well i gotta tell SOMEONE, off to the yahoo message boards! damn you htf for being a respectable place!

CJ

 

[NickSo]

Oooh, i wanna hear... Spolerize it.. or PM me :p)

 

[Scott L]

Didn't they change the name of Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me in the Uk because it pretty much meant the spy who f***ed me? I heard in Sweden the English translation of the new name was the Spy Who Nailed Me.

 

[Malcolm R]

Why would they change the name when that's exactly the point of having that title? "Shagged" has no meaning that I know of outside the Brit slang meaning.

 

[Cees Alons]

Most of the embarrassment about those faulty names is a bit farfetched as well, IMO. I mean "crab" sounds also like "crap" (in the same language!) and I cannot translate here what "cut" sounds like in my language ("to go - went - gone", "to cut - cut - cut": whole classroom of 12-year olds in a roar). Before WWII we had a minister (= secretary of state) named Prick van Whely (last part pronounced "Whaley") and our previous PM's name was "Kok" (original meaning: cook).

And so what?


Cees

 

[Christ Reynolds]

edit

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i wanna hear... Spolerize it.. or PM me

CJ

 

[Adam Barratt]

Why did this story come from Japan if it's about a US car being sold in Canada?

Adam

 

[MarkHastings]

Do they play Lacrosse in Canada? Imagine a promo on EPSN for that? "Coming up next...the Masturbation finals"