I recently saw one of those work trucks with the name of the business on the side. The business name was Jericho Foundation Repair. Why would a foundation repair business, of all things, name itself after a city that is best known for having its walls fall down?
Also, in Houston, the main power company is called Reliant Energy. The definition of “reliant” is having or showing dependence. In other words, NOT dependable in and of itself!
Anybody have any other examples of questionable names for businesses?
1.) Fluke Power Supplies. I always imagine them having as a slogan “If it works, it’s a Fluke!”
2.) Gibbs Energy – a heating oil company here in Massachusetts. After my thermo course, it seems to me their product ought to be Free.
3.) I just saw this one on a truck in front of me yesterday – Kevin Klein Plumbing. I know the actor spells it “Kline”, but all I could think was that he must be branching out.
4.) Gorny Gorny Mortuaries – Near Elizabeth, N.J. I always passed this when I rode the bus up the Turnpike to New York. It’s a big yellow sign with a clock between the two Gornys. If your family name is Gorn, wouldn’t one Gorny be sufficient?
It’s not power supplies, but this is almost exactly the slogan for the Ontario logistics company Fluke Transportation Group. The slogan isn’t shown on their website, but their trucks bear the slogan: “If it’s on time, it’s a Fluke!”
There is (or was, when I was a kid) a local plumber near where I used to live named “‘Leaky’ Lyman Plumbing”. Not precisely the sort of name that inspires confidence.
I still find it hard to believe that someone would name a women’s clothing store Dress Barn. Even stranger, it’s apparently been around since 1962 and seems to be doing well.
I just came across a company called Davis Erection. They supply cranes to construction companies, but it didn’t stop the 12 year old in me from giggling.
My cable company just changed its name to “SuddenLink”. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I associate “sudden” things with unexpected and unpleasant things. As in, “Suddenly, the wolves sprang, rending Hubert limb from limb,” or, “I was minding my own business, when suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and I noticed my intestines were not where I normally keep them.”
I don’t want “sudden” cable service. Cheap, reliable, yes, but not “sudden”.
Here in Boston we’ve got Shaughnessy’s Erection. Pepper Mill saw them ages ago when she first visited Boston (long before she met me), and had a T-shirt made up that read “Do You Remember Shaughnessy’s Erection?”
A few years ago we passed a construction yard that had a whole row of their cranes lined up at a angle that suggested full arousal, and she had to get a picture.
There’s an S & M Liquors not far from me. And I’ve seen a picture of a ticket stub from S & M Amusements.
Once upon a time you could say “S & M” and only a select few would see the sexual connotations.
