# Hehmpf. I just learned the meaning behind Adiddas. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227 "2004-05-20T18:47:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/1 "2004-05-20T18:47:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Adi Dassler, a shoemaker’s son who loved sports, was the creator of adidas athletic shoes. Dassler was a pioneer in the sports world. In 1925, he developed the first cleated shoes for track and soccer; six years later he started a separate line of tennis shoes. Dassler’s dream was to make the best shoe for each game. By working closely with athletes, he learned how to meet their demands, and soon runners were winning Olympic medals in Dassler shoes. **In 1948, Dassler named his company “adidas,” taking the first three letters from his first and last names and joining them together .** [Germany for kids. Famous Germans](http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/culture/life/G_Kids/celebrities.htm#actors) I did not know this. I willnever look at a pair of adidas the same way again. I love useless trivia. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/2 "2004-05-20T19:18:52Z")
That’s silly. Everyone knows it stands for _all day I dream about sex_. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/3 "2004-05-20T19:27:14Z")
The junior version of the joke says, “All day I dream about soccer.” ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/4 "2004-05-20T19:46:52Z")
IKEA has a similar entymology From Wikipedia: “…founded by Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden. The name IKEA comes from a clever acronym using the initials of the founder, Ingvar Kamprad, who was from a family farm called Elmtaryd, which was near the village of Agunnaryd. The acronym is for a swedish phrase but it turns out to be the same in english, Ingvar Kamprad’s Economical Alternative.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Llama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@The\_Llama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Llama)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/5 "2004-05-20T20:24:47Z")
I don’t know if any of you had a Caldor by you, but the name comes from the founders Cal and Dorothy Bennett. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/6 "2004-05-20T20:34:19Z")
> [@The\_Llama](#): > > I don’t know if any of you had a Caldor by you, but the name comes from the founders Cal and Dorothy Bennett. At least you didn’t call it Caldors, which was always my pet peeve. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/7 "2004-05-20T21:36:14Z")
Lest we forget the Master of Infomercials: Ronco. **Ron** Popeil. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/8 "2004-05-20T21:39:14Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > The junior version of the joke says, “All day I dream about soccer.” Or, more specifically, “All day I dream about sports.” ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/9 "2004-05-20T22:07:41Z")
Going by the thread title, it should be “All day I d-dream about sex.” ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/10 "2004-05-20T23:18:11Z")
Mine bratwurst has a first name, its F-R-I-T-Z, mine bratwurst has a second name its SCHNACKENPFEFFERHOUSE-N." ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/11 "2004-05-20T23:57:08Z")
> [@dantheman](#): > > Or, more specifically, “All day I dream about sports.” That would be _less_ specifically. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/12 "2004-05-21T00:07:34Z")
And did you know that his brother, Rudolph Dassler, founded Puma? ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/13 "2004-05-21T00:14:02Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > The junior version of the joke says, “All day I dream about soccer.” I’ve heard other ruggers say, “All day I dream about scrumming.” -Mosquito ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/14 "2004-05-21T00:53:11Z")
Garmin (the GPS company) was founded by GARy and MIN (too lazy to look up last names) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/15 "2004-05-21T02:17:21Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > IKEA has a similar entymology Yeah, it really bugs me that I’m just now finding this out. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/16 "2004-05-21T05:47:38Z")
So what is the correct pronounciation of Adidas? We Americans say “A-dee-dus” and the Brittish call them “Ah-dee-das”. I can’t do the phonetic thing very well, but I do know that across the pond they pronounce it rather differently. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/17 "2004-05-21T06:10:10Z")
I think the stress is the important part: a-DEE-dis (US) AD-ee-dass (UK etc) If he’s German, I think the UK version is probably more correct, as his name will be likely stressed thusly: AD-ee ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/18 "2004-05-21T07:23:31Z")
Anyone ever heard of a store called Pamida? (I’ve no idea if it’s nation/worldwide or not). It’s named after the founder’s sons: **Pa** t, **Mi** ke, and **Da** ve. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/19 "2004-05-21T14:04:56Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Adi Dassler, a shoemaker’s son who loved sports, was the creator of adidas athletic shoes. Did you also know that Adi is short for Adolph? However, he was not named after that other famous German (actually Austrian) Adolph, since he was born in 1900. Did you also know that Adi’s brother Rudi was the founder of Puma? Both companies still have their corproate headquarters in the relatively small city of Herzogenaurach, where the Dasslers come from. The mention of the other Adolph reminds me of an old joke: Q: Why are the Austrians so smart? A: They made everyone believe Beethoven was an Austrian (actually born in Bonn, Germany) and Hitler was a German (born in Braunau am Inn, Austria). ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227/20 "2004-05-21T14:06:47Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I think the stress is the important part: > > a-DEE-dis (US) > AD-ee-dass (UK etc) > > If he’s German, I think the UK version is probably more correct, as his name will be likely stressed thusly: AD-ee Actually the German pronounciation is more like a-dee-DASS. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hehmpf-i-just-learned-the-meaning-behind-adiddas/246227.md?page=2)