# I don't get this license plate **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174 "2020-01-29T17:48:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/41 "2020-02-01T19:19:36Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Post #16 explained nothing if you don’t speak Spanish and knew that you’d have to translate it from English. :rolleyes: Are you serious? Since you’re typing a response you must have access to the internet. You can’t find Google Translate? [Here.](https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=auto&tl=es&text=bread%20eight) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/42 "2020-02-01T19:42:59Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Once I was behind a car with Maryland plates > > TIH2 0 > > and I couldn’t figure it out until I passed him and saw the plate in the mirror. In a similar vein, I remember seeing 3M TAE. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/43 "2020-02-01T20:22:17Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Here’s one I saw over 20 years ago (that’s important): CAT AMT > > Question is what type of car was it on that made me smile at seeing it? Was it a Cougar? (catamount) Back in 1990, I was delighted to spot a hearty-partying Chemistry enthusiast with PANDNH4… ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/44 "2020-02-01T20:58:23Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Are you serious? Since you’re typing a response you must have access to the internet. You can’t find Google Translate? [Here.](https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=auto&tl=es&text=bread%20eight) I put “panocho” as Spanish in that translator and it came up with English “panicle”. “panocha” (which is not something that one would think to enter) translates to “pan” in English. Translation software still has lots of room for improvement, especially for slang terms. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/45 "2020-02-01T21:32:29Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Are you serious? Since you’re typing a response you must have access to the internet. You can’t find Google Translate? [Here.](https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=auto&tl=es&text=bread%20eight) You didn’t say the plate had to be _translated_ to Spanish. :rolleyes: All you said was “You need to be familiar with Spanish.” For all I know, there is a Spanish verb “bredate” that means something vulgar. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/46 "2020-02-01T22:23:34Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I put “panocho” as Spanish in that translator and it came up with English “panicle”. > > Translation software still has lots of room for improvement, especially for slang terms. First of all you’re translating in the reverse direction. Second what happens when put in “4 FOXS8K” or any of the other plates offered in this thread? They’re vanity plates, not Queen’s english. Third, I didn’t come up with Bread 8, I just offered it up as a plate I saw. I thought it was funny. > [@Eyebrows 0f Doom](#): > > You didn’t say the plate had to be translated to Spanish. All you said was “You need to be familiar with Spanish.” Actually, no, I didn’t say any of that. You are working way too hard to kill the funny. If you don’t like it just move on. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/47 "2020-02-02T14:30:16Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Was it a Cougar? (catamount) > > Back in 1990, I was delighted to spot a hearty-partying Chemistry enthusiast with PANDNH4… Yep. And had to goggle NH4 (not a chemist) but worth it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/48 "2020-02-02T15:51:14Z")
In Utah someone had a white Nissan Cube with C6H12O6 on the license plate. [Sugar Cube](https://imgur.com/09Q5f8C) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/49 "2020-02-02T15:54:45Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > First of all you’re translating in the reverse direction. No, I am not. Your translation goes from English ‘bread’ and ‘eight’ to Spanish ‘pan’ and ocho’. That only gets you halfway there. If you don’t speak Spanish, which many people here do not, you have to concatenate them and translate back to get the joke. However, it’s no surprise that a translation program will not have slang and taboo-ish words in their dictionaries. Quite the contrary. So pointing people at a translator was not a very good way to help people get the joke. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/50 "2020-11-01T01:04:28Z")
Saw this a few years ago, was a Michigan plate, which we see only rarely up here outside of summertime tourist season, ERACISM. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/51 "2020-11-01T02:20:38Z")
I’ve got FINJEEP. If you drive one, you know what it means. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/52 "2020-11-01T02:31:10Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > > [@dtilque](#): > > > > I put “panocho” as Spanish in that translator and it came up with English “panicle”. > > > > Translation software still has lots of room for improvement, especially for slang terms. > > First of all you’re translating in the reverse direction. > Second what happens when put in “4 FOXS8K” or any of the other plates offered in this thread? They’re vanity plates, not Queen’s english. > Third, I didn’t come up with Bread 8, I just offered it up as a plate I saw. I thought it was funny. > > > [@Eyebrows 0f Doom](#): > > > > You didn’t say the plate had to be translated to Spanish. All you said was “You need to be familiar with Spanish.” > > Actually, no, I didn’t say any of that. > > You are working way too hard to kill the funny. If you don’t like it just move on. Sheesh. How are people supposed to know whether they like the joke unless someone who understands it actually explains it? What do you think “I don’t get it” means? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/53 "2020-11-01T10:03:42Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > In a similar vein, I remember seeing 3M TAE. That’s just wrong. Written correctly, it’s 3M TA3 Which I really did see once. On the car behind me. In my rear-view mirror. Really. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/54 "2020-11-01T11:16:39Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > a buddy of mine who is an OB-GYN had “BOXDOC”. Your friend, a medical doctor, actually got that license plate? What was he going to do if one of his patients ever saw it? What was he going to do if _anyone_ ever saw it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/55 "2020-11-01T14:04:30Z")
Re: BREAD8. ‘You have to be familiar with vulgar Spanish’ isn’t enough. Given the clue, I immediately got the ‘ocho’ part. The problem is the ‘bread’ part needs to be translated too. I looked up ‘breadocho’ and ‘brea docho’ and didn’t find anything. Of course I smacked my head when I read ‘pan’, but then the vulgar term needed to be explained. Anyway, heading toward downtown L.A. one day I saw a Hispanic guy in a pickup truck. The plate was 8A. I reckoned his name was Ochoa. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/56 "2020-11-01T14:09:59Z")
One I saw that took me a while to parse (I finally figured it out later that day): OINONE The leading “O” is a hole. It’s “Hole IN ONE”. Driver is apparently a proud golfer. It didn’t help that in the font my state uses, the letter “O” and the numeral “0” are identical. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/57 "2020-11-01T15:22:26Z")
Here in NC someone can report a plate to the DMV and they can revoke it. It has happened a few times . ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/58 "2020-11-01T20:06:58Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > It didn’t help that in the font my state uses, the letter “O” and the numeral “0” are identical. In Virginia, 0 and O are not the same on the plate but are treated the same for uniqueness purposes. That is, if someone has registered 0IN0NE then OINONE could be not be registered. I think they do the same with some other pairs, maybe 1 and I, which are difficult to distinguish on the plate. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/59 "2020-11-01T23:37:34Z")
this was years ago. I presume that he no longer has it due to moving to a different state. ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174/60 "2020-11-01T23:44:36Z")
I was thinking spy school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-this-license-plate/847174.md?page=4)