# Misleading Business names (that you've encountered in your travels) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974 "2016-04-12T03:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/21 "2016-04-12T17:18:16Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > This one puzzles me too. In the middle of the green, rolling hills of the Wisconsin Dells, sits this paean to a big desert, that is also all about fun in the water. Go figure. Maybe they were going for kalamari. Is their symbol an octopus? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/22 "2016-04-12T19:05:07Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Maybe they were going for kalamari. Is their symbol an octopus? hee hee. Nope, it is a series of big boxes painted in desert sand, taupe, and beige. There is visible evidence of the water slides from the outside. It is supposedly an “African-themed” resort. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/23 "2016-04-12T19:23:27Z")
The Federal Reserve Bank: -It’s not a Federal entity -It has no reserves -It’s not a bank (the above credited to the late, great “Uncle” Irv Homer, Philadelphia radio talk show legend) A local(now gone) store named KAISERS. It did not sell rolls, it was a hardware store. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/24 "2016-04-12T19:31:42Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > There’s a business in town with a weird name I don’t want to know more about. > > It’s called D&C Pizza. We’ve got an S&M liquors, ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/25 "2016-04-12T19:32:46Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Not that their logo was and still is the Trojan helmet. That should explain things. Does that mean they can easily break? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/26 "2016-04-12T19:34:27Z")
Greatly confusing to non-Massachusettsians – old convenience stores are still called _Spas_, even though they off no pampering, nail services, massage, or steam rooms. But you can get the equivalent of a Big Gulp. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/27 "2016-04-12T19:36:18Z")
There was a sporting goods store in San Jose a few years back that was named for the owner. Then they moved, and celebrated the occasion with an updated name. Believe me, **New Dick’s** sold nothing of the sort! ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/28 "2016-04-12T19:39:53Z")
There is a business in my town with the _wonderfully_ clear and specific name, “Northwest Product Supply”. Given that literally any physical object you can buy anywhere is “product” of some kind, you’d actually have to stop and look to see that the “product” in question is bricks and cement paving stones and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Nefario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/29 "2016-04-12T20:39:58Z")
Possibly NOT so misleading but some of the worst signage I’ve seen was a local liquor store dating from the 50’s with a sign simply stating “WHISKEY BELCHERS” in 3-foot letters. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/30 "2016-04-13T03:46:10Z")
I used to drive past the Tekoa Country Club near Springfield, MA. I thought it ironic that Tekoa was the home of the prophet Amos, who emphatically denounced the country club life style! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/31 "2016-04-13T04:41:23Z")
When I was In Spain, I occasionally saw stores called “Ferreteria.” I imagined they were cafeterias that served ferret meat. Imagine my disappointment upon learning that “ferreteria” means hardware store (literally, iron monger). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/32 "2016-04-13T13:11:19Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > There’s a business in town with a weird name I don’t want to know more about. > > It’s called D&C Pizza. Dilatation and curettage? Dang, I thought that was _tomato sauce_. :smack: I once ran across a place on Cape Cod named “The Angry Tomato”. Turns out it was a (defunct) restaurant and not a hangout for pissed-off vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/33 "2016-04-13T13:13:05Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Maybe they were going for kalamari. Is their symbol an octopus? Ought’a be a squid. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/34 "2016-04-13T13:41:08Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > When I was In Spain, I occasionally saw stores called “Ferreteria.” I imagined they were cafeterias that served ferret meat. Imagine my disappointment upon learning that “ferreteria” means hardware store (literally, iron monger). The “tería” “ería” or “cería” ending is frequently used in Spanish to indicate a vendor selling some type of product. The English word “cafeteria” is literally from a Spanish word for “coffee monger”. Here are some other Spanish vendor terms that you might see in Spain, Latin America, or even the USA sometimes: Panadería : Bread monger Pastelería : Cake monger Carnicería : Meat monger (i.e. a butcher) Heladería : Frozen things monger (i.e. an ice cream parlor) Zapatería : Shoe monger librería : Book monger There is a small shop near me called “Panaderia y Pasteleria Mi Familia”. The name could be loosely translated as “My Family’s Bread and Cake Shop”. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/35 "2016-04-13T15:03:22Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I have the same general thought when I pass signs for Kalahari Water Park. I’m sure they’ve got some oasis theme going or something but nothing [about this](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Kalahari_E02_00.jpg) makes me think “Yay, cool time water fun!” Desert must be _the_ theme for [water parks](http://saharasams.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/36 "2016-04-13T15:13:13Z")
Hung Far Low here in Portland. Has nothing to do with porn. Then there was the “Cheese and Taxidermy” place in River Falls, WI. It had nothing to do with. . .oh wait, yes it did. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/37 "2016-04-13T15:37:25Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Maybe they were going for kalamari. Is their symbol an octopus? Actually, their logo seems to be an elephant. I gave a presentation there once (at the Wisconsin Dells location–there are actually three of them scattered around the country). In addition to the Water Park, there is also a hotel and convention center. It just looked so odd once my travel details were sent to me. “You’ll be staying at the Kalahari Resort, Water Park, and Convention Center.” It seemed like a really weird juxtaposition of words. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/38 "2016-04-13T17:11:46Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > There used to be a place close to where I now live called Art Therapy. I assumed it was a gallery, and the name was variation on the New Age-y concepts of ‘color therapy’ or ‘aroma therapy’. > > Wrong. it was the office of a pshrink who’s last name was Art. There is a legit branch of psychotherapy / counselling called “art therapy.” Where the goal is to get the patient to paint, color, draw, make sculpture, whatever, to get in touch with their inner good and free their inner bad. And work on basic life skills like starting & finishing a project that takes more than 20 minutes. Works well for folks with verbal communication hang-ups like the badly autistic. See [Art therapy - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_therapy) It’s not pure bunk like aromatherapy or color therapy. But it does have a pretty flaky vibe that belies its actual results. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/39 "2016-04-13T17:16:30Z")
Near us is a place called “Cumberland Farms”. Sounds bucolic & might be a dairy or a place to buy fresh-picked local veggies, right? Nope. It’s a gas station / convenience market. A mid-upscale one, but a gas station nonetheless. Just one outlet of a growing regional franchise behemoth. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974/40 "2016-04-13T17:24:21Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Near us is a place called “Cumberland Farms”. Sounds bucolic & might be a dairy or a place to buy fresh-picked local veggies, right? Nope. > > It’s a gas station / convenience market. A mid-upscale one, but a gas station nonetheless. Just one outlet of a growing regional franchise behemoth. I grew up around those “Cumberland Farms” stores. The name is on a par with those condo complexes or Trailer parks with similarly evocative (but misleading) names. My favorite is \*\*Rustic Village[/B[ outside Rochester, N.Y., which is neither Rustic nor a village. In the Gary Wolf book I’m now reading, he says of such places that they’re named after what they’ve displaced, like a development called “windswept acres”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misleading-business-names-that-youve-encountered-in-your-travels/751974.md?page=3)