There’s a major manufacturer of generators called “Onan.”
Onan? Seriously?
Onan was the guy in the Bible who “spilled his seed.” “Onanism” means masturbation.
How in God’s name did the company wind up with “Onan” as its name?
Even worse, its Cummins-Onan. 
How did anyone wind up with the surname Onan?
The real question is how there are any kids to keep passing on the name.
Well somebody is obviously getting some practice in beforehand.
What, you think after God yelled at him he still didn’t sleep with his sister-in-law like he was supposed to? This was back when God did his own smiting, so that’d have been awfully brave of Onan.
they are backup generators when you need a shot of power.
But will the shot of power go where it’s supposed to go?
But Onan *did *get smote, after which daddy-in-law said “Whoa, maybe I ought to cut my losses with this one” and wouldn’t marry her to yet another son, the last he had. So she waited till he was off on a journey, then set up camp by the side of the road dressed as a prostitute, and had sex with him, accepting some personal effects as temporary payment. A few months later, and she is obviously pregnant and dragged before father-in-law for judgment. She admits doing the nasty with some guy “and these things belong to him, so you can find out who it was”. Whereupon father-in-law says “She has me bang to rights; spare her life and write her up for a share of the estate”. And they all lived happily ever after.
But the instructions come with some warnings about earth leakage and a sticky ground connection.
Their generators can be driven by a variety of engines. They sell a wankel engine and a four stroke engine. They also sell a two stroke but it isn’t recommended. It has premature detonation problems and seldom lasts long enough to be satisfying. Though if you oil it up thoroughly and don’t use too much choke it lasts longer.
Well, medieval surnames were usually based on occupation, so the cooper was Cooper, the smith was Smith. I guess Onan was just some jack-off.
Jack-off all trades?
You’re all being silly. They’re generators that keep the power going onan on.
You are indeed all being silly.
These generators are for when you are in the wilderness all alone, and need to relax or play.
Not sure why that would pique the interest so much. There are other names that might raise more eyebrows.
Onanism has become masturbation in modern usage. But your own cite shows that there is no historic foundation for this.
He practiced a form of contraception. A risky one, but one that worked for him.
The interesting question is how this got twisted into masturbation. Etymonline.com says:
How in the world did they get away with it?
That. sir, is a masterpiece! ::applauds::
It’s worth noting that the condemnation was not for pervy sex practices, but for attempting to cheat his ex-sister-in-law into a life of penury. Like this:
Judah had three sons (at this point; the twins are as a later consequence of what all happened). The eldest son gets an extra share, “the birthright” (cf. Jacob and Esau). Widows are to be supported by their sons, wives by their husbands, kids by their fathers. Only if there are no sons do daughters inherit (the Zelophehad clause).
Er dies childless. Now, when Onan takes Er’s widow Tamar to his bed, it’s expected he will father a son on her – but it won’t be accounted his, Onan’s son, but the son Er never had. So Judah’s estate is to be divided:
50% to the kid (Ben-Er), notional son of Er by Tamar courtesy of Onan’s sleeping with her, and hence heir to Er Judah’s firstborn. It then becomes Ben-Er’s job to support his widowed mother out of his share.
25% to Onan
25% to Shelah. the third son (who like any teenage boy was sitting bacl there, uh, onanizing, and badly wanting his turn for some hot Tamar loving)
But by practicing coitus interruptus, Onan avoids fathering a son on Tamar, making him the firstborn surviving son. Estate distribution now:
66.7% to Onan (his own share plus the birthright)
33.3% to Shelah
Since there is no longer an Er and no son of his, notional or otherwise, his widow is S.O.L.
So it wasn’t for refusing to dick Tamar, but instead for dicking her over, that God condemned Onan.
The idea of Onanism as self-pleasure is simply an extension of the idea that ejaculation for recreation is a sin. Doesn’t matter if you’re pulling out early, wearing a condom, or just doing the job by yourself. The fact is that you’re whipping up some baby-batter with no intention of making a baby.
This is possibly the root of the whole “If it feels good, it’s a sin” concept.
ETA: I disagree vehemently with this.