# Really unfortunate business names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 3, 2001, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143 "2001-07-03T23:24:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/1 "2001-07-03T23:24:43Z")
I live near the Maine-New Hampshire border, so we have a lot of “borderline” businesses. **Borderline Fuels, Borderline Beverages, Borderline Marriage Counsellors**. “Hello, can you sell me some high-quality beverages?” “Nope, sorry. We only sell borderline beverages.” There used to be a restaurant in New London, Connecticut, called the **Hygienic Restaurant**. It went out of business, and I can’t imagine why. When I was growing up, we used to have our septic tank pumped out by **Joe Pitts Septic**. I went to school with Joe Jr. Poor kid. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/2 "2001-07-03T23:29:13Z")
There was a place in Oakland, CA called “Green Prosthetics.” I used to really wonder who their clientele was. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/3 "2001-07-03T23:30:56Z")
Years and years ago there was a **Hemlock Pharmacy** in Chattanooga, TN. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/4 "2001-07-04T00:07:00Z")
about two weeks after the matrix came out, we sent a proposal to… you guessed it “the matrix corp.” i was a bit taken aback. i tried to tell them it wasn’t a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/5 "2001-07-04T00:10:20Z")
In Plano, Texas there’s a automotive repair place called “Leaky Auto Repair.” Heh heh… Marc ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/6 "2001-07-04T00:14:27Z")
One fine morning, I exited from a graveyard shift at my previous employer, to see a van parked next to the building. Emblazoned boldly upon its side was the company name, “B&D Plumbing”. A bus route I rode on also passed an office belonging to S&S Automotive. The thing about their sign though, was the “&” was really very tiny between the letters, so the first time I read “SS Automotive” and did a doubletake. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/7 "2001-07-04T00:21:36Z")
Here in Sydney, it’s quite common to see “Quality Butchers”. That one’s always tickled me. Another one is in my local shopping mall, Bankstown Square. There’s a nut shop in there called, you guessed it, “Square Nuts”. A couple from when I was a kid: “Gosford Shoplifters” (a shop refitting co.), and “Alley Barber”. ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/8 "2001-07-04T00:35:27Z")
I was just in Myrtle Beach SC, and driving thru a small town on the way to our house, I saw a five & dime type of place called (swear I’m not making this up ) “Badcock” ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/9 "2001-07-04T00:36:40Z")
“Wing On Funeral Home.” (A Chinese funeral home on Spadina Avenue in Toronto.) Any number of food and fuel and bait stops in Northern Ontario, which have signs advertising “FOOD, WORMS, GAS” or combinations thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/10 "2001-07-04T00:36:40Z")
“Wing On Funeral Home.” (A Chinese funeral home on Spadina Avenue in Toronto.) Any number of food and fuel and bait stops in Northern Ontario, which have signs advertising “FOOD, WORMS, GAS” or combinations thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/11 "2001-07-04T00:48:13Z")
Well in Eyebrow Saskatchewan is the Eyebrow Garage…I never knew you needed a mechanic for eyebrows before 😉 Keith ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/12 "2001-07-04T00:52:52Z")
In La Spezia Italy: **The KKK Bar** This place was right across from the train station and had 3 ghosts hoisting beer mugs on the sign. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/13 "2001-07-04T00:56:32Z")
There’s an “S&M Plumbing” around here somewhere. “You flushed this??! Bad boy!” _FWAP_ ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/14 "2001-07-04T01:06:09Z")
Here in Tucson, we used to have **B&D Mattress**. “The leather one with the D-rings, and the Velcro straps? Very well, sir…” ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/15 "2001-07-04T01:09:35Z")
Oh…somewhere on here I heard of a Gas company called **"El Paso Gas}** and it just cracked me up forever. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/16 "2001-07-04T01:19:58Z")
As I drive the Leesburg bypass every morning on the way to work I’m guaranteed to pass one of these trucks. There’s a few around, it’s a fairly well-established business. **PEED Plumbing** I can only imagine that it’s someone’s last name. Poor bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/17 "2001-07-04T01:28:52Z")
This isn’t unfortunate, per se, but it makes me giggle: **Manley Donuts**. “Come, eat our strong, manley donuts! They’ll make you strong!” Heehee. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/18 "2001-07-04T01:43:15Z")
They’ve been bought out by a larger company, but the trucks carry both the parent name (TECO), and the old local name: **People’s Gas** I’d hate to have a job in the production end of the business. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/19 "2001-07-04T01:45:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MGibson \* > \*\*In Plano, Texas there’s a automotive repair place called “Leaky Auto Repair.” Heh heh… > > Marc \*\* Don’t forget we also have the bright pink tow trucks with the words _ **Pinky Tow** _ painted on the side. PS-I just looked at your profile. You’re my neighbor. I live in Frisco. ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143/20 "2001-07-04T01:49:09Z")
Here in town we have Assman’s Funeral Parlour and The Queensway Court Motel and Casket Store. Yif! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-unfortunate-business-names/71143.md?page=2)