# Store and other business names that bug you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001 "2020-04-17T19:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/141 "2020-04-22T08:08:13Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > Up until about 4 years ago, there was a sign just as you entered the farming town of Tisdale SK Canada that said “The Land of Rape and Honey”. It had been there since around 1958. “Rapeseed” is substantially similar to Canola which is grown extensively in that area. Rapeseed isn’t “similar to” canola; it includes, but is not limited to, canola. Canola, the oil, wasn’t developed or named until the 1970s, and therefore the particular varieties of rapeseed from which the oil is extracted were also not known as canola until some time after that. Prior to that all varieties of the seed were known as rapeseed, and all varieties of the crop which produces that seed were also known as rapeseed, or simply as rape. In short, the crop from which canola, the oil, is extracted, is rape. While you can also call it canola if you are squeamish, presumably the good people of Tisdale are a thrifty lot and saw no need to waste good money on a new sign when the existing one is still perfectly correct. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/142 "2020-04-22T10:45:38Z")
There’s a Mexican restaurant near my home called “The Whole Enchilada” which for whatever reason never sat right with me, it’s like the name you would give a restaurant in a bad sitcom because everything has to be a pun. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/143 "2020-04-22T10:50:10Z")
**GameZnFlix** (Yes that’s how you were suppose to write it) was basically NetFlix meets GameFly in the mid 2000’s, trying to outdo both by renting both video games and movies via mail. It might be the most unwieldy English title for a business ever. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/144 "2020-04-22T12:15:33Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > **WaWa** (gas station / convenience stores). I can scarcely say the name in a normal tone of voice. I see it and immediately think, “Baba Wawa”. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/145 "2020-04-22T13:55:34Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It is standard to say “the” University of Etc, but it’s not part of the name. If it’s Etc University, “the” is rarely used, just when it is part of the name. It’s the recent trend (of sorts) where a few schools (OSU and UT in particular) emphasize the “The” in some sort of lame effort to imply some sort of uniqueness or singularity within their respective states, as if they’re the only school worth mentioning in their states. In UT’s case, they’re not even THE University of Texas; there’s UT-Tyler, UT-Dallas, UT-Permian Basin, etc… And that’s not even mentioning the dozens of other schools within the state. But they think it’s cute or something to make a point of that “The” on there recently, when they never did in the past. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/146 "2020-04-22T14:02:36Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It is standard to say “the” University of Etc, but it’s not part of the name. If it’s Etc University, “the” is rarely used, just when it is part of the name. It’s the recent trend (of sorts) where a few schools (OSU and UT in particular) emphasize the “The” in some sort of lame effort to imply some sort of uniqueness or singularity within their respective states, as if they’re the only school worth mentioning in their states. In UT’s case, they’re not even THE University of Texas; there’s UT-Tyler, UT-Dallas, UT-Permian Basin, etc… And that’s not even mentioning the dozens of other schools within the state. But they think it’s cute or something to make a point of that “The” on there recently, when they never did in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/147 "2020-04-22T15:32:58Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > I’ve also heard Menzies pronounced – by genuine, or self-proclaimed, Scots – as ‘Meen-is’. That’s because the fourth letter isn’t actually a “z”; originally, it was the Anglo-Saxon/Scots letter _yogh_ (ȝ), which represented /j/, the modern y-sound. In Middle English orthography, it was often confused with a tailed variant of “z”, so Scottish printers, not having a slug for ȝ, substituted “z”. This is why Culzean Castle is pronounced “Cull-ane”, and the family names Dalziel and Gilzean “Dey-ill” and “Gil-ane”, respectively. It’s also why _Mackinney_ and _Mawhinney_ are variants of the name “Mackenzie”, and the 17th century advocate George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh was nicknamed “Bluidy Mackinngie”. Finally, a chance to show off my knowledge of Scottish onomastics! I’ve been waiting so long… ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/148 "2020-04-22T17:23:01Z")
Last year “The” Ohio State University tried (and failed) to trademark the word “The”. > **[Ohio State can't trademark the word "the," patent office says](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-state-university-trademark-the-osu-cant-trademark-the-word-the-patent-office-says/)** > > The university uses "THE" on its clothing, but the trademark office said the word is "merely ... decorative" ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/149 "2020-04-22T20:22:40Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Last year “The” Ohio State University tried (and failed) to trademark the word “The”. > [Ohio State University trademark: OSU told it can't trademark "THE" - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-state-university-trademark-the-osu-cant-trademark-the-word-the-patent-office-says/) First I checked to see if the date on that was April 1. Not even close. But that sort of thing is often done just for publicity with no real hope of the request being granted. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/150 "2020-04-22T20:40:15Z")
> [@MarvinKitFox](#): > > “The Straight Dope” > > The name _clearly_ shows it is a drug den for gay bashers. And on that note… There once was a store in Toronto named “The BiWay”. I had no idea they were a discount store. Of course seeing it for the first time back in the 90’s made me smirk. Apparently it was a popular store and is returning to that city this year. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/151 "2020-04-22T20:51:55Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > There’s a Mexican restaurant near my home called “The Whole Enchilada” which for whatever reason never sat right with me, it’s like the name you would give a restaurant in a bad sitcom because everything has to be a pun. We have one called Wholly Frijoles, ugh. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/152 "2020-04-22T21:06:12Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I have an irrational hatred for the name “Best Buy.” They started popping up and I had absolutely no idea what they sold. Clothes? Furniture? Electronics? Food? Marbles? I couldn’t imagine a less descriptive name. Always bugged me. (once I figured it out, I did my fair share of shopping there, but I bet it was two years of wondering…) My first visit left me stewing at a register, just waiting for help. I realized that the name is Best Buy, not Best Service. > [@AHunter3](#): > > I guess I should not invite you if I decide to actually cook one for a Christmas banquet, then? Save some cheek meat for me! Around these parts we tend to tack a superfluous ‘the’ to the name of everything, so the Home Depot trips gently off the tongue. We also like to make store names that could be person names possessive, so we grocery shop at the Jewel’s or the Aldi’s. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/153 "2020-04-22T21:19:05Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Really any state university that has the pretense to stick “The” in front of their name. “The” Ohio State University. “The” University of Texas, “The” Pennsylvania State University, et al… > > It’s a lame pretentious attempt to portray themselves as pre-eminent in their own states, as if there are no other universities in the state worth mentioning. All these years, I could have been saying I attended THE Falls Church High School. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/154 "2020-04-22T22:56:04Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > We have one called Wholly Frijoles, ugh. Speaking of Mexican resturants, we have one called La Fiesta Taqueria. It never bothered me until a Mexican colleague pointed out how funny it was to him that we had a restaurant called “The Party”. Now that’s all I can think when I go there. But I still go there because they have good, relatively cheap tacos. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/155 "2020-04-22T23:07:18Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Rapeseed isn’t “similar to” canola; it includes, but is not limited to, canola. > > Canola, the oil, wasn’t developed or named until the 1970s, and therefore the particular varieties of rapeseed from which the oil is extracted were also not known as canola until some time after that. Prior to that all varieties of the seed were known as rapeseed, and all varieties of the crop which produces that seed were also known as rapeseed, or simply as rape. > > In short, the crop from which canola, the oil, is extracted, is rape. While you can also call it canola if you are squeamish, presumably the good people of Tisdale are a thrifty lot and saw no need to waste good money on a new sign when the existing one is still perfectly correct. It would definitely make more of an impression than “The Land of Canola And Honey.” ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/156 "2020-04-23T00:59:39Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Speaking of Mexican resturants, we have one called La Fiesta Taqueria. It never bothered me until a Mexican colleague pointed out how funny it was to him that we had a restaurant called “The Party”. I sometimes go to a store called [Fiesta Market](http://www.fiestafrescamarket.com). The other patrons are overwhelmingly Mexican and they seem ok with it. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/157 "2020-04-23T01:04:32Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Speaking of Mexican resturants, we have one called La Fiesta Taqueria. It never bothered me until a Mexican colleague pointed out how funny it was to him that we had a restaurant called “The Party”. Now that’s all I can think when I go there. But I still go there because they have good, relatively cheap tacos. > [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I sometimes go to a store called [Fiesta Market](http://www.fiestafrescamarket.com). The other patrons are overwhelmingly Mexican and they seem ok with it. Why do you think they would _not_ be okay with it? Will Ford soon have to apologize for cultural appropriation? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/158 "2020-04-23T02:56:14Z")
Porn has lots of terrible ones too: Let’s Try Anal - and if she doesn’t like it we’ll totally respect her choice and go back to regular sex, right? LegalPorno - as opposed to the kind that gets you thrown in jail? ClubSeventeen - sure you mean the 17th club in a row of such but what you are hinting is that your girls are underage. Will He Score? - he damned well better or I want my money back! Blacks on Blondes - they gave up on blonde exclusivity a long time ago but never changed the name. Every time I see them post a scene with a redhead I want to comment that she’s the most gorgeous blonde I’ve ever seen. Dogfart - yes there is an adult film production company that calls itself Dogfart however it should be noted that their scenes do not feature dogs and/or farting. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/159 "2020-04-23T03:34:10Z")
I’ve been annoyed by the new habit of naming a business using just the address, with no other information… (Is it a bistro? A gallery?) There’s one that looks like a café from the street. But walk in and whoops, it’s a members-only coworking space… with an espresso/juice bar) Seriously, in one block we have **100 STATE** , **107 State Street** , and **Gallery 121** (no clue that it’s “art by students”… and no clue whatsoever what the others are) (rental space for office meetings, and a ‘to-go only’ restaurant). > [@MarvinKitFox](#): > > “The Straight Dope” > The name _clearly_ shows it is a drug den for gay bashers. Just today I noticed that it’s not. Quite the letdown, but might stick around anyhow… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001/160 "2020-04-23T04:16:18Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Just today I noticed that it’s not. Quite the letdown, but might stick around anyhow… After 18 years, you’re still just trying it out. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-and-other-business-names-that-bug-you/852001.md?page=9)