# Unfortunate Company Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720 "2009-09-11T19:36:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/21 "2009-09-11T22:28:18Z")
> [@moldmonkey](#): > > I always thought [FLUKE](http://www.fluke.com/) was a hell of a name for high end multimeter’s, etc. I think they are named after the founder. > > . I read that as FLOUNDER. Which would still make sense with the name. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/22 "2009-09-11T22:47:41Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > On a street I occasionally drive is a business whose sign merely reads “Onan”. I don’t know what they do; it looks like a trailer sales or storage lot or something. > > And I’m not googling it to narrow it down. I’ve seen a business called Onan right next to one called Cummings. Yeah, I’m not going to be googling to find out what that’s about either. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/23 "2009-09-11T22:49:35Z")
> [@moldmonkey](#): > > I always thought [FLUKE](http://www.fluke.com/) was a hell of a name for high end multimeter’s, etc. “Fluke” was also the name of a trucking company whose trucks I recall seeing many times on the highway. Their slogan? “If it gets there on time, it’s a Fluke!” ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/24 "2009-09-11T22:58:32Z")
> [@ludovic](#): > > it’s ironic that one would think that would be a huge google hit from porn websites and v1ag4@ spammers, but most of the hits for “mammoth erections” are about the actual construction company name. I must have one of those shirts (browse to the ‘mammoth gear’ section of mammoth erections)!! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/25 "2009-09-11T23:02:00Z")
There used to be a firm of solicitors and/or land agents around here somewhere called ‘Pink, Donger & Lowry’ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/26 "2009-09-11T23:02:33Z")
There’s a chiropractor in Kalamazoo named “Dr. Bender”. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/27 "2009-09-11T23:11:55Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I shop at BJ’s. Would that be House of BJs\* in San Francisco (now closed, I believe)? \*Ok, ok, I’m probably the only one who called it that, it was House of Blue Jeans. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/28 "2009-09-11T23:19:51Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > I’ve seen a business called Onan right next to one called Cummings. It’s been the same company for years now: Cummins-Onan. My personal favourite unfortunate company name is [Barren Investments, LTD](http://www.profilecanada.com/companydetail.cfm?company=2137336_Barren_Investments_Ltd_Hope_BC), which operates out of Hope. (Of course.) I am always surprised to find that it is still listed, each time I have reason to look it up again – they’ve been gamely plugging away for at least twenty years. There is a coffee shop in (predominately Chinese) Richmond, BC which goes by the name of [Either Cup](http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond-BC/Either-Cup-Coffee-Tea/46612360341). I assume that the name is meant to be somewhat imitative of the more successful [Second Cup](http://www.secondcup.com/), but it misses the mark, somehow. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/29 "2009-09-11T23:41:16Z")
Wheneve I read Deutsche Bank it always sounded like Douche Bank in my head until I heard how it was supposed to be pronounced (doitch). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/30 "2009-09-12T02:02:41Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Snap-on Tools has taken a lot of ribbing over the decades for its name. > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > [http://www.molerivernursery.com/](http://www.molerivernursery.com/) > > Mole Station River Nursery I don’t see what’s unfortunate about these names. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/31 "2009-09-12T02:21:50Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > This afternoon, I realized that with minimal shuffling of letters, > > **Deloitte & Touche –\> Toilette & Douche** I once heard a receptionist refer to that firm as “Do little and touchy”. I’ve always thought that [Rabobank](http://www.rabobank.com/content/) (“Rob-a-bank”) had an unfortunate name for the English-speaking market. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/32 "2009-09-12T02:24:18Z")
**GuanoLad** , Mole+Station=Molestation. Molestation Nursery is especially inappropriate. Snap-On sounds an awful lot like strap-on. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/33 "2009-09-12T02:25:26Z")
[Megaflicks!](http://www.freewebs.com/archu/megaflicks.jpg) You have to look at the sign to see why. ---
**Author:** ![StaudtCJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@StaudtCJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaudtCJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/34 "2009-09-12T02:39:05Z")
Around here we have a company called Sofa King. And the commercials say the prices are Sofa King Low. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/35 "2009-09-12T02:43:38Z")
Cox Communications. I used to work there. Anytime I called a customer and a man answered, even though they knew they got their cable services from Cox they would do this audible double take and say, “you’re calling from where? heh heh heh” :o ---
**Author:** ![MemoryDump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@MemoryDump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryDump)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/36 "2009-09-12T03:34:28Z")
Fresno, California used to boast the Harry Palm Mortuary, now more boringly known as Palm Colonial. I pass it every morning on my way to work. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/37 "2009-09-12T03:40:57Z")
There’s a manchester retailer here called “Holy Sheet!”, which is awesome but I’m still surprised they can get away with it… ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/38 "2009-09-12T03:55:07Z")
> [@StaudtCJ](#): > > Around here we have a company called Sofa King. And the commercials say the prices are Sofa King Low. 😃 That is SWEET! I am pissing myself laughing. Although I did read it through about 5 times before it sunk in. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/39 "2009-09-12T03:57:31Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > There’s a manchester retailer here called “Holy Sheet!”, which is awesome but I’m still surprised they can get away with it… There’s a mid-atlantic convenience store chain here called “Sheetz”. But it’s not as unfortunately named as Kum ‘n’ Go… ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/40 "2009-09-12T04:22:15Z")
We have a sporting-goods store here in PA called Dick’s. What’s the apostrophe in the logo, you ask? A couple of balls (soccer and basketball). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720.md?page=3)