# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/41 "2009-09-12T04:28:59Z")
> [@CT\_Damsel](#): > > 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 My GF used to work there. “I work for Cox.” “You can have mine for free.” ---
**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, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/42 "2009-09-12T04:37:34Z")
When I heard about Canadian cable company “Rogers Communications”, I thought that if their service was on a level with cable companies in the USA, people would joke that “Rogers Communications” wasn’t a name but a mission statement. ---
**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, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/43 "2009-09-12T04:41:02Z")
> [@CT\_Damsel](#): > > 😃 That is SWEET! I am pissing myself laughing. Although I did read it through about 5 times before it sunk in. Yeah, you really have to say it out loud to get the whole impact. There’s a television commercial with a child about 8 or 10 talking about how her mattress was sofa king low. It’s creepy, and hilarious. I’ve never found the commercial from TV on the net, but there’s lots of knockoffs/gag ads. I thought it was a hoax at first, honestly. But here’s a picture of one of our buses. It’s just a picture of an ad on the side of a bus, and completely SFW. [Sofa King Bus Ad](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1127775) ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/44 "2009-09-12T04:44:46Z")
Lubbock, TX has a law firm named Crook & Jordan and an insurance agency named All Write Insurance. The insurance firm’s sign is in cursive handwriting that always looked to me like “All White” Insurance. ---
**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, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/45 "2009-09-12T04:52:24Z")
> [@StaudtCJ](#): > > Yeah, you really have to say it out loud to get the whole impact. There’s a television commercial with a child about 8 or 10 talking about how her mattress was sofa king low. It’s creepy, and hilarious. I’ve never found the commercial from TV on the net, but there’s lots of knockoffs/gag ads. I thought it was a hoax at first, honestly. But here’s a picture of one of our buses. It’s just a picture of an ad on the side of a bus, and completely SFW. [Sofa King Bus Ad](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1127775) I need their T-shirt! With an empty plastic pocket insert so I can change out what ever is sofaking weird, sofaking awesome, sofaking hot today, sofaking rainy, my head aches sofaking bad. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/46 "2009-09-12T04:58:56Z")
In England I saw the businesses “Bland Travel” and “Lilywhite Sportswear.” ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/47 "2009-09-12T08:30:51Z")
There’s [this](http://www.notesfromtheroad.com/files/hung.jpg) Chinese restaurant here in Portland… ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/48 "2009-09-12T09:27:54Z")
There’s a noodle place in, I think, Arcadia, on Huntington drive called “Young Dong”. But chinese is just top easy. You could write a book with chinese business names that sound funny in English. I used to work for Bell+Howell. Everyone called it Hell+Bowel. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/49 "2009-09-12T09:36:04Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > [Megaflicks!](http://www.freewebs.com/archu/megaflicks.jpg) > > You have to look at the sign to see why. U.S 19 at State road 52? ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/50 "2009-09-12T09:44:43Z")
Hi Beth Ann , Love you babe! ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/51 "2009-09-12T09:49:03Z")
I always thought Custer Battles was a pretty horrible name for a military contractor. “Sure, we’ll sell you some battles! Just like Custer’s!” Not surprising that they seem to be out of business. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19adc/32.png) [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Am_The_Lorax)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/52 "2009-09-12T10:12:28Z")
In my neck of the woods, BJ’s and Dick’s are next door to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/53 "2009-09-12T14:24:52Z")
There used to be a car wash on Newport Blvd called “The Hand Job.” 🆒 Ahhhh, Cox Communications… the most aptly-named cable company ever… ---
**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, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/54 "2009-09-12T14:33:10Z")
Subliminal advertizing for The Gay Agenda®: Not happy with your current provider? Switch to Cox! ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/55 "2009-09-12T15:16:24Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Snap-on Tools has taken a lot of ribbing over the decades for its name. I thought the name always conveyed a sense of cheapness - like they’re kid’s plastic tools that snap on to something. Is there another angle? ---
**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, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/56 "2009-09-12T15:25:20Z")
**Angel of Doubt** , I think there’s also the “strap-on” rhyme to consider. ---
**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 12, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/57 "2009-09-12T16:54:21Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > But chinese is just top easy. There is a place near my home called **Po King Seafood**. For me, this conjures up an image of someone suspiciously pushing fish around on their plate. [Which makes all kinds of sense, actually.](http://www.healthspace.ca/Clients/FHA/FHA_Website.nsf/0/9D6786B118D45505882575E10056E35A?OpenDocument) Not far away from there, you’ll find [Kumho Tires](http://www.kumhotire.ca/). “I’ll bet she does, I’ll bet she does - _say no more!_” Featured in the current b3ta newsletter: [Hooker Cockram](http://hookercockram.com/). ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/58 "2009-09-12T17:09:36Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > Not strictly a company name, but good for a few laughs - years ago, **GE N** uclear set up a website for the Italian market. The domain? **genitalia.it**. There’s a Web site that can be used to look up an actor’s agent or manager: [www.whorepresents.com](http://www.whorepresents.com). I’m not sure it’s unfortunate, though. I’ve only used it a couple of times but I never forget the name. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/59 "2009-09-12T17:23:43Z")
There’s a publicly traded oilfield servicing firm with a branch in Hobbs, New Mexico that’s called [B. J. Services.](http://www.bjservices.com/) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/60 "2009-09-12T17:24:17Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > **Angel of Doubt** , I think there’s also the “strap-on” rhyme to consider. “Snap-On Tools,” unfortunately, makes me think of the terrible novelty song “Detachable Penis” from 1992. **Ridgid Tools** , however, has proven to be a fortunate name. The so-called “Rigid Tool Calendar” is famous. (Interestingly, or not, the corporate name is actually “Ridge Tool Company,” and although they do use the mark “RIDGID” they don’t actually use the words “Ridgid Tools” together, although that’s how they are popularly known. They do, however, maintain a Web site at [www.ridgidparts.com](http://www.ridgidparts.com).) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720.md?page=4)