# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/101 "2009-09-19T08:07:17Z")
I saw an aftermarket car accessories place called Race Wars. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/102 "2009-09-19T17:52:32Z")
I know it’s pronounced “POO-kit” but any Thai business (restaurant, etc.) that has Phuket in their name is good for a laugh. I’m surprised no one has mentioned the (now defunct) website of ball-point pen marketers who wished to evoke visions of being on an island. You remember [noparse][www.penisland.com](http://www.penisland.com)[/noparse]? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/103 "2009-09-19T21:51:45Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > It must suck trying to get deliveries to the Crapi Apartments. But not as difficult as for the owners to attract tenants in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/104 "2009-09-19T23:57:11Z")
> [@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. Cummins Onan Generators? I think I’ve seen some of their stuff around town. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/105 "2009-09-20T00:21:52Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Anyway our SO rep came in one day and his uniform shirt had the patch for the new test on the shoulder. A guy I worked with took one look at the patch and said: > ( You know where this is going, right?) > “What’s an anal scope?” > The SO guy came right back with: > “It’s a Greek tune up.” Systems Operator? Significant Other? ---
**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 20, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/106 "2009-09-20T01:11:34Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > I know it’s pronounced “POO-kit” but any Thai business (restaurant, etc.) that has Phuket in their name is good for a laugh. I always thought it was pronounced “Foo-KAY”. Where’s **Siam Sam**? He should have a definitive answer… ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/107 "2009-09-20T01:38:04Z")
We have a T-shirt shop (the kind that print up T-shirts for softball teams) named, of course, “Holy Shirt!” Late night commercial featuring kids all lined up screaming ‘Holy Shirt!’ and I feel like screaming back ‘STFU’! ---
**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:** [September 20, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/108 "2009-09-20T05:11:05Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I always thought it was pronounced “Foo-KAY”. Where’s **Siam Sam**? He should have a definitive answer… Foo-Kay?? This ain’t French! It is pronounced “Poo get”. The “Phu” is pronounced like the slang word for feces, “poo,” or as in Winnie the Pooh." (“Ph” is always a hard P sound, unlike P alone, which usually means a sound halfway between P and B that we don’t really have, but it’s closer to B by my ear. The “ket” in Phuket is pronounced like the English word “get.” (K alone is generally pronounced as G. “Kh” gets the hard K sound.) ---
**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:** [September 20, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/109 "2009-09-20T06:33:44Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > (“Ph” is always a hard P sound, unlike P alone, which usually means a sound halfway between P and B that we don’t really have, but it’s closer to B by my ear.) Side note: PH is always the hard P, and the letter P by itself ought to be the B/P hybrid all the time, but sometimes it’s also the hard P, all part of the confusion over transcribing over here. For instance, many know of our coastal town of Pattaya. From it’s pronunciation, it really ought to be spelled Phatthaya – and actually is on some municipal signs – but the Pattaya spelling has become conventional. That one is the hard P sound, too, despite the lack of an H. ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/110 "2009-09-21T08:03:42Z")
**Arçelik** - They make washing machines in Turkey. (the ç is actually pronounced as ch which spoils the effect but seeing the posters about getting really clean underwear is schoolboy giggles good fun!) ---
**Author:** ![Av8trix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@Av8trix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Av8trix)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/111 "2009-09-21T09:35:02Z")
Pot O’ Gold - the porta-potties Pot Of Gold - The chocolates [http://www.onebrick.org/blog/uploaded\_images/Lloyd-with-Pot-of-Gold-786472.jpg](http://www.onebrick.org/blog/uploaded_images/Lloyd-with-Pot-of-Gold-786472.jpg) :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/112 "2009-09-21T10:58:27Z")
Check the websites of [Secrets Exposed Live](http://www.secretsexposedlive.com.au/) and [Experts Exchange](http://www.experts-exchange.com/). The second of these, btw, did not formerly have the dash in the middle… ---
**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 21, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/113 "2009-09-21T13:17:14Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Foo-Kay?? This ain’t French! > > It is pronounced “Poo get”. > > The “Phu” is pronounced like the slang word for feces, “poo,” or as in Winnie the Pooh." (“Ph” is always a hard P sound, unlike P alone, which usually means a sound halfway between P and B that we don’t really have, but it’s closer to B by my ear. The “ket” in Phuket is pronounced like the English word “get.” (K alone is generally pronounced as G. “Kh” gets the hard K sound.) Thanks for the linguistic heads-up! I have to confess my knowledge of Thai is woefully non-existent, but at least now I know Phuket isn’t pronounced as if it were quasi-French. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/114 "2009-09-21T13:27:07Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > I’m surprised no one has mentioned the (now defunct) website of ball-point pen marketers who wished to evoke visions of being on an island. You remember [noparse][www.penisland.com](http://www.penisland.com)[/noparse]? I think Snopes said it was a joke site? Still funny, though. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/115 "2009-09-21T15:09:11Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Karson Kartage and Konstruction > > No, really, that’s what they called it. Well, they are from KKKarp ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/116 "2009-09-21T16:14:41Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > This afternoon, I realized that with minimal shuffling of letters, > > **Deloitte & Touche –\> Toilette & Douche** Unfortunately, Deloitte has rebranded; they are now “Deloitte” only–the Touche is gone. Actually, “Deloitte” is now followed by a little green dot (not a period!). Deloitte paid a marketing firm millions (I heard $5 m) to come up with just the right shade of green for that dot, so be sure to admire it. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/117 "2009-09-21T16:35:17Z")
Dr. Rex G. Teeple is an optometrist around here. Every year, he would try to explain the problem to the Yellow Pages people, but they just didn’t get it. Every year, the new directory said: **Teeple, Rex GOD**. When he got an offer to become part of the Ossip eye care chain, he jumped at the chance. If I remember right, **Custer Battles** was one of the shoddy and/or crooked construction firms with a no-bid contract to build things in Iraq. Through several layers of subcontracts, the money disappeared and nothing got built. There’s a place near Anderson University where a succession of restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries sprang up and died. One day, there was a big yellow and red banner on the empty shop. It said " **The Flop.** I kept an eye on it. Apparently, it failed before it even opened. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/118 "2009-09-21T16:45:47Z")
[http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/bb/](http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/bb/) There is Big Bone Lick State Park. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/119 "2009-09-21T17:03:18Z")
There’s a winery in New Zealand called **Te Mata**. In Spanish, this means “It kills you”! ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720/120 "2009-09-21T18:32:18Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > There was a construction company in Austin, Texas called “Mammoth Erections”. Similarly, in Bath England there is a “Bath Erections” construction company. We had quite the attack of the giggles over seeing their signs everywhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unfortunate-company-names/509720.md?page=7)