# Windpassing, embarrassing town names, etc **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277 "2005-07-13T02:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/1 "2005-07-13T02:20:37Z")
The tiny villiage [Fucking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking%2C_Austria) has a name that causes great amusement to English speaking tourists, as does [Windpassing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windpassing%2C_Austria), and tourists go out of their way to stay in the [Wankhaus.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wank) A few [foreign products](http://www.spanish-country-villa.com/ftons/page2.html) have been given unfortunate names. And as for the former Japanese prime minister Mr [Takeshita](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noboru_Takeshita)… Are there any English language placenames or product names that provoke similar amusement in foreigners? (Dont bother with the urban legends about Esso meaning ‘stalled car’ in Japanese, or that Nova means ‘it doesnt work’ in Spanish, and I already know what Peter means in French.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/2 "2005-07-13T02:30:00Z")
You’ve forgotten Intercourse, Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/3 "2005-07-13T02:34:45Z")
forgot [Blue Ball, PA](http://www.hometownlocator.com/City/Blue-Ball-Pennsylvania.cfm) Here’s a link to [Intercourse](http://www.hometownlocator.com/City/Intercourse-Pennsylvania.cfm) (the town, you perverts). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/4 "2005-07-13T03:13:30Z")
I’m actually looking for English language placenames that seem funny \*\* in foreign languages.\*\* I already have a list of placenames that sound funny in English. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/5 "2005-07-13T03:16:33Z")
I’m told that “Pinole”, a town in the SF Bay Area, is Welsh for “asshole” … ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/6 "2005-07-13T03:26:34Z")
Don’t forget the car Nova which didn’t do too well in Spanish-speaking countries where it translates literally to “no go.” Coca-Cola, when rendered phonetically into Chinese (don’t recall which dialect) comes out at “bite the wax tadpole.” [Check this out](http://www.relojournal.com/sept96/tadpole.htm) for more. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/7 "2005-07-13T03:29:18Z")
I’ve read that the Mitsubishi Montero used to be named the Mitsubishi Pajero. Then they found out that in Spanish, “pajero” means “masturbate.” ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/8 "2005-07-13T03:34:19Z")
**Peter**. Please don’t get mad with me for changing the name of the thread. While I’m not a prude, and I wouldn’t have changed it to suit myself, we had a complaint from a member who accesses the board at work. When the word “Fucking” pops up on the thread page, they could get into trouble, even though they’re doing nothing wrong. That’s why I changed it. Hope you can understand the position here. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/9 "2005-07-13T03:41:42Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I’ve read that the Mitsubishi Montero used to be named the Mitsubishi Pajero. Then they found out that in Spanish, “pajero” means “masturbate.” Actually, “masturbator.” It’s still called Pajero in places like [Australia](http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/mitssite/jsp/pages/vehicles/vehicles.jsp?groupId=20) which don’t have a significant Spanish-speaking population. The Lone Ranger’s sidekick Tonto is called “Toro” in Spanish-speaking countries, since _tonto_ means “foolish.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/10 "2005-07-13T04:11:13Z")
[More on Pajero](http://chameleon-translations.com/Index-Companies-pajero.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/11 "2005-07-13T04:34:06Z")
Are there many Pajeros in Australia? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/12 "2005-07-13T04:35:08Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Are there many Pajeros in Australia? Yes, but they call them "wankers’’ there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/13 "2005-07-13T09:07:18Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Don’t forget the car Nova which didn’t do too well in Spanish-speaking countries where it translates literally to “no go.” [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/14 "2005-07-13T09:43:44Z")
Not a geographic name but a product name of sorts: the last name of [Johnny Depp](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/) (i.e. John Christopher Depp II) means ‘idiot’ in German (1). It probably makes for slighly better box office success of his movies as his name recognition in German-speaking countries is better than it would be otherwise. (1) (strictly speaking the word is a South German/Austrian regionalism, but it’s understood in all of Germany and probably also in all other German-speaking regions. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/15 "2005-07-13T10:38:03Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I’m actually looking for English language placenames that seem funny \*\* in foreign languages.\*\* Does UK English count as foreign? [Blue Knob](http://www.blueknob.com/) would never be used as a resort name in the UK (although it may be appropriate as a ski resort). ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/16 "2005-07-13T10:59:44Z")
MTV Jackass did a show in a town called Myanus. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/17 "2005-07-13T11:24:41Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > A few [foreign products](http://www.spanish-country-villa.com/ftons/page2.html) have been given unfortunate names. Oh man, those are great! I sure could go for a bag of jussipussi right now. |:^9 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/18 "2005-07-13T12:31:00Z")
When I went to France on Classical League tour back in 1970 I encvountered the French soda **Pschitt** [http://www.bpmlegal.com/wpschitt.html](http://www.bpmlegal.com/wpschitt.html) . Naturally, there was a lot of joking about this. I didn’t see anyone actually drink any of it. They still make it, of course. I realize that was supposed to be about American names that seem risque to non-English speakers, but I couldn’t resist. (I’d drink a bottle of something called “Bite the Wax Tadpole” in a minute, though.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/19 "2005-07-13T12:49:00Z")
For English language place names that might get laughs in other languages, there’s always the Grand Teton mountains. “Teton” is French slang for “breasts.” ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277/20 "2005-07-13T13:34:27Z")
While on a ferry going to Victoria BC many years ago, the name Strait of Juan de Fuca had a group of Japanese school girls in stitches for quite a while. One of the older Japanese women in the group seemed truly embarrassed to even say the name. I don’t know if the name translated to Japanese was funny or if Fuca is close enough to to the f word that they thought they were cussing up a storm in English. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windpassing-embarrassing-town-names-etc/312277.md?page=2)