Windpassing, embarrassing town names, etc

[jasonh300]

@jrfranchi

Nova is not No Go is Spanish, Check Snopes for details

Nova may not mean “no go” in Spanish, but “No va” should mean “It doesn’t go” if I remember my highschool spanish (and Snopes agrees).

Snopes says:

First of all, the phrase “no va” (literally “doesn’t go”) and the word “nova” are distinct entities with different pronunciations in Spanish: the former is two words and is pronounced with the accent on the second word; the latter is one word with the accent on the first syllable. Assuming that Spanish speakers would naturally see the word “nova” as equivalent to the phrase “no va” and think “Hey, this car doesn’t go!” is akin to assuming that English speakers woud spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn’t include a table.

Now the only argument I have here: Does Snopes think that Spanish speaking people are so stupid that they wouldn’t work out that Nova is “no va” run together?

I don’t honestly think that it would deter Spanish speaking people from buying it, but I could see a young Mexican boy driving up in his Ford and poking fun at his amigo driving the Chevy Nova.

If the new 2006 Mitsubishi Dontrun came out tomorrow, wouldn’t English speaking people make fun of the name? Or would they never figure it out because it’s lacking an apostrophe and a space?

[percussion]

one the arrogant worms left off their song.

Arse Tickle
and there used to be a town called intercourse,

oh and plum point has some connotations too if you stretch
i love it here!!

[Diceman]

@jasonh300

Now the only argument I have here: Does Snopes think that Spanish speaking people are so stupid that they wouldn’t work out that Nova is “no va” run together?

I don’t honestly think that it would deter Spanish speaking people from buying it, but I could see a young Mexican boy driving up in his Ford and poking fun at his amigo driving the Chevy Nova.

If the new 2006 Mitsubishi Dontrun came out tomorrow, wouldn’t English speaking people make fun of the name? Or would they never figure it out because it’s lacking an apostrophe and a space?

This is a problem I have with Snopes. Their articles are usually well researched, but their grasp on human nature is sometimes kinda tenuous. Any time you see an urban legend of the type “Mr. Famous Fashion Designer doesn’t want blacks/whites/whoever to wear his clothes,” Snopes will almost always make an argument like, “No clothing designer would want to alienate potential customers.” Apparently, it never occurs to them that prejudice is not rational in nature, or that a person might get caught making a candid comment in a less-than-candid situation. (eg, that one time that Dick Cheney forgot to turn off his microphone, and we heard him call some reporter an asshole )

[Colibri]

@jasonh300

Nova may not mean “no go” in Spanish, but “No va” should mean “It doesn’t go” if I remember my highschool spanish (and Snopes agrees).

This is correct. However, as Snopes points out, it is probably not the phrase you would typically use in connection with a car, and the pronunciation is distinctly different.

I don’t honestly think that it would deter Spanish speaking people from buying it, but I could see a young Mexican boy driving up in his Ford and poking fun at his amigo driving the Chevy Nova.

This is my take on it. The name wouldn’t really dissuade anyone from buying it, although it could possibly be subject to some (weak) punning. But the Snopes article was really directed at the first proposition.

[Balthisar]

What does no one ever point out that the Spanish word nova means exactly the same as does the English word nova? Case settled.

[Opus1]

I remember reading an editorial by a guy named Nick who was learning Arabic, and hadn’t yet learned that:

Oh, and the meaning of “Nick” in Arabic? It is a verb meaning to have sex, but it’s even more vulgar than its English four-letter equivalent. And “Nick” is the worst possible conjugation, the command form.
(http://prumpf.org/weblog/0210.html)

No Arabic knowledge myself, but this was a first person experience, not an urban legend type thing, so I’ll assume it’s true unless I hear differently.

Wasn’t there also the story going around in 1996, when Bob Dole was running for president, that Dole meant “penis” in Persian? Especially appropriate now, given his new profession.

[Crandolph]

@percussion

and there used to be a town called intercourse,

Intercourse, PA is still there.

[Acsenray]

@CalMeacham

(I’d drink a bottle of something called “Bite the Wax Tadpole” in a minute, though.)

Would you drink something called Pocari Sweat?

[Acsenray]

@jasonh300

Now the only argument I have here: Does Snopes think that Spanish speaking people are so stupid that they wouldn’t work out that Nova is “no va” run together?

Would they also be so stupid as to notice that the word Nova is a word in Spanish?

Did you note the “No Table/Notable” example given in the Snopes article?

[CalMeacham]

Quote:
Originally Posted by CalMeacham
(I’d drink a bottle of something called “Bite the Wax Tadpole” in a minute, though.)

Would you drink something called Pocari Sweat?

No… that’s just gross.

(I’ve heard of Pocari Sweat)

[Peter_Morris]

@acsenray

Would they also be so stupid as to notice that the word Nova is a word in Spanish?

Well, some people failed to notice my request in the first post not to bother repeating this UL, so you never know.