> http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1049196_oh-audi-how-could-you-the-french-like-electric-cars-but
> ... John Voelcker Sep 10 2010 ... the Chevrolet Nova failed in South
> America because in Spanish, no va means "won't go."
Just as a side FYI, the snippet missed the part of the article that mentioned the "no va" story is an urban legend: http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp
It "is akin to assuming that English speakers would spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table" and "Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova."
Product naming is something that is very difficult to do, and even when you get it "right" it can be even more subtle: The Swiss came up with the portmanteau of "Twike" for "Twin+Bike" for the vehicle I drive, as it is a human-electric hybrid and inside are two side-by-side recumbent bicycles. While it sounds ok to German/Swiss ears, the "tw" sound for words in English has a weak connotation: Twinkie, Twinkletoes, twit, -- to name the more polite ones... While it is an established brand name (and I'm quite used to it) we did recommend to refrain from referring to Twike owners/drivers/pilots as "Twikers" ;-)
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> ... John Voelcker Sep 10 2010 ... the Chevrolet Nova failed in South
> America because in Spanish, no va means "won't go."
Just as a side FYI, the snippet missed the part of the article that mentioned the "no va" story is an urban legend: http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp
It "is akin to assuming that English speakers would spurn a dinette set sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table" and "Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova."
Product naming is something that is very difficult to do, and even when you get it "right" it can be even more subtle: The Swiss came up with the portmanteau of "Twike" for "Twin+Bike" for the vehicle I drive, as it is a human-electric hybrid and inside are two side-by-side recumbent bicycles. While it sounds ok to German/Swiss ears, the "tw" sound for words in English has a weak connotation: Twinkie, Twinkletoes, twit, -- to name the more polite ones... While it is an established brand name (and I'm quite used to it) we did recommend to refrain from referring to Twike owners/drivers/pilots as "Twikers" ;-)
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
| REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
| Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
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