ATsuri 1 | 2 12 Oct 2008 / #1Hi everyone :)I'm a student and I need some help. Our English teacher gave us a task: Find any Polish brand/products names which may be somehow offensive or troublesome for English people (especially food). So there's my request... :)Could you give me some hints?For example, my dictionary says that word lech /letsh/ ('Lech' is a beer) means:'Someone showing strong or offensive sexual desire'. I would be grateful for all your ideas.In exchange I can give you some recipes:)
SeanBM 35 | 5,812 12 Oct 2008 / #2I have never thought about this before, I am sure i know loads. There is a paint called Bolix:economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Cons_Products/Paints/Berger_Paints_bags_Polish_firm_Bolix_for_38_million/articleshow/2997111.cmsand there are a few shops here with F,art but they sell clothes. I guess I laugh too much t find out what they really are. The most offensive would be "Kefir" which in South African English is probably the most offensive word you can call a person who is black. I will look out for more, i am sure there are. An interesting one but not offensive is the use of "Xero" meaning to photocopy, the way I say "Hoover" to mean "vacuum"
OP ATsuri 1 | 2 13 Oct 2008 / #3Nice examples, thanks a lot :)If you will find some more till Wednesday please PM me or write them down here.Dear Mr. ModeratorThanks for moving my topic here and sorry for troubling you:)
whyikit 6 | 102 14 Oct 2008 / #4The only one I know, was a drink that I think they used to sell in Poland called Fart, although not offensive. I was in Poland recently and saw a few things like this just can not remember them now, searched for the drink but could not find any....
Bartolome 2 | 1,085 14 Oct 2008 / #5'Fart' in Polish slang means 'a stroke of luck'. But apparently it prevents any company with that name to expand in English-speaking countries :)
Magdalena 3 | 1,837 15 Oct 2008 / #7Isn't that British though? It always makes me smile when I pass one of those ;-)
ShelleyS 14 | 2,893 15 Oct 2008 / #8Isn't that British though?Not that Im aware, I've certainly never seen one in the UK, it made me smile too
szkotja2007 27 | 1,498 15 Oct 2008 / #9"Athletes foot " is an American franchise with a few stores in Pl but none in the UK.
OP ATsuri 1 | 2 15 Oct 2008 / #12Thanks:)I googled 'Fart'... It seems that it's a very popular 'name'. Actually I've never met the real meaning of this word before. (Un)fortunatelly we are only taught decent English language;]