From: stucohomes@aol.complaining (Jack P. Armstrong) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Lines: 6 NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder07.news.aol.com X-Admin: news@aol.com Date: 30 Jun 1999 15:30:09 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Message-ID: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!feed2.news.luth.se!luth.se!nntp.primenet.com!nntp.gctr.net!howland.erols.net!newsfeed.cwix.com!152.163.199.19!portc03.blue.aol.com!audrey01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail . - - - - - - - Jody B. aka Jack P. Armstrong "five seconds... six... seven!" - Barb Shapiro "Is your guy an out of work truck driver?" - MC Nugget "No. Go fish." - Lu Duckton ###### From: andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 1 Jul 1999 20:33:43 GMT Organization: home Message-ID: <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: cucumber X-NNTP-Posting-Host: cucumber.demon.co.uk:158.152.58.86 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 930863710 nnrp-13:12176 NO-IDENT cucumber.demon.co.uk:158.152.58.86 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net X-Newsreader: knews 0.9.6 Lines: 17 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!cucumber.demon.co.uk!usenet In article <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com>, stucohomes@aol.complaining (Jack P. Armstrong) writes: Back around 1980 when Wang and A.B.Dick were competing in the word processing market, Wang ran an advert something like: Stop fiddling with your Dick, come and play with our Wang... ISTR a thread on this subject ran in this NG, perhaps a year ago. Another contribution which stuck in my mind for some reason was the switchboard operator at their Cologne office answering incoming calls with "Wang Cologne" (say it out load). -- Andrew Gabriel Consultant Software Engineer ###### From: dbryant@netcom.com (David K. Bryant) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 1 Jul 1999 20:48:46 GMT Organization: Netcom Lines: 6 Message-ID: <7lgk7e$hjg@dfw-ixnews21.ix.netcom.com> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: netcom11.netcom.com X-NETCOM-Date: Thu Jul 01 3:48:46 PM CDT 1999 NNTP-Posting-User: dbryant X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.3 (NOV) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!netnews.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!ix.netcom.com!dbryant stucohomes@aol.complaining (Jack P. Armstrong) writes: >. All the way to the bank. ###### Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers From: rhc@world.std.com (Rich Clancey) Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Message-ID: Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 17:49:04 GMT References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Lines: 7 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news-lond.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!uunet!zur.uu.net!ffx.uu.net!world!rhc I thought Honeywell Bull was much dumber. "Wang" is a very common Chinese name, and doesn't sound odd to people who live on the West Coast, for example. But "Bull" was just a dopey mistake by some French Company, and nobody bothered to tell them not to make a zillion dollar mistake. ###### Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers From: ab@infra.de (Alexander Bochmann) Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Sender: news@t.infra.de (news) References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.6 (UNIX) Organization: traveller - Galaxis' homebase Message-ID: X-Nntp-Posting-Host: localhost Date: Thu, 8 Jul 1999 07:42:21 GMT Lines: 16 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!bignews.mediaways.net!blackbush.xlink.net!freinet.de!charon.t.infra.de!ab On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:31:17 +1200, Bruce Hoult wrote: > In article , rhc@world.std.com (Rich Clancey) wrote: > > I thought Honeywell Bull was much dumber. "Wang" is a very > > common Chinese name, and doesn't sound odd to people who live on the > > West Coast, for example. But "Bull" was just a dopey mistake by some > > French Company, and nobody bothered to tell them not to make a zillion > > dollar mistake. > Don't forget Linotype-Hell AG. Sick AG is somewhere around here; but I don't see the point in changing a company name just because it has some meaning in another language (even if that language may be english). Alex. ###### From: bruce@hoult.actrix.gen.nz (Bruce Hoult) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:31:17 +1200 Organization: The Internet Group Ltd Lines: 11 Message-ID: References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: p57-max9.wlg.ihug.co.nz X-Newsreader: MT-NewsWatcher 2.4.4 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!u-2.maxwell.syr.edu!ihug.co.nz!bruce In article , rhc@world.std.com (Rich Clancey) wrote: > I thought Honeywell Bull was much dumber. "Wang" is a very > common Chinese name, and doesn't sound odd to people who live on the > West Coast, for example. But "Bull" was just a dopey mistake by some > French Company, and nobody bothered to tell them not to make a zillion > dollar mistake. Don't forget Linotype-Hell AG. -- Bruce ###### From: JP Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:51:11 -0700 Organization: Prodigy Internet http://www.prodigy.com Lines: 18 Message-ID: <3785012F.5697@spamcop.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: slip166-72-80-4.ca.us.ibm.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com 931463702 1500380 166.72.80.4 (8 Jul 1999 19:55:02 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@prodigy.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 8 Jul 1999 19:55:02 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win95; I) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!hermes.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!newscon02!prodigy.com!not-for-mail Andrew Gabriel wrote: > > In article <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com>, > stucohomes@aol.complaining (Jack P. Armstrong) writes: > > Back around 1980 when Wang and A.B.Dick were competing in the > word processing market, Wang ran an advert something like: > > Stop fiddling with your Dick, come and play with our Wang... > > Andrew Gabriel > Consultant Software Engineer Some might remember the VIC-20 had a different name in Germany. I think it was VIXON-20. This was just as bad. The V is pronounced as F. Vixon sounded more like "ficen" than "vic" [fic]. ###### From: "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> Message-ID: <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> X-Newsreader: Microsoft Internet News 4.70.1161 Lines: 24 Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 216.26.11.159 X-Complaints-To: news@teleport.com X-Trace: news1.teleport.com 931455205 216.26.11.159 (Thu, 08 Jul 1999 10:33:25 PDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 10:33:25 PDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news.tvd.be!remarQ-easT!supernews.com!remarQ.com!newsswitch.lcs.mit.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!nntp.teleport.com!news1.teleport.com!not-for-mail Alexander Bochmann wrote in article ... > [...] but I don't see the point in changing > a company name just because it has some meaning in another language (even > if that language may be english). Well, suppose you are selling a midsized car. You name it after an astronomical event with lots of power - the explosion of a star. It sells great, in fact so great that you decide to sell your car to a foreign country. When you get there, it doesn't sell well, and even the sales folk giggle about the name. Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. I actually don't know if they ever sold it under a different name in Mexico, but this sounds like a good reason to me to change the name of at least a product. Company names have run into similar problems. sln ============================================== Parents can't afford to be squeamish Shannon and Vanessa Nelson ###### From: magical@rahul.net (Me Again) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 08 Jul 1999 17:51:47 PDT Organization: Concentric Internet Services Lines: 44 Message-ID: <37a03358.150261807@news.concentric.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.31.229.240 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!newsfeed.concentric.net!global-news-master On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" wrote: >Alexander Bochmann wrote in article >... >> [...] but I don't see the point in changing >> a company name just because it has some meaning in another language (even > >> if that language may be english). > >Well, suppose you are selling a midsized car. You name it after an >astronomical event with lots of power - the explosion of a star. It sells >great, in fact so great that you decide to sell your car to a foreign >country. When you get there, it doesn't sell well, and even the sales folk >giggle about the name. > >Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. The Nova story is more complicated than this. The way a Spanish speakers pronounce "Nova" and the way they pronounce "no va" are different. So the joke only works if they intentionally mispronounce the name. If you want to know more, check the alt.usage.english and alt.folklore.urban archives via dejanews.com: http://x25.deja.com/=dnc/qs.xp?ST=PS&QRY=%22no+va%22&groups=alt.folklore.urban+or+alt.usage.english&OP=dnquery.xp&maxhits=100 >I actually don't know if they ever sold it under a different name in >Mexico, but this sounds like a good reason to me to change the name of at >least a product. Company names have run into similar problems. When Standard Oil aka Esso changed their name to Exxon they chose "exxon" partially because there is only one language that uses doubled x's in any form, and exxon wasn't a word in that language, therefore exxon didn't already mean something in any language anywhere in the world. http://x25.deja.com/=dnc/qs.xp?ST=PS&QRY=%22exxon%22&groups=alt.usage.english&OP=dnquery.xp&maxhits=100 There are people who get paid to take occasional calls from companies who create brand names and to say if a certain proposed name sounds like any word or phrase in their native language. There is a whole industry around this. jc ###### From: "Alan T. Bowler" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 19:54:55 -0400 Organization: UUNET Canada News Transport Lines: 24 Message-ID: <37853A4F.16414CF5@thinkage.on.ca> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: 192.102.11.4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; U) X-Accept-Language: en Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!masternews.telia.net!news.algonet.se!algonet!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cyclone.bc.net!news.uunet.ca!not-for-mail Alexander Bochmann wrote: > > On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:31:17 +1200, Bruce Hoult wrote: > > > In article , rhc@world.std.com (Rich Clancey) wrote: > > > I thought Honeywell Bull was much dumber. "Wang" is a very > > > common Chinese name, and doesn't sound odd to people who live on the > > > West Coast, for example. But "Bull" was just a dopey mistake by some > > > French Company, and nobody bothered to tell them not to make a zillion > > > dollar mistake. > > Don't forget Linotype-Hell AG. > > Sick AG is somewhere around here; but I don't see the point in changing > a company name just because it has some meaning in another language (even > if that language may be english). I agree. "Bull" is the name of a fine company with a century of history, named after the Norwegian that founded it. (Not unlike the reason for "Honeywell"). My dictionary lists the use of "bull" meaning "nonsense" as slang. Slang usages are often transient as the next generation tries to differentiate itself from its parents. It is likely the company name predates the current English slang usage, and may well outlive it. ###### From: jschmitz@qis.net (JoAnne Schmitz) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Message-ID: <37a8160d.2525061093@news.digex.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 23 Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 21:34:39 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.239.96.242 X-Complaints-To: abuse@digex.net X-Trace: dca1-nnrp1.news.digex.net 931469679 207.239.96.242 (Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:34:39 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:34:39 EDT Organization: Intermedia Business Internet - Beltsville, MD Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!netnews.com!dca1-hub1.news.digex.net!intermedia!dca1-nnrp1.news.digex.net.POSTED!not-for-mail On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" wrote: >Alexander Bochmann wrote in article >... >> [...] but I don't see the point in changing >> a company name just because it has some meaning in another language (even > >> if that language may be english). > >Well, suppose you are selling a midsized car. You name it after an >astronomical event with lots of power - the explosion of a star. It sells >great, in fact so great that you decide to sell your car to a foreign >country. When you get there, it doesn't sell well, and even the sales folk >giggle about the name. > >Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. But the word "nova" means just what it means in English. Sorry. Novas sell just fine in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. -JoAnne ###### From: euphrates@freenet.co.uk Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 8 Jul 1999 22:57:46 GMT Organization: Cable Internet (post doesn't reflect views of Cable Internet) Message-ID: <7m3ada$261$4@news1.cableinet.co.uk> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: 212.1.149.165 X-Trace: news1.cableinet.co.uk 931474666 2241 212.1.149.165 (8 Jul 1999 22:57:46 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@cableinet.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 8 Jul 1999 22:57:46 GMT X-Everything: Net-Tamer V 1.08X Lines: 16 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!masternews.telia.net!news1.spb.su!newsfeed.gamma.ru!Gamma.RU!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!colt.net!ayres.ftech.net!news.ftech.net!news5.cableinet.net!cableinet-uk!news1.cableinet.co.uk!not-for-mail On 1999-07-08 ab@infra.de(AlexanderBochmann) said: :Sick AG is somewhere around here; but I don't see the point in :changing a company name just because it has some meaning in another :language (even if that language may be english). However, there's a lot of point in not choosing a name that will arouse chortles in your own language, as a certain university would have discovered had it gone with the name City University of Newcastle-upon- Tyne. (I have a feeling that someone from Sunderland must have put that suggestion forward. ;> Never mind, the mucky Mags have their own back - calling a Northern football venue the Stadium of Light is just *asking* for it.) -- Communa -- you know soft spoken changes nothing ###### From: jo@delorges.in-berlin.de (Jo Meder) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 8 Jul 1999 23:39:22 GMT Organization: private Lines: 13 Message-ID: References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <3785012F.5697@spamcop.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: delorges.in-berlin.de X-Trace: delorges.in-berlin.de 931477162 12879 193.175.21.59 (8 Jul 1999 23:39:22 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@delorges.in-berlin.de NNTP-Posting-Date: 8 Jul 1999 23:39:22 GMT User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.6 (UNIX) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news-fra1.dfn.de!fu-berlin.de!hirsch.in-berlin.de!delorges.in-berlin.de!jo On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:51:11 -0700, JP wrote: > Some might remember the VIC-20 had a different name in Germany. > I think it was VIXON-20. Not that I remember. Much to my envy a friend of mine had one of the early models and AFAIK it was named VC-20, simply omitting the I from the name. Jo. ###### From: decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Fri, 09 Jul 1999 12:59:19 GMT Organization: alvis Lines: 17 Message-ID: <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> Reply-To: decker067@aolnospam.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.78.177.88 X-Trace: bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net 931525195 9260 12.78.177.88 (9 Jul 1999 12:59:55 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@worldnet.att.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 9 Jul 1999 12:59:55 GMT X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!wn4feed!worldnet.att.net!wnmaster2!not-for-mail On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" wrote: >Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. In the early 60s (late 50s?) Datsun / Nissan started selling its rip-off of the MG Midget / AH Sprite in the US. The model name of the car was "Fairlady". As you would expect it didn't move well. I worked PT at a combo gas station / car dealer and we had these things (in pastel colors yet) stacked all over the place. As you know Nissan eventually got it right. -- rjd ###### Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!usenet From: Neil Franklin Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 09 Jul 1999 23:44:00 +0200 Organization: My own Private Self Lines: 34 Sender: neil@chonsp.franklin.ch Message-ID: <6uaet5sdlr.fsf@chonsp.franklin.ch> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <3785012F.5697@spamcop.net> X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.3/Emacs 19.34 jo@delorges.in-berlin.de (Jo Meder) writes: > > On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:51:11 -0700, JP wrote: > > > Some might remember the VIC-20 had a different name in Germany. > > I think it was VIXON-20. Nope. > early models and AFAIK it was named VC-20, simply omitting the I > from the name. VC-20 is right. And they claimed it to be an abreviation for VolksComputer (peoples computer, in analogy to Volkswagen, peoples car). Vic was just too nead to fick (german for fuck). They did this to avoid getting burned an second time. PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) sounds for an frenchman an awfull lot like pet (fart). And then there was the Amstrad ALT386 (Advanced LapTop) that made the germans chuckle (alt is german for old, and this was an el cheapo 386 when 486es were just coming into their own). -- Neil Franklin, Nerd, Geek, Unix Wizzard and Guru, Hacker, Mystic neil@franklin.ch.remove http://neil.franklin.ch/ Computer: toy that speeds work, so you have more time to play with it ###### From: JP Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Fri, 09 Jul 1999 19:17:50 -0700 Organization: Prodigy Internet http://www.prodigy.com Lines: 24 Message-ID: <3786AD4E.7A1B@SPAMCOP.NET> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <3785012F.5697@spamcop.net> <6uaet5sdlr.fsf@chonsp.franklin.ch> NNTP-Posting-Host: slip129-37-20-188.ga.us.ibm.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: newssvr03-int.news.prodigy.com 931573252 1500380 129.37.20.188 (10 Jul 1999 02:20:52 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@prodigy.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 10 Jul 1999 02:20:52 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win95; I) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news-fra1.dfn.de!fu-berlin.de!newscore.univie.ac.at!skynet.be!newscon05!prodigy.com!not-for-mail I stand corrected. VIXEN was the engineer code name for the VIC-20. I looked it up in _The Home Computer Wars_ by M. S. Tomczyk Neil Franklin wrote: > > > On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 12:51:11 -0700, JP wrote: > > > > > Some might remember the VIC-20 had a different name in Germany. > > > I think it was VIXON-20. > > Nope. > > > early models and AFAIK it was named VC-20, simply omitting the I > > from the name. > > VC-20 is right. And they claimed it to be an abreviation for > VolksComputer (peoples computer, in analogy to Volkswagen, peoples > car). > > Vic was just too nead to fick (german for fuck). > > They did this to avoid getting burned an second time. PET (Personal > Electronic Transactor) sounds for an frenchman an awfull lot like pet > (fart). > ###### Sender: marc@dumbcat.snafu.org Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> From: Marco S Hyman Date: 09 Jul 1999 20:51:14 -0700 Message-ID: Organization: S.N.A.F.U. (www.snafu.org) X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.5/Emacs 20.3 Lines: 18 NNTP-Posting-Host: 204.94.187.130 X-Trace: nntp1.ba.best.com 931578675 217 marc@204.94.187.130 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!awabi.library.ucla.edu!128.32.206.55!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!news2.best.com!news3.best.com!nntp1.ba.best.com!not-for-mail jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) writes: > I do believe the car sold as "Fairlady" in Japan was called the "240Z" > in the US. I cannot, however, find a reference to support that > assertion without doing a lot more digging. I think you're both right. The Japanese Fairlady was the 1600 and the 2000 in the US. The Japanese "Fairlady Z" was the US 240 Z. This is from memory and can certainly be wrong. I do remember LMAO the first time I saw a Fairlady Z painted black and white with a BIG cherry on the top cruising one of the toll roads around Tokyo. I think the speed limit was 90 Kph :-) This would have been about 73... I think I was writing in Cobol for Burroughs Medium Systems... I hadn't learned BPL yet. Or maybe BPL hadn't been invented yet. Don't know. // marc ###### From: jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 9 Jul 1999 22:29:26 GMT Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Lines: 25 Message-ID: References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: a5.f7.40.56 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Newsreader: ProNews/2 Version 1.50 Beta 1 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!howland.erols.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!firehose.mindspring.com!not-for-mail On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 12:59:19, decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) wrote: > In the early 60s (late 50s?) Datsun / Nissan started selling its > rip-off of the MG Midget / AH Sprite in the US. The model name of the > car was "Fairlady". As you would expect it didn't move well. I > worked PT at a combo gas station / car dealer and we had these things > (in pastel colors yet) stacked all over the place. You are probably thinking of the Datsun 1600, a small roadster sold in the US in the late '60s in competition with the Spridget. See Road & Track magazine, October 1968, Vol. 20 No. 2, page 51, for a comparison road test of Spridget, 1600, and two other small sports cars. In its April, 1970 road test of the 240Z, Road & Track said, "Datsun has had a sizable portion of the U.S. sports car market for a number of years now with the 1600 Sports and its 2-liter derivative." I do believe the car sold as "Fairlady" in Japan was called the "240Z" in the US. I cannot, however, find a reference to support that assertion without doing a lot more digging. -- John Varela to e-mail, remove - between mind and spring ###### From: ab528@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Heinz W. Wiggeshoff) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 9 Jul 1999 23:54:20 GMT Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Lines: 17 Message-ID: <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> Reply-To: ab528@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Heinz W. Wiggeshoff) NNTP-Posting-Host: freenet3.carleton.ca X-Given-Sender: ab528@freenet3.carleton.ca (Heinz W. Wiggeshoff) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!howland.erols.net!europa.netcrusader.net!209.130.129.214!nntp.frontiernet.net!nntp.gctr.net!news.frontiernet.net!xcski.com!freenet-news.carleton.ca!FreeNet.Carleton.CA!ab528 John Varela (jvarela@mind-spring.com) writes: > On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 12:59:19, decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) > wrote: > > You are probably thinking of the Datsun 1600, a small roadster sold in > the US in the late '60s in competition with the Spridget. See Road & > Track magazine, October 1968, Vol. 20 No. 2, page 51, for a comparison > road test of Spridget, 1600, and two other small sports cars. You must have a HUGE basement! I dumped the load of 60's & 70's R&T years ago - too much to move. Little did I think that one day that stuff would be a reference library for alt.folklore.computers . BTW, I thought this thread would drift into the Datsun F10 - a sorry rust bucket that the dealers actually tried to buy back in this salty country of Canada. ###### Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> Meow: meow From: meow Organization: meow ergo vulis Date: 10 Jul 1999 00:32:55 -0400 Message-ID: <87hfndi0p4.fsf@slip-32-101-160-82.ma.us.ibm.net> Lines: 18 X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.7/Emacs 20.3 NNTP-Posting-Host: 32.101.160.213 X-Trace: 10 Jul 1999 04:33:06 GMT, 32.101.160.213 X-Notice: Items posted that violate the IBM.NET Acceptable Use Policy X-Notice: should be reported to postmaster@ibm.net X-Complaints-To: postmaster@ibm.net Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news-peer.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!newsfeed2.us.ibm.net!ibm.net!news3.us.ibm.net!32.101.160.213 John Varela writes: > On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 12:59:19, decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) > wrote: >> In the early 60s (late 50s?) Datsun / Nissan started selling its >> rip-off of the MG Midget / AH Sprite in the US. The model name of the >> car was "Fairlady". As you would expect it didn't move well. I >> worked PT at a combo gas station / car dealer and we had these things >> (in pastel colors yet) stacked all over the place. > I do believe the car sold as "Fairlady" in Japan was called the "240Z" > in the US. I cannot, however, find a reference to support that > assertion without doing a lot more digging. Before 1965, they were called Fairlady here too. The resemblance of Datsuns to UK stuff was for good reason; they were an Austin licensee for quite some time. ###### From: reddwar871@aol.com (REDDWAR871) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Lines: 29 NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder05.news.aol.com X-Admin: news@aol.com Date: 10 Jul 1999 01:14:35 GMT References: <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Message-ID: <19990709211435.22719.00009546@ng-ch1.aol.com> Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!newscore.univie.ac.at!uninett.no!news-feed1.eu.concert.net!newsfeed.cwix.com!152.163.199.19!portc03.blue.aol.com!audrey01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail Actually the Fairlady was the early SPL311 or 1600 roadster 1965/66, the name was also used in Japan on the first 240Z's. It's true comparison would be with the MGB. >John Varela (jvarela@mind-spring.com) writes: >> On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 12:59:19, decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) >> wrote: >> >> You are probably thinking of the Datsun 1600, a small roadster sold in >> the US in the late '60s in competition with the Spridget. See Road & >> Track magazine, October 1968, Vol. 20 No. 2, page 51, for a comparison >> road test of Spridget, 1600, and two other small sports cars. > > You must have a HUGE basement! I dumped the load of 60's & 70's > R&T years ago - too much to move. Little did I think that one > day that stuff would be a reference library for alt.folklore.computers . > > BTW, I thought this thread would drift into the Datsun F10 - a sorry > rust bucket that the dealers actually tried to buy back in this salty > country of Canada. > > > > > > ###### From: jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 10 Jul 1999 02:46:38 GMT Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Lines: 17 Message-ID: References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> NNTP-Posting-Host: a5.f7.42.88 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Newsreader: ProNews/2 Version 1.50 Beta 1 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!howland.erols.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!firehose.mindspring.com!not-for-mail On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:54:20, ab528@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Heinz W. Wiggeshoff) wrote: > BTW, I thought this thread would drift into the Datsun F10 - a sorry > rust bucket that the dealers actually tried to buy back in this salty > country of Canada. You want to talk rust buckets: I so well remember the time I removed a floor mat from my '73 240Z and dicovered I could see the pavement through a 6 inch diameter hole in the floor. With some difficulty I found a guy who would repair it; he riveted in the patch, having given up welding them (yes, he had done a lot of these) ever since the time he set someone's upholstery on fire. -- John Varela to e-mail, remove - between mind and spring ###### From: jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 10 Jul 1999 03:22:05 GMT Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Message-ID: References: <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> <19990709211435.22719.00009546@ng-ch1.aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: a5.f7.42.88 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Newsreader: ProNews/2 Version 1.50 Beta 1 Lines: 28 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news-fra1.dfn.de!news0.de.colt.net!colt.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!newsfeed.nacamar.de!newsfeed.nacamar.de!europa.netcrusader.net!4.1.16.34!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!firehose.mindspring.com!not-for-mail On Sat, 10 Jul 1999 01:14:35, reddwar871@aol.com (REDDWAR871) wrote: > Actually the Fairlady was the early SPL311 or 1600 roadster 1965/66, the name > was also used in Japan on the first 240Z's. Right you are. Road & Track reported a road test of the 1600 Sports, then known as the SPL-310, in the January, 1964 issue (Vol. 15 No.5). "Our test car is the sport roadster, called the SPL-310, formerly known as the Datsun 'Fairlady'. This latest version has 85 bhp at 5600 rpm from a 4-cyl, 1488-cc engine, an increase of five horsepower over the Fairlady version that was introduced earlier in 1963." I actually remember reading that review when it was first published, because the car had a third seat facing sideways, on which they commented, "The obvious jokes about the crossways seat in a Japanese car need not be repeated..." Only those of a certain age will know what they were referring to. Which almost takes us back to the original topic of this thread. > It's true comparison would be with the MGB. Pricewise at least, i have to agree. The list price of the SPL-310 in 1964 was $2465. In 1968 the list base price for an MGB was $2670. -- John Varela to e-mail, remove - between mind and spring ###### From: decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:41:13 GMT Organization: alvis Lines: 35 Message-ID: <37871c59.77610049@netnews.worldnet.att.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> Reply-To: decker067@aolnospam.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.78.177.64 X-Trace: bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net 931603312 4503 12.78.177.64 (10 Jul 1999 10:41:52 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@worldnet.att.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 10 Jul 1999 10:41:52 GMT X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!wn4feed!worldnet.att.net!wnmaster2!not-for-mail On 9 Jul 1999 22:29:26 GMT, jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) wrote: >I do believe the car sold as "Fairlady" in Japan was called the "240Z" >in the US. I cannot, however, find a reference to support that >assertion without doing a lot more digging. No , it was definitely not a Zcar, this was a roadster. By the time the Zcars hit the US I had moved from NY to DC years before. I did some digging and if you check web page: http://www.classicdatsun.com/ and select the box at the upper right labeled "Fairlady, 311" you will get a page with a picture in the upper left that shows the car we sold. It is labeled an S212. Our cars were monotone and had a "Fairlady" nameplate. All this probably belongs in a car ng but my other memory of strange cars was a Sprite looking roadster in the lot of a motorcycle dealer. It was a Honda! At the time (late 70s) I didn't know Honda was making cars. What struck me as I looked it over (on my way to buy another cycle) was the tach - It went up to 14K, redlined at 12K as I recall. Hardly what you'd ecpect in a car. I remember thinking that perhaps the dealer had put a cycle engine in a car! To keep on topic, that was the same time we ended a contract using a Librascope (with its huge disk) and stated one using IBM1410s and a single S/360-50. This was in the Pentagon and the government kept using hardware as long as it could. -- rjd ###### From: Terry Richards Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:50:02 -0400 Organization: Terry Richards Software Lines: 25 Message-ID: <37875D9A.4F39@idt.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <37871c59.77610049@netnews.worldnet.att.net> Reply-To: trs@idt.net NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp-4.ts-1.hp.idt.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-IDT-v5 (WinNT; U) To: decker067@aol.com Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news-peer.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news r j decker wrote: > > All this probably belongs in a car ng but my other memory of strange > cars was a Sprite looking roadster in the lot of a motorcycle dealer. > It was a Honda! At the time (late 70s) I didn't know Honda was making > cars. What struck me as I looked it over (on my way to buy another > cycle) was the tach - It went up to 14K, redlined at 12K as I recall. > Hardly what you'd ecpect in a car. I remember thinking that perhaps > the dealer had put a cycle engine in a car! > Honda S800 - 4 cyl, 4 carbs, 4 exhausts (probably merged to one at some point), DOHC, all roller crank. A beautiful engine much beloved of sidecar racers - one guy even welded 1 & 1/2 together to make a 6 cyl/1200 which sounded awesome on open pipes! Wish I had one now... I was programming FORTRAN on an ICL at the time... -- Terry Richards [cc: by mail] ###### From: gleason@mwk.com (Lee K. Gleason) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Message-ID: Date: 10 Jul 99 11:12:40 CST References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> Organization: M. W. Kellogg, Houston TX Lines: 14 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news-peer.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!panix!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!atl-news-feed1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!mwk!gleason In article , jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) writes: > I do believe the car sold as "Fairlady" in Japan was called the "240Z" > in the US. I cannot, however, find a reference to support that > assertion without doing a lot more digging. > I saw such a 240Z, badged as a "Fairlady", in Austin Texas, around that time. I presumed it had been imported by an individual, although, it was left hand drive, so it was a USA export model. Lee K. Gleason N5ZMR Control-G Consultants gleason@insync.net ###### From: decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 14:16:34 GMT Organization: alvis Lines: 18 Message-ID: <37875520.92146838@netnews.worldnet.att.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <37871c59.77610049@netnews.worldnet.att.net> Reply-To: decker067@aolnospam.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.78.116.142 X-Trace: bgtnsc01.worldnet.att.net 931616233 6632 12.78.116.142 (10 Jul 1999 14:17:13 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@worldnet.att.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 10 Jul 1999 14:17:13 GMT X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!wn4feed!worldnet.att.net!wnmaster2!not-for-mail On Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:41:13 GMT, decker067@aolnospam.com (r j decker) wrote: > >All this probably belongs in a car ng but my other memory of strange >cars was a Sprite looking roadster in the lot of a motorcycle dealer. >It was a Honda! At the time (late 70s) I didn't know Honda was making >cars. What struck me as I looked it over (on my way to buy another >cycle) was the tach - It went up to 14K, redlined at 12K as I recall. >Hardly what you'd ecpect in a car. I remember thinking that perhaps >the dealer had put a cycle engine in a car! Oops, I meant the late 60s (not 70s). Finger flub, sorry -- rjd ###### From: "Florin Soreanu" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 16:09:31 -0400 Lines: 15 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2014.211 NNTP-Posting-Host: tiger5-net209-151-143-ip237.ica.net Message-ID: <3787a745.0@lightning.ica.net> Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.planete.net!uunet!ffx.uu.net!in5.uu.net!news.uunet.ca!lightning.ica.net!tiger5-net209-151-143-ip237.ica.net | On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" | wrote: | | >Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. | | In the early 60s (late 50s?) Datsun / Nissan started selling its | rip-off of the MG Midget / AH Sprite in the US. The model name of the | car was "Fairlady". As you would expect it didn't move well. Nissan recently used Fairlady for their 300zx in Japan. I think the 200zx is called Sylvia there... Florin ###### From: nailed_barnacleSPAMFREE@hotmail.com (barnacle) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 18:56:00 GMT Organization: [posted via Easynet Ltd] Lines: 23 Message-ID: <7m84th$2cj1$1@quince.news.easynet.net> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> NNTP-Posting-Host: nbarnes.easynet.co.uk X-Trace: quince.news.easynet.net 931632881 78433 194.154.98.206 (10 Jul 1999 18:54:41 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@easynet.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 10 Jul 1999 18:54:41 GMT X-Newsreader: News Xpress 2.01 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!news-raspail.gip.net!news-lond.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!colt.net!easynet-tele!easynet.net!quince.news.easynet.net!egbert In article , jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) wrote: >On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:54:20, ab528@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Heinz W. >Wiggeshoff) wrote: > >> BTW, I thought this thread would drift into the Datsun F10 - a sorry >> rust bucket that the dealers actually tried to buy back in this salty >> country of Canada. > >You want to talk rust buckets: I so well remember the time I removed >a floor mat from my '73 240Z and dicovered I could see the pavement >through a 6 inch diameter hole in the floor. With some difficulty I >found a guy who would repair it; he riveted in the patch, having given >up welding them (yes, he had done a lot of these) ever since the time >he set someone's upholstery on fire. > Rust bucket indeed...I'll never forget the look of joy on my friendly bodyshop owners' face when I drove it in...but it's still the only car I've ever wanted back after I sold it! -- barnacle http://www.nbarnes.easynet.co.uk ###### From: andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 10 Jul 1999 20:08:08 GMT Organization: home Message-ID: <7m8978$1r5@cucumber.demon.co.uk> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <37a03358.150261807@news.concentric.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: cucumber X-NNTP-Posting-Host: cucumber.demon.co.uk:158.152.58.86 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 931637855 nnrp-08:9398 NO-IDENT cucumber.demon.co.uk:158.152.58.86 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net X-Newsreader: knews 0.9.6 Lines: 26 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!cucumber.demon.co.uk!usenet In article <37a03358.150261807@news.concentric.net>, magical@rahul.net (Me Again) writes: >On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" > wrote: > >> >>Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. > >The Nova story is more complicated than this. The way a Spanish speakers >pronounce "Nova" and the way they pronounce "no va" are different. So the joke >only works if they intentionally mispronounce the name. The MR2 has an interesting French problem... it sounds like shit. >When Standard Oil aka Esso changed their name to Exxon they chose "exxon" >partially because there is only one language that uses doubled x's in any form, >and exxon wasn't a word in that language, therefore exxon didn't already mean >something in any language anywhere in the world. UK's GPT company found they had a major problem opening a French office :-) -- Andrew Gabriel Consultant Software Engineer ###### From: huge@nospam.demon.co.uk (Huge) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 10 Jul 1999 20:23:14 GMT Organization: Piglet's Pickles and Preserves Message-ID: <7m8a3i$5ut@axalotl.demon.co.uk> References: <7m8978$1r5@cucumber.demon.co.uk> Reply-To: huge@nospam.demon.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Host: axalotl.demon.co.uk X-NNTP-Posting-Host: axalotl.demon.co.uk:158.152.24.143 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 931638672 nnrp-03:19950 NO-IDENT axalotl.demon.co.uk:158.152.24.143 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net x-no-archive: yes Lines: 15 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!axalotl.demon.co.uk!axalotl!usenet In article <7m8978$1r5@cucumber.demon.co.uk>, andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) writes: >UK's GPT company found they had a major problem opening a French >office :-) It's pronounced, j'ai pete. (jay pay-tay) It means "I have farted". -- "The road to Paradise is through Intercourse." The uk.transport FAQ; http://www.axalotl.demon.co.uk/transport/FAQ.html [Substitute "axalotl" for "nospam" to email me] ###### From: martin@ibert.com (Martin Ibert) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 21:19:08 GMT Organization: The Seventh Heaven, Berlin, Germany Lines: 11 Message-ID: <378cb8af.85382648@news> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> NNTP-Posting-Host: volterra.home.ibert.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news-feed.inet.tele.dk!bofh.vszbr.cz!unlisys!news.snafu.de!home.ibert.com!news On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" >Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. Chevy? I thought you were talking about a Lada Nova. -- >> Please visit http://www.ibert.com/ for further information. << ----------------------------------------------------------------- Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Remember the heroes of Tiananmen Square, Beijing, P. R. of China! ###### From: jvarela@mind-spring.com (John Varela) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 10 Jul 1999 21:34:07 GMT Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Lines: 18 Message-ID: References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> <7m84th$2cj1$1@quince.news.easynet.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: a5.f7.4a.e0 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Newsreader: ProNews/2 Version 1.50 Beta 1 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!firehose.mindspring.com!not-for-mail On Sat, 10 Jul 1999 18:56:00, nailed_barnacleSPAMFREE@hotmail.com (barnacle) wrote: > Rust bucket indeed...I'll never forget the look of joy on my friendly bodyshop > owners' face when I drove it in...but it's still the only car I've ever wanted > back after I sold it! Before the 240Z I had an MGB. Once when I took it in to my local foreign car mechanic (MGs were foreign cars in the USA) I noticed he had an MG crankshaft sitting on his work bench. He remarked, "Thank God for the MGB." That made me feel really good. The 240Z was faster, more comfortable, and cornered better than the MG, but the MG was a lot more fun to drive. -- John "ask me about my MG-derived prostate problem" Varela to e-mail, remove - between mind and spring ###### From: spamhater@ucesucks.nouce.com (Rich) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <3785db9e.29236757@netnews.worldnet.att.net> <7m623c$3b6@freenet-news.carleton.ca> Organization: Not really Reply-To: spamhater@ucesucks.nouce.com X-no-archive: yes Message-ID: User-Agent: slrn/0.9.5.3 (UNIX) Lines: 33 Date: Sun, 11 Jul 1999 04:24:17 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.93.21.23 X-Complaints-To: abuse@rochester.rr.com X-Trace: newsr2.twcny.rr.com 931667057 24.93.21.23 (Sun, 11 Jul 1999 00:24:17 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 11 Jul 1999 00:24:17 EDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!enews.sgi.com!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!newsfeed.cwix.com!24.92.226.85!newsf1.twcny.rr.com!newsr2.twcny.rr.com.POSTED!spamhater On 10 Jul 1999 02:46:38 GMT, John Varela wrote: >On Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:54:20, ab528@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Heinz W. >Wiggeshoff) wrote: > >> BTW, I thought this thread would drift into the Datsun F10 - a sorry >> rust bucket that the dealers actually tried to buy back in this salty >> country of Canada. > >You want to talk rust buckets: I so well remember the time I removed >a floor mat from my '73 240Z and dicovered I could see the pavement >through a 6 inch diameter hole in the floor. With some difficulty I >found a guy who would repair it; he riveted in the patch, having given >up welding them (yes, he had done a lot of these) ever since the time >he set someone's upholstery on fire. Only 6 inches? Child's play! I used to own a 1969 Ford Maverick - a car so poorly made that it rusted in the showroom. When I bought mine in 1985 ( for $50 ), about 40% of the body has been replaced with pop-riveted sheet metal. The left rear floor had a hole than was about 6 inches wide, and ran from the edge of the inside wall to the transmission hump. My solution? An aluminum cookie sheet - just the right size! I finally had to dump the car three years later when a tire blew, and I couldn't replace it because the jack kept punching through the frame/body. I had to have it winched up on a flat-bed. God, I loved that car. :-) - Rich ###### From: andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 11 Jul 1999 10:08:58 GMT Organization: home Message-ID: <7m9qfq$r0@cucumber.demon.co.uk> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <378cb8af.85382648@news> NNTP-Posting-Host: cucumber X-NNTP-Posting-Host: cucumber.demon.co.uk:158.152.58.86 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 931713089 nnrp-06:14546 NO-IDENT cucumber.demon.co.uk:158.152.58.86 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net X-Newsreader: knews 0.9.6 Lines: 15 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!uunet!ams.uu.net!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news-lond.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!cucumber.demon.co.uk!usenet In article <378cb8af.85382648@news>, martin@ibert.com (Martin Ibert) writes: >On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" > >>Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. > >Chevy? I thought you were talking about a Lada Nova. There was a special edition in the UK, probably aimed at sporty teenagers or twenty-somethings, called Casa Nova... -- Andrew Gabriel Consultant Software Engineer ###### From: alex*@*rockvax.rockefeller.edu (Alexandre Pechtchanski) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Organization: Rockefeller University Hospital (GCRC), New York Message-ID: <37905aa2.958490155@Rockyd> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <378cb8af.85382648@news> X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 15 Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 21:17:17 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.85.24.56 X-Trace: rockyd.rockefeller.edu 931814385 129.85.24.56 (Mon, 12 Jul 1999 17:19:45 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 17:19:45 EDT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.nyu.edu!rockyd.rockefeller.edu!not-for-mail On Sat, 10 Jul 1999 21:19:08 GMT, martin@ibert.com (Martin Ibert) wrote: >On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" > >>Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. > >Chevy? I thought you were talking about a Lada Nova. If USSR cars are worth mentioning, one of them, "Zaporozhets" was renamed "Yalta" for sale in Scandinavia (although who in their right mind will buy a car that attempts [and miserably failing] to heat a cabin with a gas burner for Northern countries is beyond me). [ When replying, remove *'s from address ] Alexandre Pechtchanski, Systems Manager, RUH, NY ###### From: Jim Stewart Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 21:43:01 -0700 Organization: Airnews.net! at Internet America Lines: 19 Message-ID: <307EE6344DC7CC46.67E87EA71E9628CD.2680ED9C56710F02@lp.airnews.net> X-Orig-Message-ID: <3792ACD5.17F6413E@jkmicro.com> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> Reply-To: jstewart@jkmicro.com Abuse-Reports-To: abuse at airmail.net to report improper postings NNTP-Proxy-Relay: library1.airnews.net NNTP-Posting-Time: Sun Jul 18 23:22:02 1999 NNTP-Posting-Host: !X]\g1k-X$X#[:2FV&,4AS`-Y (Encoded at Airnews!) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; I) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!firehose.mindspring.net!news.airnews.net!cabal10.airnews.net!cabal1.airnews.net!news-f.iadfw.net!usenet Bruce Hoult wrote: > In article , rhc@world.std.com (Rich Clancey) wrote: > > > I thought Honeywell Bull was much dumber. "Wang" is a very > > common Chinese name, and doesn't sound odd to people who live on the > > West Coast, for example. But "Bull" was just a dopey mistake by some > > French Company, and nobody bothered to tell them not to make a zillion > > dollar mistake. > > Don't forget Linotype-Hell AG. I seem to recall seeing a Toshiba Tosbac mainframe on a trip to Tokyo in the 80's. ###### From: eldredge@poboxes.com (John F. Eldredge) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 22:59:45 GMT Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <378cb8af.85382648@news> <37905aa2.958490155@Rockyd> X-Posted-Path-Was: not-for-mail Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-ELN-Date: 18 Jul 1999 22:59:47 GMT X-ELN-Insert-Date: Sun Jul 18 16:05:09 1999 Organization: EarthLink Network, Inc. X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 Lines: 25 Mime-Version: 1.0 NNTP-Posting-Host: ip101.nashville3.tn.pub-ip.psi.net Message-ID: <37924979.86562042@news.earthlink.net> Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!enews.sgi.com!nntp.primenet.com!nntp.gctr.net!newspeer1.nac.net!netnews.com!feeder.qis.net!newsfeed1.earthlink.net!nntp.earthlink.net!posted-from-earthlink!not-for-mail On Mon, 12 Jul 1999 21:17:17 GMT, alex*@*rockvax.rockefeller.edu (Alexandre Pechtchanski) wrote: >On Sat, 10 Jul 1999 21:19:08 GMT, martin@ibert.com (Martin Ibert) wrote: > >>On Thu, 08 Jul 1999 17:33:25 GMT, "Shannon and Vanessa Nelson" >> >>>Can you say Chevy Nova? The words "no va" mean "doesn't go" in Spanish. >> >>Chevy? I thought you were talking about a Lada Nova. > >If USSR cars are worth mentioning, one of them, "Zaporozhets" was renamed >"Yalta" for sale in Scandinavia (although who in their right mind will buy a car >that attempts [and miserably failing] to heat a cabin with a gas burner for >Northern countries is beyond me). My father used to own a Volkswagen van. The side door was nowhere near airtight, so riding in the back of the van in winter was almost as cold and windy as riding on the roof of the van would have been. -- John F. Eldredge -- eldredge@poboxes.com PGP key available from http://www.netforward.com/poboxes/?eldredge/ -- "There must be, not a balance of power, but a community of power; not organized rivalries, but an organized common peace." - Woodrow Wilson ###### From: Donald Fisk Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 12:10:01 +0100 Organization: EUnet Belgium, Leuven, Belgium Lines: 18 Message-ID: <37A97109.D252D54@geenspam.inthan.be> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <37a03358.150261807@news.concentric.net> <7m8978$1r5@cucumber.demon.co.uk> Reply-To: dfisk@geenspam.inthan.be NNTP-Posting-Host: mail.inthan.be Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en,fr,zh Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.cwix.com!134.222.90.2!EU.net!Belgium.EU.net!news0.Belgium.EU.net!newsr.Belgium.EU.net!master.inthan.be!nobody Andrew Gabriel wrote: > The MR2 has an interesting French problem... it sounds like shit. > UK's GPT company found they had a major problem opening a French > office :-) Now that we're doing a funny corporate names thread, there's an Italian company (that makes refrigerators) called Smeg. See http://www.smeg.it/ > Andrew Gabriel -- Le Hibou (ma propre opinion) Remove Dutch for "no spam" when replying. "it is really very simple. functional programming means that it is functional, like a machine, a family, a sex life. other programming is by inference dysfunctional. " -- Erik Naggum ###### From: cbh@REMOVE_THIS.teabag.demon.co.uk (Chris Hedley) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Does the name "Wang" still make you giggle? Date: 5 Aug 1999 12:30:32 GMT Organization: Honest Chris' Sysadmin Emporium Message-ID: <7oc058$6ei$11@teabag.demon.co.uk> References: <19990630113009.08648.00006654@ng-fa1.aol.com> <7lgjb7$17k@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <01bec967$f34a4d60$9f0b1ad8@snelson3-home> <37a03358.150261807@news.concentric.net> <7m8978$1r5@cucumber.demon.co.uk> <37A97109.D252D54@geenspam.inthan.be> NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost X-NNTP-Posting-Host: teabag.demon.co.uk:193.237.4.110 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 933856275 nnrp-01:15772 NO-IDENT teabag.demon.co.uk:193.237.4.110 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii NNTP-Posting-Date: 5 Aug 1999 12:30:32 GMT X-Newsreader: knews 1.0b.0 Lines: 10 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news-fra1.dfn.de!news-lei1.dfn.de!news-nue1.dfn.de!uni-erlangen.de!newsfeed.nacamar.de!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!teabag.demon.co.uk!localhost!not-for-mail In article <37A97109.D252D54@geenspam.inthan.be>, Donald Fisk writes: > Now that we're doing a funny corporate names thread, there's > an Italian company (that makes refrigerators) called Smeg. > See http://www.smeg.it/ Hmm, that one caused my browser so much hilarity that it eventually crashed. Chris.