Buick Mispronounces its Own SUV's Name

Brandon Sommerville wrote:

Sure, and a lot of worse things.

However, in Mexico, the cheapest (and very popular) grade of gasoline is called "Nova." Do you suppose they buy it becasue it means, No Go?

I found a better explanation at

: "chevrolet nova : 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 "nova" and think "Hey, this car doesn't go!" is akin to assuming that English speakers woud spurn a dinetteset sold under the name Notable because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table. Although "no va" can be literally translated as "no go," it would be a curious locution for a speaker of Spanish to use in reference to a car. Just as an English speaker would describe a broken-down car by saying that it "doesn't run" rather than it "doesn't go," so a Spanish speaker would refer to a malfunctioning automobile by saying "no marcha" or "no funciona" or "no camina" rather than "no va." Pemex (the Mexican government-owned oil monopoly) sold (and still sells) gasoline in Mexico under the name "Nova." If Mexicans were going to associate anything with theChevrolet Nova based on its name, it would probably be this gasoline. In any case, if Mexicans had no compunctions about filling the tanks of their cars with a type of gasoline whose name advertised that it "didn't go," why would they reject a similarly-named automobile?"

Ed

Good lord. *No one* is assuming that people would think that the car wouldn't go because of the name. It's just that *someone* down there who didn't like the car and who had a sense of humour (something that appears to be lacking up here!) would make the connection and laugh about it. If the car flopped it wasn't due exclusively to the name, but I'm sure that it played a small part.

Would the Mustang have been as successful if it was called the Swayback? Maybe, but I doubt it.

True enough. That's why I always thought it would have been funny if the Ford Expedition had been named the 'Clydesdale' instead.

DMN

Unless you're quarterback Joe Theismann. The story was that he and his family pronounced it 'THEES-man' until he became a serious candidate for the Heisman (HIZE-man) trophy, at which time he and Notre Dame's Sports Information Department began demanding that he be called Joe 'THIZE-man'. Which, of course, rhymes with Heisman.

But 1970 was a star-studded year for college quarterbacks, and he only finished second.

DMN

Irrelevant comparison. Nova in spanish is not derogatory. I can see your point about people making fun of the car after the fact - like people who call Explorers, Exploders.

Ed

I think Clydesdale was intended for the Excursion.

Ed

Referring to it as "Doesn't go" is hardly complimentary.

If names weren't important then Acura would never have gotten rid of the Legend and Integra monikers, the Dodge Neon in Canada wouldn't be the SX, the Focus would still be the Tempo, etc, etc, etc...

While a name will probably never be the deciding factor in a car purchase it is certainly a subconscious factor.

Not magical, but different. To say otherwise is rather bizarre. It reminds me of the Saturday Night Live skit in which they spoof Celebrity Jeopardy, and the Sean Connery character deliberately mispronounces the category "An Album Cover" into "Anal Bum Cover."

When playing with names it's amazing what you can do.

That was one of several similar gags from this recurring sketch, including the pronunciation of '"S" Words' as 'swords' and the aforementioned 'Therapists' as 'the rapists.'

MY GOD GET OVER IT ALREADY.......

Nope. Now I know you are an idiot. Ask someone who speaks the language, not a computer.

Are you that stupid? Read the link. Each sounds distinctly different.

Problem is, the car did not flop, it sold far better than expected.

Pretty much shows you are wrong.

And no English speaking person would associate the term "Explorer" with "Exploder", yet it happens. Amazing, isn't it?

I have never claimed either way whether or not I believed it. I don't know enough about the sales history to make a claim either way. All that I have been defending was that it is likely that someone made the claim that it "Doesn't go".

How can I be wrong when I never made a claim either way?

You've conveyed the belief that due to similarities between the word 'nova' and the phrase 'no va,' the car's "bad name" resulted in ridicule among some Spanish-speakers/readers.

Now you're comparing this to a scenario in which a deliberate connection is made between two otherwise unrelated words. This can be done with *ANY* name, and has _nothing_ to do with poor judgment on the part of an automobile manufacturer.

One Usenet poster has referred to me (and many other people with the same first name) as 'Davidiot.' Does that mean that my parents selected an inappropriate name?

Has anyone ever called you 'Brandon Dumberville'? (which, FYI, I'm not doing) If so, does that mean that you have a "bad" surname?

That you completely ignored the bulk of my message? No, not really.

You also implied that there was no pronunciation difference between "nova" and "no va," and that the car was marketed under a "bad name."

Yes, some jokers *did* instigate a widely circulated rumor that the car's name translated to "doesn't go." These were English-speakers/readers, of course. Spanish-speaking/reading people know their language well enough not to believe such sheer nonsense.

Which it surely did. Those who didn't like the car would have made fun of it and added the significant space.

It shows how people can do anything with a name. The Nova's name is spelt almost identically to no va and thus the connection is easier. Would someone be confused by it? No. That doesn't mean that the connection can't be made.

No, it would simply mean that someone was reaching for a reason to discount any arguments made by the affected poster. Much like people looking for a reason not to buy the Nova might say "hey, if you tweak the name a little it just doesn't go!". The same way FORD is often referred to as "Found on road dead" or "Fix or repair daily". Hell, I knew a girl with a Chevette who referred to her car as the 'vette. She didn't do it seriously but she thought it funny when people believed that she had a Corvette. It's all in the name.

Because you were simply saying the same thing.