On Sat, 24 May 2003 15:01:28 GMT, Michael Benveniste <mhb@clearether.com> wrote:

>On Sat, 24 May 2003 13:58:52 GMT, d_ruether@hotmail.com (Neuman - Ruether)

>wrote:

>

>>OT, but I've been amused by GM car names, especially

>>those for the Chevrolet, as in Citation ("traffic ticket"),

>>Caprice ("joke"), Nova ("doesn't go", in Spanish),

>

>Citations, of course, can be both good or bad. The meaning of caprice

>is more of a whim than a joke, but one etamology is from the Italian

>"to shudder." Both are awful names that could have only been born in

>a focus group. I'm convinced that "Impact" was an intentional slam at

>California and at CARB in particular.

>

>As for Nova, "no go" is pretty much an urban legend. See:

>http://www.snopes2.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm

>

>I suspect any company that uses names instead of numbers has run into

>the same thing. How can one face an English (or Latin) teacher after

>buy _a_ Mazda Millenia? How many American men have had to explain why

>they hired an Escort when in England? Or worse, engaged one?

>--

>Michael Benveniste -- mhb@clearether.com

>Who once owned an Merkur XR4Ti, which was German for "falls apart."

Thanks for the clarifications/corrections/additions! ;-)