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Off topic: Personal names that are involuntarily funny/horrible/inappropriate in a different language
Thread poster: Daniel Frisano
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 11:10
Danish to English
+ ...
Richard Sep 22, 2017

Sarah Lewis-Morgan wrote:

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

“Kok” is a Dutch surname, and I’ve even met one of them whose first name was “Dick”.



[Edited at 2017-09-22 00:05 GMT]


Dick is not an uncommon first name in the UK, as an abbreviation of Richard. It is not viewed as offensive in the way it is in the US.


I know. It should be seen in connection with the particular surname I referred to.


 
Jessica Noyes
Jessica Noyes  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:10
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
Randy Sep 22, 2017

My Canadian friend, Randy, provoked a lot of double-takes when he was visiting the U.K.

 
Mark
Mark
Local time: 12:10
Italian to English
Pippa Sep 22, 2017

It seems incredible that no one has mentioned this: perhaps it’s well known? Pippa, as in Middleton for example, is an instance of male masturbation in Italian.

 
Roni_S
Roni_S  Identity Verified
Slovakia
Local time: 12:10
Slovak to English
Lawyers Sep 22, 2017

I know of a lawyer whose last name "Horný" is a perfectly normal surname in his home country of Slovakia, but was the source of an endless stream of comments and jokes when he spent a year at a US law firm.

There is a well-known AG at the CJEU whose surname is "Kokott", a popular vulgarity in Slovak (albeit with a slightly different spelling).

Years ago I saw an advertisement on a bus bench for a real estate broker whose first name was Dick, last name Berst. Definitely
... See more
I know of a lawyer whose last name "Horný" is a perfectly normal surname in his home country of Slovakia, but was the source of an endless stream of comments and jokes when he spent a year at a US law firm.

There is a well-known AG at the CJEU whose surname is "Kokott", a popular vulgarity in Slovak (albeit with a slightly different spelling).

Years ago I saw an advertisement on a bus bench for a real estate broker whose first name was Dick, last name Berst. Definitely chuckle-worthy in my book.
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Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 11:10
Danish to English
+ ...
Was his surname Pratt? Sep 22, 2017

Jessica Noyes wrote:

My Canadian friend, Randy, provoked a lot of double-takes when he was visiting the U.K.


Was his surname Pratt?

Peter

According to normal French pronunciation, "Peter" should be pronounced "péteur". However, as this literally means "farter", the French use the English pronunciation instead. A friend of mine once lived in Paris for a year. He once told me a girl at his bank seemed to start sniggering a bit when he said his name, Peter, the way he thought the French would pronounce it. I told him why.


 
Melanie Meyer
Melanie Meyer  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:10
Member (2010)
English to German
+ ...
Soccer jersey disaster Sep 22, 2017

The last name of a boy on my son's soccer team is 'Fick'. I sure hope that the poor guy never travels to Germany.

 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 11:10
Danish to English
+ ...
Fick Sep 22, 2017

Melanie Meyer wrote:

The last name of a boy on my son's soccer team is 'Fick'. I sure hope that the poor guy never travels to Germany.


Maybe he could present himself as Herr Flick in Germany instead.


 
Melanie Meyer
Melanie Meyer  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:10
Member (2010)
English to German
+ ...
Flick Sep 22, 2017

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

Melanie Meyer wrote:

The last name of a boy on my son's soccer team is 'Fick'. I sure hope that the poor guy never travels to Germany.


Maybe he could present himself as Herr Flick in Germany instead.



Good idea – maybe that is how the name Flick came about in the first place!


 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:10
German to English
+ ...
a physician Sep 22, 2017

I was under the care of a Dr. Nurse for my first child, who also delivered the baby. For the 2nd child we were in a different town and when registering, we had this exchange:

receptionist: Name?
me: (gave name)
receptionist: Doctor for first child?
me: Nurse
she: No, doctor
me: Nurse
she: The name of the doctor.
me: Dr. Nurse
She: I'm sure you had a doctor and a nurse attending. I need the name of the doctor.
me: His name is D
... See more
I was under the care of a Dr. Nurse for my first child, who also delivered the baby. For the 2nd child we were in a different town and when registering, we had this exchange:

receptionist: Name?
me: (gave name)
receptionist: Doctor for first child?
me: Nurse
she: No, doctor
me: Nurse
she: The name of the doctor.
me: Dr. Nurse
She: I'm sure you had a doctor and a nurse attending. I need the name of the doctor.
me: His name is Dr. Nurse.
she: Oh
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Miyoung Park
Miyoung Park  Identity Verified
South Korea
Local time: 20:10
English to Korean
BOGGI Sep 22, 2017

Italian fashion brand 'Boggi' sounds 'c*nt' in Korean. They changed its pronunciation from /dʒ/ to /g/ when they launched it in South Korea.

[Edited at 2017-09-22 17:56 GMT]


 
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
Sarah Lewis-Morgan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:10
Member (2014)
German to English
+ ...
Oops Sep 22, 2017

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

Sarah Lewis-Morgan wrote:

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

“Kok” is a Dutch surname, and I’ve even met one of them whose first name was “Dick”.



[Edited at 2017-09-22 00:05 GMT]


Dick is not an uncommon first name in the UK, as an abbreviation of Richard. It is not viewed as offensive in the way it is in the US.


I know. It should be seen in connection with the particular surname I referred to.


Obviously I was a bit slow on the uptake!


 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:10
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Mrs. Standfast Sep 23, 2017

My wife's maiden name is Standfast.
During the Second World War, her mother went into a library in Devon and asked for the book "Mr. Standfast" by John Buchan.

Librarian: "What is your name, Madam?"

Mother-in-law: "Mrs. Standfast."

Librarian: "No, Madam, what is your own name?"

Mother-in-law: "Mrs. Standfast".

Fortunately during the war everyone had to carry an identity card, so she was finally able to prove her name.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:10
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Architects Sep 23, 2017

There is a big firm of architects in NYC called Wank, Adams, and Slavin.

http://bit.ly/2xAbHG3


 
polyglot45
polyglot45
English to French
+ ...
baby foods Sep 23, 2017

There is an American firm called "Gerber", which has to insist heavily on the Germanic pronuncation of its name when marketing the brand in France, since the verb "gerber" means to throw up, upchuck, puke. Not what parents want for their babies !

 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:10
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Well-named firm of solicitors Sep 23, 2017

(Unfortunately it no longer exists).

SUE, GRABBIT & RUNN LIMITED

56/60 Hallum Street, London, W1N 5LH


 
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Personal names that are involuntarily funny/horrible/inappropriate in a different language






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