Products with names that could be misinterpreted

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683562

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Would like some member comments please.

Would you by an electronic product if it had the brand name of Ringway?

The brand comes from a non English speaking country.

What reaction do you have to the brand name Ringway?

Does the name carry dignity and respect.

Does it sound amusing or funny.

Does it have any negative or rude meaning in the English speaking culture.

If the product was a TV or musical instrument, would the name encourage you to buy it, or put you off completely?

Any feedback will be most kindly appreciated.
 

Jason

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Ringway is several UK placenames, including the location of Manchester Airport, sometimes called Ringway. It is also a slang term for circular roads around city centres.

Reaction is pretty bland. Nothing particularly wrong with the name, but nothing right with it either.
 

midlifebear

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One of the most famous marketing gaffs was General Motors attempt at selling one of their usual poorly engineered "small" cars in Mexico and Central America. It was the Nova. Everyone who speaks spanish recognizes the word nova to mean the same as it does in English, an exploding star, but it was a great pun in Spanish because it also meant "no go[ing]" (va being the second person singular indicative conjugation for the verb ir which means to go). Sales in the 1970s were less than stellar for the Chevy Nova.
 

ManchesterTom

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The word RING does have some other uses in slang.

Too hot Curry, or potent chillies for example, can cause "Ring Sting" meaning burning anus.

So in some conversations people might be heard to say. "It burns my ring." meaning that they are unhappy about a situation. An equivalent saying would be "It burns my arse" that ..............

If the word Ring can be used with reference anus, arsehole, bum etc, then maybe Ringway can have a sexual meaning of anal sex. What was the latin? Contra Natura?
 
6

683562

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Hmmmm.....the original post reads like a market research survey.

Well, its just me trying to find out if the name Ringway is an acceptable name in English.

I personally don't think that it is a great name in a Western English speaking culture.

The LSPG forum represents a great cross section of English speaking people, who are mostly Westernised, and who know about slang uses, and what is acceptable and what would creep normal folk out.

On reading the posts on this forum, I find that the large majority of posters, are fantastically honest, pretty well read and well informed and not scared to say what's on their mind.

Where else can you find such a bunch of people?

I have personally been offered some electronic equipment to sell, but I'm scared that I might burn my fingers (or my RING for that matter) if the name has unsavory meanings. Which is why I am asking forumites for their advice.

DD
 

willow78

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To be honest, I wouldn't really give it much thought. If I like the product and it meets my needs, I don't think about the 'brand' name.

I don't have any issues with the name "Ringway" It might raise a few giggles but it's not outright offensive or rude. I don't think it would cause problems or even affect sales.

There is a brand of kitchen/domestic appliances called "Smeg" - a lot of people (wrongly) associate the name with the word 'smegma'. People laugh about the name but they are considered an industry leader in design/innovation and a very popular brand world-wide. The name actually comes from Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla (Guastalla metal enameling factory) in Italy.
 
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SilverTrain

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Would like some member comments please.

Would you by an electronic product if it had the brand name of Ringway?

The brand comes from a non English speaking country.

What reaction do you have to the brand name Ringway?

Does the name carry dignity and respect.Ringworm

Does it sound amusing or funny.

Does it have any negative or rude meaning in the English speaking culture.

If the product was a TV or musical instrument, would the name encourage you to buy it, or put you off completely?

Any feedback will be most kindly appreciated.

It's rather close to "Ringworm", a term which brings only negative connotations.

Ringworm
 

willow78

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Bbucko

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Well, its just me trying to find out if the name Ringway is an acceptable name in English.

I personally don't think that it is a great name in a Western English speaking culture.

The LSPG forum represents a great cross section of English speaking people, who are mostly Westernised, and who know about slang uses, and what is acceptable and what would creep normal folk out.

On reading the posts on this forum, I find that the large majority of posters, are fantastically honest, pretty well read and well informed and not scared to say what's on their mind.

Where else can you find such a bunch of people?

I have personally been offered some electronic equipment to sell, but I'm scared that I might burn my fingers (or my RING for that matter) if the name has unsavory meanings. Which is why I am asking forumites for their advice.

DD

You're being extremely coy regarding what you consider to be an "unsavory meaning" to the term Ringway. I have as much appreciation for irony and/or unintended smutty references as the next guy, but I find nothing untoward in the name whatsoever.

Care to enlighten us? The OP and the post quoted above are your only contribution to LPSG so far, and you seem to be greatly offended by something so completely banal. I'm not being really snarky, I just don't get the indignation and outrage.

I agree with Willow78: there's a strange spammy odor around here.
 

b.c.

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Ringway doesn't conjure up anything even remotely "electronic" in my mind. First word that came to my mind was "ringworm". Ringway sounds more like a bathroom product to me (cleanser, soap, or disinfectant). Or even (oddly enough) an orthopedic product. (go figure...)

I guess it all depends on how well marketing instills the name in the mind of the consumer and associates it with electronics.

I remember when Radio Shack had the "Realistic" brand of radios. In time the brand became associated with cheap stuff as opposed to high end equipment, causing the company to change marketing strategies . That was strange since some of the brand's earlier equipment (we're speaking of the days of integrated amps and stuff) had pretty respectable specs (for off the shelf general consumer merchandise, that is).

Best Buy stocks a house brand called "Insignia"--not a bad name, though (I understand) the equipment comes from various sources.

But Ringway?? Nah... not likely to run out and get one of those (knock on wood). :cool:
 
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hypoc8

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I remember walking through a local store a few years back and just happened to look up and see a jar labeled SpongeDick. I have no earthly idea what the hell it was suppose to be but got a good laugh anyhow.