Re:Why our product went viral in Brazil for the wrong reasons
by samatman on Saturday March 23, 2013 @02:31PM
(#5429147)
The Chevy Nova is another oft-cited example; "No va" means "it doesn't go" in Spanish.
Re:Why our product went viral in Brazil for the wrong reasons
by itafroma on Saturday March 23, 2013 @02:49PM
(#5429235)
That story is apocryphal[1]. To use the example Snopes used, "nova" in Spanish doesn't mean "doesn't go" any more than "notable" means "no table" in English.
Re:Why our product went viral in Brazil for the wrong reasons
by icebraining on Saturday March 23, 2013 @12:16PM
(#5428641)
I'd just like to point out that pinto only refers to the male anatomy in Brazil. Here in Portugal - and probably in other Portuguese speaking countries -, a "pinto" is just a young chicken.
Re:Why our product went viral in Brazil for the wrong reasons
by gabriel34 on Saturday March 23, 2013 @03:18PM
(#5429354)
Still a bad name for a car though.
Also, I think the Pinto never made it to Brazil.
This isn't the first time a brand has had to rethink its name to adjust to the local language. The Ford Pinto was re-dubbed when it entered Brazil because pinto in Portuguese is a word reserved for the male anatomy. It also happens the other way: the Nissan 350Z from the 80s was called the Fair Lady in Japan, which would likely never have resonated with its target demographic in the U.S.