English names that sound funny to Mandarin speakers (Tweet)

[Nittersing]

Link to tweet

[EYESORE 9001]

1. Funny

Years ago, there was a brand of instant coffee arbitrarily named Sanka. Sales in Japan were dismal until someone realized ‘sanka’ was their word for ‘disaster’. General Foods gave it a different name in Japan.

[Best_man23]

2. Well, the Japanese were not wrong

If you're drinking Sanka, its a disaster.

Full disclosure: coffee snob here.

[EYESORE 9001]

3. I concur with that assessment

I gave up instant coffee many years ago, and I’ll never go back. Never!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. I thought Sanka was decaffinated, hence "sans caffeine" thus Sanka. . . . . nt

[ProfessorGAC]

7. That Is Correct

Fun fact:
Before the cold water extraction process was developed, they decaffeinated coffee using methylene chloride, now a known carcinogen. The most important flavor components are soluble in warm water & not chlorinated solvents, so they could extraction caffeine without reducing the flavor.
I doubt they left any measurable amount behind, but still...

[JoseBalow]

5. Like the Chevy Nova in Mexico

"No va" means "doesn't go" in Spanish

[Harker]

6. Sanka verra mush.