The Annals of Unfortunate Naming

This thread was motivated by one specific sighting, but I imagine it could turn into a nice running repository of notions, like the threads on signage, memories of favorite no-longer-in-business spots, "One Perfect Thing", "I could do a commercial", etc...

Anyway, spotted in this week's Time Out Chicago, Osteria Via Stato’s Pomegranate–Pink Peppercorn–Thyme Gastrotail.


Please share your encounters with bizarre monikers for restaurants, dishes, beverages, or the like...

In Webster, Texas, just south of Houston, there is a Tex-Mex restaurant called Pinche's Tequila Grill. I can only assume that the owners found "pinche" in a Spanish-English dictionary and went with the definition of "kitchen boy," unware that to the Mexican population in Southeast Texas, it would have a much different meaning.

Two words: Spotted Dick

stevez wrote:Two words: Spotted Dick

I actually gave this can as a birthday gift to a poker buddy who laughed nervously and then quickly put it in the kitchen cabinet, out of eye-shot of wife, children and other guests.

Last year, on a trip to London, I was having dinner at The Old Cheshire Cheese, and I noticed a young couple, obviously American, with two adorable little boys, sitting in a booth nearby. The boys, though fairly young, were poring over the menu with the studied attention of veteran diners -- until they got to the dessert section and saw spotted dick. The first one to see it almost exploded with the impact of this discover -- "Dad, dad, did you see this?" The two tykes then dissolved into giggles that were only slightly calmed by the waitress explaining that it's a steamed pudding with currants (and a real delight, if you have the chance to try it). But the façade of adult behavior was gone, and while still well behaved, the two boys continued to elbow each other and giggle for some time. It was great fun, and made me rather glad for the "unfortunate name."

Funny that Pocari Sweat should come up in another thread today. According to a guy I knew who worked on the American product launch, that was one where the Japanese company had had huge success with the name in Japan and couldn't be told that 1) Americans didn't want to drink sweat, even if it made sense that that was what you were replenishing with a sports drink, and 2) Blue is not a food or drink color. (Although the latter is no longer true-- there are other blue sports drinks on the market.)

http://www1.sphere.ne.jp/mucci/mono/pocarie.htm

I love huitlacoche.

I hate when menus call it "corn smut".

I have also never been fond of the name "Bloody Mary".

In defense of the Bloody Mary, while I recognize the possibilities for unappetizing connotations, it is in the grand tradition of often macabre English names for food and drink, and may have been named for Mary Tudor (although it was apparently invented in Paris, per the infallible Internet). Another of course is the infamous Spotted Dick, and as any reader of Patrick O'Brian will know, there are many others including, most memorably, Boiled Baby.

stevez wrote:Two words: Spotted Dick

Apparently unfavorable enough that the Tesco grocery chain considered trying to change the name to "Spotted Richard," as covered by the CBC in 2001!
mmm, suet...

germuska wrote:

stevez wrote:Two words: Spotted Dick

Apparently unfavorable enough that the Tesco grocery chain considered trying to change the name to "Spotted Richard," as covered by the CBC in 2001!
mmm, suet...

Kind of silly, actually, since the dessert already has an almost equally traditional alternative name -- spotted dog.

eatchicago wrote:I love huitlacoche.

I hate when menus call it "corn smut".

The "new" name is "corn truffle". Gotta love those marketing wizards!

Bill/SFNM

eatchicago wrote:I love huitlacoche.

I hate when menus call it "corn smut".

This one's for you, then:

How about "Bubble and Squeek" or "Bangers"?

and more

[Edited to replace links with pictures]

m'th'su wrote:http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/image/466/

Ooh, that's bad.

It's dried betel leaf, or bai phloo hâeng.

E.M.

how 'bout just in time for the holidays:

http://www.brachs.com/products/product. ... _code=462c

the s/o brought home all the varieties of Brach's seasonal offerings a couple days ago...not much diversity flavorwise(spearmint, peppermint, lemon, apple, raspberry, fruit, cherry), but still purty yummy. I'd like to have clove, orange spice, and wintergreen...but, what can ya do?

Christopher Gordon wrote:how 'bout just in time for the holidays:

http://www.brachs.com/products/product. ... _code=462c

I figured this kind of candy probably had an actual name, other than hard candy with pictures in it, but I never knew what it was. So it's cut rock, eh? Thanks.

Bill/SFNM wrote:

eatchicago wrote:I love huitlacoche.

I hate when menus call it "corn smut".

The "new" name is "corn truffle". Gotta love those marketing wizards!

Bill/SFNM

The number of different euphemisms for huitlacoche that I saw on my recent Mexican trip was nothing short of amazing.

As far as huitlacoche goes-it would be more a case of unfortunate naming if menus translated it from the Aztec language(Nahuatl)
Huitlatl=excrement
Coche=raven