What’s in a Name?

According to Alyce Cornyn Selby’s book: I’m Going to Change My Name and Move Away – damned near everything. Your name is the only thing you truly own.

Some of my favorite company names are the unusual ones. Umpqua Bank and IKEA come to mind. Umpqua because it means something – IKEA cuz it means something too – cheap stuff for your home! We hit the local IKEA store hard recently. We moved back to the Northwest from New York and isn’t funny how you always need new stuff when you move? Anyway – as a double bonus this IKEA is in Portland, Oregon the land of no sales tax. We were drunk with purchasing power.

The first thing I had to have were three DIMPAs at $1.50 each. I loved my FRAKTA and these were perfect for groceries. We considered buying the VEJMON and a BESTA but when we got to the warehouse the price was different (more) than the display for the first and parts were missing on the second.

Mark would have none of it. And that’s when he got agitated and started making up meanings.

He’s pretty sure that VEJMON is code for sucker! and BESTA is Swedish slang for crap! But when he called my RATIONELL VARIERA a feces strainer, I about lost it.

Advertising agencies and their clients agonize over naming a product. I’ve been pretty outspoken about some of the name changes in credit union land. Some of them feel – well IKEA-ish – like they were pulled right out of someone’s SKRAPA.

Gnome sayin?