Don't say Pentax "Q" in French ... "Q" = "cul" = "A--"

Jean Poitiers · 06-25-2011, 09:23 AM - **3 Likes**

"Bonjour", Here's maybe another one of those "Don't do this" product name scenarios for you ... Unfortunately, "Q" is not the best possible name for France and the francophone markets ... "Q" is a homonym for the French word "cul" ... which means "backside, bum, arse, ass, butt", etc. It's the same French prononciation ... "Q" sounds like "cul"! Also, let's hope that everyone doesn't start referring to the mount system for this camera as "PQ" (short for Pentax Q mount obviously) ... since "PQ" is short for "papier cul" ... which is toilet paper.

Did anyone run this product name idea through the various corporate channels for verification and/or comment? I'm guessing the maybe the James Bond films inspired the Pentax product name of "Q" ... remember the character who created all those small "spy" gadgets for 007 (maybe more emphasis should be given to the term "gadget" here ...) So to close, if you ever find yourself in France someday, be forewarned that saying the following could get you in trouble ... "Excuse me, that's a nice little Q you have there." Enough said ... "Salut et bonne journée!"

FrancisK7 · 06-25-2011, 09:32 AM - **1 Like**

I'm French Canadian, and I think it good be a GREAT pickup line if the female holder of the camera is hot

dlacouture · 06-25-2011, 12:50 PM

Yeah, Pentax has quite a disastrous history of model names in French:
- K2000 was the French title of Knight Rider...
- K7 sounds exactly like "cassette", which drew several jibes from my Canikonians friends asking me if my camera took Betamax or VHS tapes...
- "*ist" was an international failure thanks to its unknown pronunciation and internet nightmare...

And now that...

Clicker · 06-25-2011, 12:51 PM

Pride parades should sell a lot of the "Q" systems ...just saying

RXrenesis8 · 06-25-2011, 01:00 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by John Poitiers

I'm guessing the maybe the James Bond films inspired the Pentax product name of "Q" ..

Q=Queen, if you don't want to read up on the history of the K(ing) mount you can just look at the ad on pentaximaging.com. what card do you see the Q hiding behind?

Also: +1 on the pickup line!

Quicksand · 06-25-2011, 04:38 PM - **1 Like**

"Nice little Q you got there!"

SMACK!

"Your camera! Your camera!"

**Fontan** · 06-25-2011, 04:57 PM

I cannot believe this. What a travesty. How inconsiderate.

fearview · 06-25-2011, 09:08 PM

Originally posted by Quicksand

"Nice little Q you got there!"

SMACK!

"Your camera! Your camera!"

**Digitalis** · 06-25-2011, 09:26 PM

egregious camera naming blooper, I speak a bit of french myself and I was always curious of how pentax cameras were perceived in western countries.

steve1307 · 06-26-2011, 06:40 AM

International product branding is a minefield & Japanese quite often get it a bit wrong

the car companies spring to my mind.

Mistubishi "Starion" (turbo sports coupe) - was meant to be "Stallion" (the smaller model was a Colt)

Mitsubishi " Pajero" - means wannker (playing with your own straw) in Spanish, so they renamed it "Montero" for Spain & South America

A Swedish guy I was working with a couple of years ago had much amusement when Honda made the "Fitta" & in the Philippines we also found a brand of savoury cream filled biscuit also called "Fita" - this a slang term in Swedish for errr.... ladies parts.

.

Toyota released the MR2 which in French would be pronounced emm-err-deux = merde. (sh!t)

JohnBee · 06-26-2011, 07:00 AM

I think the trick here will be pronounce the letter in English rather than French. Just like they did with the Q in Star Trek(remember?).

ryan s · 06-26-2011, 10:30 AM

I can't recall ever seeing any Sierra Mist soda available in Germany, either

GeneV · 06-26-2011, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by ryan s

I can't recall ever seeing any Sierra Mist soda available in Germany, either

Reminds me of someone at my college way back when telling a friend in Germany about his (local) fraternity--KOT.

(For those who do not speak German, Mist and Kot both mean excrement)

**fs999** · 06-27-2011, 01:35 AM

I hope that the next DSLR won't be called K-6 (cassis, blackcurrant in french)...

dlacouture · 06-27-2011, 02:04 AM - **1 Like**

Well, there is still some cheesy names available in French:
- K-c : "cassé" means "broken"...
- K-k : "caca" means "poo"...

But I'm sure they will surprise us...

06-25-2011, 09:23 AM - 3 Likes	#1
Jean Poitiers Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,060	Don't say Pentax "Q" in French ... "Q" = "cul" = "A--" *"Bonjour", Here's maybe another one of those "Don't do this" product name scenarios for you ... Unfortunately, "Q" is not the best possible name for France and the francophone markets ... "Q" is a homonym for the French word "cul"* ... which means "backside, bum, arse, ass, butt", etc. It's the same French prononciation ... "Q" sounds like "cul"! Also, let's hope that everyone doesn't start referring to the mount system for this camera as "PQ" (short for Pentax Q mount obviously) ... since "PQ" is short for *"papier cul"* ... which is toilet paper. Did anyone run this product name idea through the various corporate channels for verification and/or comment? I'm guessing the maybe the James Bond films inspired the Pentax product name of "Q" ... remember the character who created all those small "spy" gadgets for 007 (maybe more emphasis should be given to the term "gadget" here ...) So to close, if you ever find yourself in France someday, be forewarned that saying the following could get you in trouble ... "Excuse me, that's a nice little Q you have there." Enough said ... *"Salut et bonne journée!"*

06-26-2011, 06:40 AM	#10
steve1307 Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,129	International product branding is a minefield & Japanese quite often get it a bit wrong the car companies spring to my mind. Mistubishi "Starion" (turbo sports coupe) - was meant to be "Stallion" (the smaller model was a Colt) Mitsubishi " Pajero" - means wannker (playing with your own straw) in Spanish, so they renamed it "Montero" for Spain & South America A Swedish guy I was working with a couple of years ago had much amusement when Honda made the "Fitta" & in the Philippines we also found a brand of savoury cream filled biscuit also called "Fita" - this a slang term in Swedish for errr.... ladies parts.. Toyota released the MR2 which in French would be pronounced emm-err-deux = merde. (sh!t)

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06-25-2011, 09:32 AM - 1 Like	#2
FrancisK7 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Montreal Photos: Gallery Posts: 474	I'm French Canadian, and I think it good be a GREAT pickup line if the female holder of the camera is hot

06-25-2011, 12:50 PM	#3
dlacouture Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Var, South of France Photos: Albums Posts: 1,074	Yeah, Pentax has quite a disastrous history of model names in French: - K2000 was the French title of Knight Rider... - K7 sounds exactly like "cassette", which drew several jibes from my Canikonians friends asking me if my camera took Betamax or VHS tapes... - "*ist" was an international failure thanks to its unknown pronunciation and internet nightmare... And now that...

06-25-2011, 12:51 PM	#4
Clicker Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,241	Pride parades should sell a lot of the "Q" systems ...just saying

06-25-2011, 01:00 PM - 2 Likes	#5
RXrenesis8 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Orlando, FL (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 523	Originally posted by John Poitiers I'm guessing the maybe the James Bond films inspired the Pentax product name of "Q" .. Q=Queen, if you don't want to read up on the history of the K(ing) mount you can just look at the ad on pentaximaging.com. what card do you see the Q hiding behind? Also: +1 on the pickup line!

06-25-2011, 04:38 PM - 1 Like	#6
Quicksand Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Ohio (formerly SF Bay Area) Posts: 1,519	"Nice little Q you got there!" SMACK! "Your camera! Your camera!"

06-25-2011, 04:57 PM	#7
Fontan Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: 5th floor Posts: 1,572	I cannot believe this. What a travesty. How inconsiderate.

06-25-2011, 09:08 PM	#8
fearview Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Jakarta Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,067	Originally posted by Quicksand "Nice little Q you got there!" SMACK! "Your camera! Your camera!"

06-25-2011, 09:26 PM	#9
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Adelaide,South Australia. Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,490	egregious camera naming blooper, I speak a bit of french myself and I was always curious of how pentax cameras were perceived in western countries.

06-26-2011, 07:00 AM	#11
JohnBee Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Newrfoundland Photos: Albums Posts: 4,667	I think the trick here will be pronounce the letter in English rather than French. Just like they did with the Q in Star Trek(remember?).

06-26-2011, 10:30 AM	#12
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	I can't recall ever seeing any Sierra Mist soda available in Germany, either

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06-26-2011, 10:35 AM	#13
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by ryan s I can't recall ever seeing any Sierra Mist soda available in Germany, either Reminds me of someone at my college way back when telling a friend in Germany about his (local) fraternity--KOT. (For those who do not speak German, Mist and Kot both mean excrement)

06-27-2011, 01:35 AM	#14
fs999 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Luxembourg Photos: Gallery Posts: 7,912	I hope that the next DSLR won't be called K-6 (cassis, blackcurrant in french)...

06-27-2011, 02:04 AM - 1 Like	#15
dlacouture Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Var, South of France Photos: Albums Posts: 1,074	Well, there is still some cheesy names available in French: - K-c : "cassé" means "broken"... - K-k : "caca" means "poo"... But I'm sure they will surprise us...