Regional Differences

[Out_Kast]

I'm not sure whether it's a fitting title, or whether this has been done before, but...
I've just thought to myself, 'I wonder if anyone from different countries have ever heard of specific company or brand names'.
So I thought I'd name a few from my country, and those from other countries can guess what they might be.

Try these, for example:
1. Tesco
2. Asda

Wondering what you guys will come up with. Feel free to post your own, but if you're from the same country or you know the answer, leave it for someone who isn't!!!
Have fun. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[Nitro Vordex]

Is Tesco a gas station?

[Sord]

On 2008-04-24 15:12, Nitro_Vordex wrote:
Is Tesco a gas station?


you are probably thinking of Texaco

[astuarlen]

In a similar vein, one of my favorite blogs deals with differences, mostly in terms of idioms and lexicon, between different varieties of English (mainly American English vs British English): Separated by a Common Language (http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/).

I remember regional supermarket names within the U.S. came up in a thread some time ago, which led me to do more research on the Wikipedia. Much as it might seem a commonsense issue, I was surprised to discover that the two main grocery stores I was familiar with are strictly a regional thing (though they've both been taken over by larger companies recently.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2008-04-24 15:07, Out_Kast wrote:
Try these, for example:
1. Tesco
2. Asda

http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_confused.gif

1. Grocery store
2. Butcher shop

With that (answers even if I'm right or wrong) I'll give you two in this N.America region:

1. Safeway
2. Safeway Deli(catessen)

[Out_Kast]

Trick question. They're both supermarkets.
Safeway, is that a supermarket too?
Deli I'm not sure of. Some other supermarket? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Try:

1. Thorntons

[astuarlen]

Hey, we have Thorntons here in the Midwest, but it sure ain't the same thing.

[Out_Kast]

What's yours?

Mine's a chocolateer (sp?).

[astuarlen]

Gas station and convenience store.
I guess they probably have M&Ms and such.

[Out_Kast]

Meh. Works either way.
Chocolate petrol, anyone?
Or perhaps A Hydrocarbon Bar. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_disapprove.gif

Ever heard of Blockbuster? Surely that can't be unique to the UK...?

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2008-04-25 05:46, Out_Kast wrote:
Trick question. They're both supermarkets.
Safeway, is that a supermarket too?
Deli I'm not sure of. Some other supermarket? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Try:

1. Thorntons



I thought our "old" English brethren have the fancy words in greater quantity than us Yankee doodles?

Delicatessen does not exist across the Atlantic?
(Better than France I guess, of which our stereotype is baguette shoppe, right ast?)

Blockbuster.com sounded pretty cool last week when I found out I was too late to play their "The Mist" FPS game on their site. They put an expire date on this advertisement game!

My fun example from my old computer's starting desktop icons was AOL for UK! Instead of blue/yellow triangle+circle icon, Red and yellow!

America is Online in your United Kingdom... baby.

[Out_Kast]

Well I've never seen a Delicatessen over here. Then again, I don't usually look out of the window much when we travel around...
They put an expire date on an advertising game? ._.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

Deli is where they sell the lunch meats like turkey or pastrami or roast beef, pack them to order in certain amounts on white paper, sometimes have their own self sufficient Butcher shop, once in a while the stereotype fat guy with the bloody white apron is also present. Raw fresh meat via those butchers. Sometimes also sell hot food to order as well out a salad bar type of display, chicken wings or potato wedges, potato salad, picnic/party stuff.

-
Expire date: Seemingly so.

I was late to finding out about it through a horror movie blog and only found month old internet news articles that said the game was up until only a couple weeks ago, darn. Wondered why Blockbuster.com just asked me to buy things and didn't have any flash browser game action for shooting bugs and driving the car around the Mist.

Then some free gamez website about Stephen King's The Mist in a search told me I needed to pay $9 for one day of unlimited DL's. No please!

[Out_Kast]

That's bizarre.
Then again, if it was an internet Flash game, it probably wouldn't have been that good anyway. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[Nai_Calus]

Ingle's
Publix
Food4Less
Raley's
Carl's Jr.
Hardee's
Krystal
In N Out
Cracker Barrel
Fresh Choice

All US, but most US people probably will have heard of none or one set of the above. I tried to go for an east-west thing, listing stuff I've only seen in the eastern US as well as stuff I've only seen in the western US. In one case it's nearly the same thing in theory, but rather different in actual practice.

[Out_Kast]

I'll only try a few, just to leave some for others...
Food4Less... let me guess. Clothes shop? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif
In N Out sounds like some sort of urban clothing/shoe shop.
Raley's sounds like a resteraunt... ?

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2008-04-26 07:26, Out_Kast wrote:
Food4Less... let me guess. Clothes shop? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Clearly, Car dealership.

(They changed to FoodMAXX with catchy radio jingles about taking it to the max - to maximize your shopping power!)

[astuarlen]

On 2008-04-26 07:17, Ian-KunX wrote:
Ingle's
Publix
Food4Less
Raley's
Carl's Jr.
Hardee's
Krystal
In N Out
Cracker Barrel
Fresh Choice

Only one of those we have around these parts is Cracker Barrel. Gotta love those rocking chairs. The place is chock-full of corny crafty crap, but the clam chowder was good.
I know Publix (thanks Solstis!), Carl's Jr. (thanks P Hilt), Hardee's, and In N Out, though.

Sticking to the subject of regional retailers and restaurants, know what kills me? Sonic. Bastards show their commercials here, but the nearest Sonic is more than 100 miles away. So they did a great job of advertising their frozen slushies--want!--but it would be nutso to get my hands on one. Good going, guys.

So, I'm trying to figure out what franchises I'm familiar with are localized (through the magic of Wikerpodia):
Portillo's (Alex Craig might be the only one to know this)
Rosati's (weirdly, also common in Arizona)
Dominick's
Jewel
White Hen
Carson Pirie Scott

[Out_Kast]

You think when you wander into town that there are so many different companies and shops in the world.
Then you look at all the ones you've never heard of, and you realise just how true that statement is.

Portillo's... I've heard of that. Does it deal with food?
White Hen sounds like a pub. Or a paper company.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2008-04-26 08:43, astuarlen wrote:
Sticking to the subject of regional retailers and restaurants, know what kills me? Sonic. Bastards show their commercials here, but the nearest Sonic is more than 100 miles away. So they did a great job of advertising their frozen slushies--want!--but it would be nutso to get my hands on one. Good going, guys.

Ditto, unless SactoCowtownCapital up North has one or something.

Sonic locater that is loading-loading--loading--- says not even. Past Sactown even, or off a highway 5 going N which nobody probably ever goes in a place called WoodLand. Which sounds like a MegaMan 2 stage. That said, lets both go Ian.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: HAYABUSA-FMW- on 2008-04-26 09:18 ]</font>

[Tact]

On 2008-04-26 07:17, Ian-KunX wrote:
Cracker Barrel



I love that place so much. French Toast = Win.

Hmm, let's see if I can think of anything...nope, I can't. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_disapprove.gif