defining terms

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 11/24/2001 7:44:36 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> what does the American term 'station wagon' mean? Surely it is
> equally archaic, dating from a period when people rich enough to take
> vacations would take the train to a resort where the hotels would have
> carriages meeting the trains to bring them and their luggage to and from 
> the
> station. And now (requisite content) Alfa has swallowed that foreign term
> whole.
> 
> What would be a reasonable term for such a car today? 'Kombi' doesn't do 
> it,
> nor does the current German 'Touring'. Unfortunately the very logical 
> 'Sport
> Utility Vehicle' has already been preempted.
> 
You could call it a woody and enjoy both the retro panache that's currently 
so popular and also a sidelong glance at the sexual imagery of promiscuri.  

OTOH, some things don't translate well.  Bassoons in Italian is fagotti (I 
think this really refers to its looking like a bundle of kindling), which 
doesn't sound quite kosher in English.  I recall that when I did some work 
for Nissan Motor, they had a program to rename all their models from the 
Japanese originals to names that would have more traction in the USA, so a 
model like the Fair Lady became the Awesome Z car, and I think something 
called the Daffodil or Jonquil or something became the 210, which is bland 
but not nearly as twee.

So, what to call something like the Sport Wagon (seems nearly a contradiction 
in terms to US ears)?  I am not sure, but recently on the shores of Lake Como 
I saw four larger-than-average adults, each with a very full compliment of 
sports and personal gear, climbing out of a 156 sedan that had all four of 
their bikes mounted on the roof... so the idea that a wagon configuration is 
any more practical for sporty uses is a bit of a stretch.  

Why not name the models after classes of famous Italians, of which there is 
an unending supply?  Alitalia names each of its aircraft after someone 
famous; once I flew on the Leonardo da Vinci, for example.  Why not call the 
sport wagon the Gina Lollabrigida and the new spider the Sophia Loren?  In 
fact, FIAT probably could even take some money under the table from clever 
press agents for memorializing their clients.  Taking it a step further, you 
could match the model to the personality behind the name: an extra large 
vehicle could be a Pavoratti and a powerful model a Burlesconi.

And it would be MUCH more interesting than those personality-less number 
designations the Germans use. I mean, really, what is a 156 but the model 
after the 155?  Is that meaningful?  Wouldn't you rather drive the all-new 
Agrippa or a shiny green Verdi?

Charlie
LA, CA, USA

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