lucy24 - 10:57 pm on Oct 21, 2012 (gmt 0)

You'd be hard pressed to find a syllable that doesn't mean something rude in some language, somewhere. So the question is: will the proposed name really affect sales of this specific product in the client's specific market?

Over at, I think, snopes dot com in their discussion of the "nova" urban legend, they present this analogy: Suppose you used "notable" as a brand name for furniture. Would your English-speaking clients avoid dining-room sets with this brand name because, as the name says, it includes no table?

We've all met people whose surnames made us giggle quietly because part of the name sounds like some Bad Word in English. But you don't see them rushing out to change their names.

Now, on the other hand, if a significant part of your market fervently believes that it's bad luck to start any venture on the 23rd of the month, do keep an eye on the calendar.