By Jane Friedmann
“Handy's” question mark?! Ok, no problem if that’s what you're offering but promoting a restaurant as Handy’s when there’s only delicious meals on offer is, although hilarious for some, potentially problematic for others. Let me explain:
I recently returned from vacation in Paris where the bar at the hotel where I was staying is called “Handy’s.” After verifying with the manager, I found out that the intention was to name the bar after a person, “Andy’s,” and they were under the impression the name was spelled with an “H.” On the surface it’s a simple spelling mistake, or could maybe be considered an alternative name-spelling. However, the hotel staff were blissfully unaware, and unprepared, for the realization that the word "handy" in English is the slang diminutive for a handjob. Unsurpriusingly, when I updated the manager her face turned purple.
To add to the mix, the logo for Handy’s bar is a heart, and the name appears all over the hotel; from the outside awning to the staff uniforms. Needless to say, I did a double take when I read Handy's in cursive with a heart next to it on the bartender’s t-shirt #lol The manager took the new realization in stride and prepared to lean into the slang diminutive meaning but the double entendre was definitely not her intention.
The easy way to avoid funny (and potentially damaging) translation errors is by hiring a bilingual copywriter. Jane AF offers French-English copywriting and editing by native bilingual speakers. So if you’re interested in acquiring a name for your business, or simply running it by a native speaker, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re available and happy to help! Until then, enjoy your Handy’s…bar ;)
