Problems with idiomatic English sometimes have hysterically funny consequences
Published:
March 26, 2012 at 10:05am
Please somebody tell these nice people that a beaver isn’t just a furry animal with big teeth which dams rivers with bits of wood in Canada.
And even if it were the only meaning of the word, why name an evening-wear boutique after one of them?
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There is also a ‘Down Under Shoes’.
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Down-Under-shoes/283052405066425)
But really, ‘Beaver’ is much, much worse.
That shop has been there for as long as I can remember and I’ve always wondered what pushed them to name it that way.
Maybe because they had to “burrow” from the bank to set up business.
Apparently the word has some connotations to textiles, amongst others.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/beaver
What’s wrong with ‘Beaver’? My new ladies fashion shop will be callied ‘Pussy’.
I hope you won’t be selling any “real fur”, chortle chortle.
Jien se nsemmi l-isem tal-hanut tax-xaghar “Il-Qanfud” .
Actually I think it’s the best place for place for ladies’ evening wear in Gozo. They even threw a fully fledged fashion show in a popular square during the last Notte Gozitana. But the name, my oh my, is so sooo wrong! Some people with a marketing background should teach them the basic concepts of branding.
I know people from Malta who went to Beaver in Gozo to get dresses for special occasions. It is said that the prices are very convenient and the clothes are of a very high standard.
Uh jekk tibda ssemmi.
Tyson Butcher (most probably the owner loves boxing or he’s called Tyson himself).
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120326/local/Me-Delpiero-you-Jetaime.412720
Naming a boy Liban should suffice to remove him from his parents.
“One girl has been called Libya another Victory. And someone very patriotic called a girl Valletta.”
A girl named Valletta? This report is an exclamation-mark heaven.
Haqqhom il-forka ha nghidlek.
I think the other species is the same, but toothless.
and sometimes hairless
Toothless?
No wonder considering the state of the gums.
False advertising in the photo shown. We can’t see the model’s beaver.
The owner must be a returned migrant from the States. He must be in on the joke.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=merkin
Didn’t George BUSH once say he is proud to be “a MERKIN”?
‘Beaver’ was originally a small workshop for shoe repairs and was called so in reference to a hard-working person.
The owners are also returned emigrants from Canada.
They later expanded their business, and started selling first shoes, then also occasion wear and other fashion accessories.
I know because I wrote a thesis on shop names in Gozo.
P.S. The workshop opened more than 40 years ago.
How can we find your dissertation? You should publish it with photos. It would make for a great coffee table book.
There’s a place in Hamrun called ‘snackerija.’
Don’t shoot me. I’m just the messenger.
I saw that and think it is amazing. This is all part of globalisation.
In Maltese I call ‘ it ‘qanfud.
Qanfud doesn’t mean beaver.
“Nice beaver” from The Naked Gun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvWfbIe4X_4
Thank you for the link, Mark. I had never seen a beaver stuffed like that.
Rumours are rife that Canadian beavers are chomping furiously at logs having seen the lady in the poster wearing a red Beaver evening gown.
They haven’t had a turn-on like this for many moons.
I totally agree with you about the name, however, the clothes are quite unique, and they only have one size per item and the owner Sylvia Grech goes out of her way to help her customers.
Maybe Sylvia can go out of he way and change the shop’s name.
@bookworm
I shopped at Beaver a few times in the past, and always found the staff helpful (as are the people at Bookworm, incidentally).
Beaver is an awesome name for an evening-wear boutique, ESPECIALLY in view of the word’s other meaning.
Great shop, owned by great people. The name has been brought over from Canada over 40 years ago.
While on the subject – http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120326/local/Me-Delpiero-you-Jetaime.412720
Well done, nice free advert.
Some are just lucky or ?
Hello everyone, first of all thanks for the FREE advert. I’m Sylvia, owner of Beaver, the topic of this blog-post.
As they say “What’s in a name?” because it’s the contents that count. In fact I would like to show my appriciation to those who commented positivly on my products and activity.
This shop started off, as one of you said, over 40 years ago as a shoe shop. While my parents were immigrants in Canada they used to shop for shoes at a shop called Beaver so that explains it all.
For the record, in the sixties, which was about the same time the shop was named, there was even a TV series called LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and it was a family show. When I took over, the shop expanded and the evening and occasional wear came in, but I kept the name in honour of my parents.
I’m very much aware that this name is getting a lot of attention and even tourists sometimes take pictures. Also, it was mentioned a few times in magazines abroad, but as my father said, today everyone seems to have a dirty mind.
Maybe one day I’ll rebrand it, but wouldn’t it be a pity after so many successful years?
P.S After all if you Google the word BEAVER or type it in Wikipidia only the toothy furry friend pops up.
Hey Sylvia. Good for you. and your success. I’m a Canadian and have been a beaver hunter all my life. Have known many personally. Some are very friendly, others can be quite vicious.
The beaver dams in Canada can be very happy places, if you treat the occupants with respect. If you don’t, be careful of their teeth.
How things change, Harry! There are rumours going around that beavers will soon be licenced in Canada.
In my younger days it was hunters who had to be licenced. By the sounds of it, you didn’t care much about obtaining a licence.
Any teeth marks?
Do tell us about these beaver hunts, Harry. Sounds like a real blast.
Angus. I chose my hobby because it is not subject to Canadian or EU sanctions or quotas. Plus there is an almost limitless supply, thus the environmentalists stay out of your hair.
Baxxter, over coffee. But be prepared for a long session.
Harry, don’t forget to show your beaver trophy photos to Baxxter:
http://www.ravishingbeasts.com/storage/genres/fashion/swim2.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1168242402049
Angus, I just realized that I neglected to respond to your injury query.
During my early beaver hunting years, I pursued only younger beavers, since their pelts were more shiney. However, I found them very fast and agressive. I, therefore. received many injuries.
Over the years I have migrated to hunting more mature beavers, since they are slower and more submissive. (Some appear to be even thankful, especially the ones that have lost their front teeth.)
On the whole, I immensely enjoy my hobby and have been quite successful. You are invited to view my pelt collection on the walls of my mansion at any time.
I am in the process of organizing a ‘Beaver Hunter’s Lodge’ where beaver hunters can share their experiences and, perhaps, improve techniques. All are welcome.
Good point, Andrea. Actually I am going to present him with a stuffed beaver when I see him. Just as a token of my respect for him.
Thank you for an interesting history where the name came from. For the sake of accuracy, I believe that the ‘Beaver’ store your dad shopped at was called ‘Beaver Lumber’ (an interesting connection, no doubt), but unfortunately the name, to my knowledge, is no more. The business was probably bought out by a chain of home improvement stores.
The show you mentioned, ‘Leave it to Beaver’ which we, the more mature folks still remember, had nothing to do with beavers. However one of the young characters on the show, if I remember correctly, was nicknamed ‘Beaver’.
It would be a shame to change the brand name because as they say, ‘If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it’. It has worked for forty years, why change it now?
Sylvia, I actually suggest putting a sticker, like the ones at restaurants (“Featured on Tripadvisor”). In your case “As featured on Daphne’s”)
http://www.billcasselman.com/new_columns_2010/beaver_as_dirty_word.htm
It could also be a business venture between a Beatrice and a Veronica.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/blogsdetails/blogs/Dear-Joseph
what a muddled mind. If Joseph had to listen to Saviour and go ahead with these ‘ideas’, then Greece is closer to home than I ever imagined.
‘If change happens just for the sake of change, then we would have missed out on the possibility to transform this country into a Mediterranean paradise.’
Big sigh. Is he still dreaming about creating paradises at his age?
there’s also Bedlam errr Beldiam in Attard…
Maybe the owner is a fan of Simone de Beauvoir.
I have only heard good comments about this shop. I think many shops in Malta can learn a lot from their practice. It is your mind that makes things bad and not the word. For example you cannot even say ‘black coffee’ any more in the UK but you have to say ‘coffee without milk’ as not to offened dark skinned persons.
There is a Wet Beaver Creek in Arizona. Graham Norton once called the local tourist board during his TV show.
Dirty minds, dirty thoughts.
Evelyn Waugh once said that a dirty mind is a wealth of pleasure.
How about Christ Nemlu?
http://www.facebook.com/christnemlu
or
Stalin Garage in St. Venera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4pkpuQ_ziI
“Everybody know that a beaver’s favorite food is wood…”
And what about John’s butcher, Adrian’s butcher and Nick’s butcher?
But Saint Mary’s Butcher takes the biscuit.
or St Mary’s Garage.
Dear Daphne,
There is more.This from The Times under the Lockerbie trial report.
“Fact four: An escape goat had to spend many years in prison for something he didn’t do.”
In Luqa – Gori Butcher (say it out loud)
In Birkirkara near the bus stop – Terminal Confectionery
In Gzira – Berk’s car showroom
In Msida – Clash Boutique
In Swieqi – a house called Armageddon
In Sta. Venera – Two houses – Peace House and next door (but of course) War House
Near the University – a house called Our Lady of Soccer (Succour)
Beat this in Zejtun:I have seen a house called Our Laydy of Sorrows.
Some yeras ago, there were two neighbouring houses in Mosta, one called “Zewg”, the other caled “Fart”. (That’s “Even” and “Odd” for non-Maltese-speakers.)
Still there … in Vjal l-Indipendenza.
Malta Television produced a programme many years ago called “Fard jew Zewg”.
Unfortunately, when they launched the first in the series, the prop read “Fart” not “Fard” and was the subject of many a joke until it was corrected the following week.
In Qrendi, just below Palazzo Guarena – Horror House
In Msida (Rue d’Argens) (not sure if that’s Gzira, just opposed police station): “Ghid li trid”
Now that should be Number 83 where KILIN used to live.
You’re free to speak with the late Mikiel Spiteri.
How about Badass Burgers? Unless you speak American English (which Malta does), it sounds like an advert for food poisoning.
[Daphne – Oh, I can tell you how that’s pronounced: il-bud-us or tull-bud-us (use English pronunciation).]
Can’t we clone Charles Abela Mizzi before the art of proper pronunciation is lost forever?
Seems like a nice boy…..but a teeny weeny lugubrous though,.
In Qormi there is a computer repairs shop advertising (or calling) itself as “Il-Mater Dei tal-Computers”….
I saw that.It is in one of the side streets off St Sebastain street.
In the Tarxien area I saw a pastizzerija called PATAKKUS.
In Zabbar road Fgura there is id-DABDABUN.
In the Sta. Venera/Hamrun main road there was (perhaps it’s still there) a ‘Swift Butcher”. Many years ago I was in a car being driven by an American lady. When I read out the name she couldn’t believe it and made a Hollywood style U-turn.
In Birgu – a silver aluminium shop front desecrating the facade of one of the Order’s auberges – the aptly named Modern Butcher.
In Malta there’s a company registered with the name Fartex Ltd. (Farrugia Textiles) !