Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Peut-être Simply Hilarious to l'Académie Française

Our local super market, the one that used to be called ATAC, has recently under gone a re-brand. It's been kind of fun watching the entire store get a make-over, even if this means that the cookie aisle has been swapped by the dog food section. (Don't worry, I sniffed out the cookies in the end!)

The only thing that makes me laugh is that this new brand is called "Simply Market." It's not a bad name, kind of catchy and fun, but that's if you can actually pronounce it.

Please try to imagine with me, an entire French region of people who's extent of English could consist only of random lines from rock songs or quotes from high school level English about where to find a bathroom. Now ask all of these people to say, with ease, "Simply Market." Then, throw them for a real loop and ask them to sing out the new marketing slogan, "Be Happy. Be Simply."

Did I mention that there is no "h" sound in French?

The worst part had to be the first time I went to the new store with Mini-Husband. In all his new found glory as a child that can read, he proudly looked at the words and deciphered the name all by himself. My beautiful boy, bilingual as the best of them, looked at the signs and read, "Seemplee Marquette."

For my own linguistic sanity, I may have to resort to only shopping at Cora from now on.

1 comment:

ckweirath said...

You are teaching them well, Karen! Good to see that the Warrior spirit lives on in France -- even if it is the grocery store.