Donas Donuts

[cedros]

Many people seem to think that this is a Donut place owned by someone called Dona. So they call it (horrors) Dona's Donuts. But isn't Donas just the Spanish work for donut? So is it like saying the Vivero nursery or the Ferreteria hardware store or the Bienes Raices real estate company. Is it sort of disrespectful to the Spanish language or just odd? Similar to how Chinese immigrants NOB give (to us English speakers) odd names to their stores?

[jrod]

Many people seem to think that this is a Donut place owned by someone called Dona. So they call it (horrors) Dona's Donuts. But isn't Donas just the Spanish work for donut? So is it like saying the Vivero nursery or the Ferreteria hardware store or the Bienes Raices real estate company. Is it sort of disrespectful to the Spanish language or just odd? Similar to how Chinese immigrants NOB give (to us English speakers) odd names to their stores?

I don't find it disrespectful, just good, to-the-point dual-language marketing to Spanish- or English-dominant potential customers. Maximum message in the shortest signage possible is a good advertising imprint on the brain. What does give me a chuckle is that many of the expats do misread it, but the locals all get it.

[MexiBill]

I wonder how many "Gringos" think Mr. Barcardi's first name is "Ron?"

[phxfunguy]

That kind of repetitious moniker seems to crop up anywhere two cultures come together. In southern AZ there is a famous directional landmark that the Spanish used to use when coming north called "Picacho Peak" and another called "Table Mesa." I'm sure I've seen "Arroyo Gulch" as well. In Minnesota we had "Lac Qui Parle Lake' and "Lake Mille Lacs."

[HelperGuy]

Check out Canadian government departments dual usage. For example, "Affaires autochtones et Développement du Nord Canada/Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada" (http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca). And not a First Nations' translation among the title. No wonder our native friends are getting riled.

[Toltepeceno]

I don't find it disrespectful, just good, to-the-point dual-language marketing to Spanish- or English-dominant potential customers. Maximum message in the shortest signage possible is a good advertising imprint on the brain. What does give me a chuckle is that many of the expats do misread it, but the locals all get it.

I agree.

Here in Toluca I see some odd uses of english. I think partly because there are not a lot of english speakers here. For example a cake bakery is named "housecake".

[More Liana]

I was recently in an internationally-known restaurant here in Mexico City; several members of my party had English-language menus and some had Spanish-language menus. One of the English-only guests showed me a heading on his menu: BLEEDINGS. He and I could not imagine what the management had in mind. Then I took a look at the same spot on my Spanish-language menu: SANGRÍAS.

That one takes the cake (or maybe the housecake) for me!

[bdlngton]

Seen on a menu in Michoacan: carne en su jugo--"a man in his juice"