Abbreviations deciphered

Where relevant, common meaningless endings added such as -ite and -on

 

3m-Minnesota mining & manufacturing

A&M Records- Alpert and Moss

AAP-Advanced assigned policies

ABC bakeries- Aerated bread co.

ABN-Ansbacher Bank Nazionale

AC-Auto carriers

AC Milan- Associazione Circlio (football association)

AC (sparkplugs)-Albert Champion

Adamsez (toilets)- To sound like Adams's (owners)

Adidas- Adi (short for Adolf) Dassler

AEC Associated equipment co.

AEG- Allegemeine Electricitats Gesellschaft (general electric co.)

Aer Lingus- Air fleet (Irish)

Aeroflot- Air fleet (Russian)

AGA- Svenska Aktiebolaget GAsaccumulator

AGFA- Actien Gesellschaft fur anilien-fabrikationen

AJS (motorbikes)- Albert John Stevens

AJW (motorbikes)- Arthur John Wheaton

AKZO- Algemene Kunstzijlde Zout Organon (an amalgamation of 3 earlier Dutch companies- AKU- Algemene Kunstzijlde Unie, Koninklijke Zout-Ketjen and Koninklijke Zwanenberg Organon, these last 2 here first formed Koninklijke Zout Organon, then joined with AKU to finally form AKZO. I hope this is the longest ever explanation.)

Alba (electrical goods)-Albert Balcombe

Alcan- Aluminium co. of CANada

ALFA-Societe Anonyme Lombardy fabrici automobile

Alitalia- Aerolinee Italia (Italian Airlines)

Amdega (conservatories)- Ambition, determination & gain

AMF- American machine & foundry

Amoco-American oil co.

Ampex- Alexander Mathew Poniatoff Excellence

Amplex- AM (morning) chlorophyll comPLEX

AMRO- Amsterdam-Rotterdam (banks)

Amstrad- Alan Michael Sugar trading

Andrex toilet paper- St Andrew's

Araldite- Aero Research Ltd -ite

Arco-Atlantic Richfield company (Richfield just means rich oilfield)

Arndale Centre- HARgenbach & ChippiNDALE

Asda- associated dairies

ASK restaurants- Adam & Samuel Kaye

ASPRO- NicholAS PROduct

Aston Martin DB= David Brown

Atco- ATlas chain CO

Audi- Latin for 'listen' (Name of owner, Mr Horch, = listen in German)

Aveda- All veda (sanskrit for knowkeldge)

Avro- Alliott Verdon Roe (no room above door for A V Roe)

Bakelite- Mr. Baekeland-ite

Banda- Block & Anderson

BASF-Badische Anilin Und Soda-Fabrik

BAT-British American Tobacco

BBDO-Batten Barten Durstine Osborn

BDO- Binder Dijker Otte

Bejam- Brian, Eric, John and Millie (Apthorp)

Bendicks- Benson & Dickson

BEREC- British Ever Ready Electrical Co.

Berlei- different spelling of Burley

Be- Ro- Bell's Royal

Berol- Berolzheimer

Bic- Bich brothers

BICC- British Insulated Callenders Cable

Bimota (motorbikes)- Bianchi, Morri & Tambourini

Bio Strath- Bio = Life (Greek) Strathmeyer

Bismag- BISmuth & MAGnesium

Bostik- Boston (USA) stick

BN- Biscuits Nantoise

Bren guns- Brno & Enfield

Britax- British Accessories

Britvic- British Vitamin produCt

BRM- British Racing Motors

Brolac- Broadmead Lacquer

BSA- Birmingham Small Arms

BTR- British Tyre & Rubber

Burco- Burnley Components

BZW-Barclays De Zoete Wedd

C & A-Clemens & August (Brenninckmeyer)

Cafe HAG-Handels Aktien Gesellschaft (company)

Cagiva (motorbikes)- Giovanni Castiglioni, Varese

Cala-City of Aberdeen Land Association

Canon- Kannon -Japanese God of compassion & mercy

CAP Gemini (IT consultants)- Centre D' Analyse et de Programmation, Gemini computer systems

Castrol- Castor oil

CBS- Columbia Broadcasting Services

CE-Communite European

Cedex-Courrier D'Enterprise a Distribution EXceptionelle (preferential fast postal delivery)

Celmac (toilets)- Cellulose McArd (his children also said to begin with C E & L)

Chinon- Hiroshi Chino (name of founder)

CIBA- Chemische Industrie Basel Aktiengesselschaft

CISITALIA (cars)- Consorzio Industriale Sportive Italia

Clarnico-Claridge Nichols & Coleman

Commer- Commercial vehicles

Cona- Alfred Cohn

Conoco- Continental oil co

CQ-ceux qui m'ecoute de = to those who listen to me

Creda-= Credenda- things to be trusted (Latin)

Crosville- Crosland & DeVille

CS gas -Corson & Stoughton

Cyanamid- CYANogen AMIDe

CZ motorbikes- Czechoslovakian

DAF- Van Doorne's Aanhangwagen Fabriek (trailerworks)

Dan air- Davies & Newman

Datsun- Son of Mr Den, Aoyama & Takeuchi

Deeko- Dailley & co.

Delco- Dayton Engineering Laboratories co.

DER- Domestic electrical rentals

Dettol- DisinfecTOL

DHL- Dalsey, Lynn Hillblom

Diageo- Dia Geo Greek = through the Earth

DKW- damp kraft wagen (steam powered vehicles) or Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug Werke

Dobro- DOpera BROthers (and means 'good' in Czech).

DRG (Sellotape)- Dixon Robinson group

Durex- DU-rability RE-liability EX-cellence

'Dyb dyb dyb, dob dob dob' (as said by Boy scouts in UK)= 'Do your best, do our best'

ebay- e-commerce in (San Francisco) Bay area

EKCO- Eric Kirkham Cole

ELS (furniture)- Elliot, Louis & Saul (Goldstein?)

Elsan- Ephraim Louis SANitation

EMAP- East Midlands Allied Press

EMI- Electrical & musical industries

Ercol- Mr Ercolani

ERF- Edwin Richard Foden

Esselte- SLT (Swedish names)

ESSO-=S.O.=Standard oil

Etam-L'etat meilleur

Evo stik= Evode, Dove backwards

Extel- Exchange Telegraph

Facel- Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure et Loire

Fanta- Fantasie

Ferodo- anagram of Mr Frood + E

Fiat-Fabrici Italiano Automobile Torino

Findus- Fruit INDUStries

FROG (models)- Flies Right Off the Ground

FTP-File transfer protocol

G de Z capital- Graham De Zille, ex S. African F3 driver

G plan furniture- Mr Gomme

Gilbern cars- GILes & BERNard

Giro (as in Giro cheque, Girobank)- German for transfer, Italian for circulation

GKN- Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds

Glaxo- from Galaktos (Greek = 'milk')

Glynwed- Glynn, Wednesbury

GKN- Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds

Great Britain- Only makes sense in French:= Grande Bretagne, to distinguish from 'Bretagne' = Brittany.

H. Samuel- Harriet

Halex- Hale End (Chingford, where made)

Hanimex- Hannes Import-Export

Harpic- Harold Pickup

Hasbro- Hassenfeld Bros

Heron (garages)- HEnry RONson

HFC bank- Household Finance Corporation

Hovis-Hominis vis (life of man)

HRG cars- Halford, Robins & Godfrey

HTML-Hypertext markup language

HTTP- Hypertext transfer protocol

Humbrol-Humber oil

Ibcol- Ibbetson Co. Ltd.

IC (used by police)- Racial identity code

IKEA- Ingvar Kamprad (from) Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd

Indesit- Industria Elettrodomestici Italia

IVECO-Industrial vehicle corporation

Jawa (motorbikes)- JAnacek- WAnderer

JCB-Joe Cyril Bamford

JD Sports- John & David

Jemca- Japan Europe Motor cars

JJB sports- J J Bradburn, plus, apparently, JJ Braddock & JJ Broughton

K shoes- Kendal

Kangol- silK ANGOra wooL

KITT (Knight rider car)- Knight industries Two Thousand

KLM-Koninklijke Luftvaart Maatschappij (Royal Dutch air travel co.)

Knirps umbrellas- little people ( German)

Konica- KONIshiroku CAmera

Kotex- cotton texture

KP-Kenyon products

KPMG- Kleiveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler

Kronenbourg 1664- year of founding

Lada- Dear One (in Russian)

LASMO- London & Scottish Marine Oil

LCD-liquid crystal display

LEC- Longford Rd electrical corporation

Lego- play well (Danish)

Leica- Leitz camera

Leigh RMI- Railway Mechanics Institute

LEMNUS*B- (Channel 4 UK advertising regions)- London, East & south, Midlands, North, Ulster, Scotland, Backup (on c4 text p.399, then press green button)

Lesney-Leslie & Rodney

Londis- London Independent Supermarkets

Lot (Polish airlines)- Polish for 'flight'

LSD- Librae, solidi, denari

Lucozade-Glucose ade

Lufthansa- air company  (German)

Lurpak- Trumpet pack (lur is a long trumpet)

M & M's- Mars & Mars

Malev (Hungarian airlines)- Magyar Legilkozlekedesi Vallalat (Hungarian air traffic co.)

MAN-Machienfabrik Augsburg Nurnberg

MANWEB- Merseyside & N. Wales electricity board

Man Ray- Emmanuel Radnitzky

Marcos- Marsh & Costin

Marmet (prams)- Morriss, Alice Rebecca, Morriss, Edward Thompson

Matra- Mecanique-Aviation- TRAction

Mattel- Matson & Elliot

MBNA- Maryland Bank of North America

MCA (Music) - Music corporation of America

Meggezones- Mr Meggeson

Mettoy- Metal Toys

MFI-Mullard furniture industries

MiG- Mikoyan & Gurevitch

Minic- Miniature clockwork

Minolta- Machine INstrument OpticaL TAjima

Mitel- Mike & Tel (Terry)

Mitsubishi- 3 diamonds (Japanese)

Muji (Japanese goods)- Mujirushu ryohin (plain quality goods)

Murine- MURiate of BerberINE

Muzak- Music / kodAK

MZ- Motorradwerk Zschopau

NASDAQ-National association of share dealers automated quotations

NEC- Nippon electrical corporation

NeHi- height of the bottles

Nike- Greek God of victory

Nissan- Nippon Sangko

Nivea- snowy in Latin

Norev- Veron backwards (owner's name)

NSU- Neckarsulm Strickmaschinen Union (Neckarsulm knitting machine union)

NTL-National Transcommunications Ltd

Nylon- New York/London ? (may be meaningless)

Olbas oil- Oleum Basileum

Osram- OSmium & wolfRAM (tungsten)

Ovaltine-Ovomaltine (eggs & malt)

Ozalid- Diazo backwards & L

Palitoy- Pallett Toys

Pap test (for cervical cancer)- Dr Papanicolau

Parmalat- Parma LATte (Milk, in Italian)

Pepsodent- PEPermint SOda DENTifrice

P G Tips- Pro (di)Gestee

Philco- Philadelphia Co.

Pifco- Provincial Independent Fittings Co.

Premarin (hormones)- PREgnant MARe -urINe

Psion- Potter Scientific Instruments -on

PSV Eindhoven- Philips Sport Vereginen (club)

PV (medical)- per vagina

Racal- Raymond & Calder

Racasan- Robert Alan Chandler SANitary fluid

Radox- Radiated Oxygen

RCA- Radio corporation of America

Rentokil- Entokil = killing insects. R added to distinguish from similar company

Ribena- Ribes Negra (Black currant)

Rizla- Riz (rice paper) Lacroix

Robbialac- Mr Robbia's lac (paint)

Roneo- ROtary NEOstyle (early copying machine)

Ronson (lighters)- Aaronson

Rotring- red ring (German)

Rowenta- RObert WEiNTrAud

RSVP (sherry) R & Showerings Vine Products

Saab-Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget

SABENA (Belgian airlines)- Societe Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aerienne (Belgian Ltd. Co. for the exploitation of air navigation)

Saints FC (Southampton)- St. Mary's church

Sanka (coffee)- Sans Caffeine

Sanyo-3 oceans (Japanese)

SAS-(in English) Scandinavian Airline services

SEAT- Sociedad Espanola de automobiles de turismo

SEC-securitized endowment contracts

Sega- Service Games

Semtex- Semtin (in Czechoslovakia) EXplosive

Shaef-Supreme HQ allied expeditionary forces

SIATA (cars)- Societa Italiano Applicazioni Transformazioni Automobilistiche

Simca- Societe Industrielle de Mecanique et carroserie automobile (basically 'we make cars')

Sony- Tape recorder called soni, from soni-c

Spar- fir tree (Dutch)

SR (toothpaste)- Sodium Ricinoleate

Stax Records- Stewart and Axton

Sten gun-Shepherd & Turpin, Enfield

Subaru- Pleiades constellation (Japanese)

Suntory- Shinjiro Torii (owner)

SWL- Safe Working Load

Taco Bell- Mr Bell's Tacos

Tan- Sad - Tandem Saddle

Tannoy- Tantalum Alloy

TDK-Tokyo denkikagaku kogyo (Tokyo electronics co.)

Teepol- Technical Products oil

Teflon- Polytetrafluoroethylene

Tesco- T.E. Stockwell, Cohen

Thames & Hudson- rivers in London & New York where located

Ti-Tube investments

TNT- Turner network TV

TNT (trucking)- Thompson Nationwide Transport

TNT magazine- The News and Travel

Tricentrol- Trinidad Central Oilfields

Trimoco- Tricentral (=?) Motor Corporation

TVR cars- TreVoR

U boats- Untersee

UBS- Union Bank of Switzerland

Uhu= Owl (German)

Umbro-Humphrey Brothers

Uniqlo- Unique Clothing

Univac- Universal Automatic Computer

URL-Uniform resource locator

VAG- Volkswagen Audi Gruppe

VARIG- (Brazilian airlines)- Viacao Aerea RIo Grandense (Rio Grande air transport)

VHS- Video home system

Vileda- Wie leder -like leather (German)

Vimto- Vim tonic

Vit-Be- Vitamin B

Vodafone- VOiceDAtafone

Volvo- I roll (Latin)

W H Smith- William Henry

Waitrose- Waite & Rose

Wal Mart- Walton

Warfarin- Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation coumARIN

WD 40- Water dispersant, 40th version

Welgar- Welwyn Garden City

Wincarnis- Wine & Carnis (Latin = meat)

WPP-Wire & plastics products (were shopping trolleys, name then bought by advertising co.).

ZIP code-zone improvement plan

 

These are the owners actual names

 

Birdseye, Biro, Chess (Records) Conde Nast, Converse, Cow (gum), Dr Pepper, Eno's, Fluor (engineering etc.), Gevaert, Hoseasons (holidays), Idris, Kenwood (= Ken Wood), Kir, Lemon Hart (rum), Mars, Mach (as in Mach 1), Opel, Stussy, Van Den Plas, Wells,Fargo.

 

These mean nothing at all (made up names)

 

Axa- 1st in list & easy to pronounce

Byrrh

Elf (oil)

Encarta (online information service)

Goya (perfume)

Haagen-Dazs

Haart (estate agents in UK)

Kodak

Nylon

Omo

Pan Yan

Rolex

Skechers

Typhoo