Top Company Nicknames
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You Say Target, I Say ...
Tar-zhay, Wally World, Mickey D's -- these are just a few of the nicknames that American consumers call some of today's most popular companies.
Click through our gallery to find out a little background on some of these "terms of endearment" and see which nicknames you've heard of -- and which you haven't.
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First Up: Nicknames for McDonald'sIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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McDonald's
Popular Nicknames:
The Golden Arches; Mickey D's
Did You Know?
The famous Golden Arches in the McDonald's logo were created in 1962. The idea was first introduced by Dick and Mac McDonald as arch-shaped signs on the sides of their then "walk-up hamburger stand." From an angle, those arches looked like the letter "M" and thus were incorporated in the logo as a merger of the two golden arches together. The McDonald's in Sedona, Ariz. is the only one in the world with turquoise arches. (Source: LogoBlog.org)
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AP
Wal-Mart
Popular Nickname:
Wally World
Did You Know?
The term "Wally World" comes from a fictional amusement park in the 1983 comedy film 'National Lampoon's Vacation.' The sheer size and "everything under the sun" mentality of the park set the tone for Wal-Mart to be called "Wally World" soon thereafter, as well as the parking lot depicted in the film -- which resembles a cement desert without end.
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Next: Nickname for TargetIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
Target
Popular Nickname:
Tar-zhay
Did You Know?
In a Washington Post article from 2006, staff writer Yian Q. Mui writes, "Fans of Target stores long ago nicknamed the retailer 'Tar-zhay' for its cheap and chic clothes, the French accent lending the discounter a certain je ne sais quoi that made it acceptable among fashionistas."
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Next: Nickname for IBMIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Stephen Chernin, Getty Images
IBM
Popular Nickname:
Big Blue
Did You Know?
People have attributed the company nickname to a past company dress code, when employees were required to wear white shirts and most of them wore blue suits. A second theory follows a more logical theme. It relies on the fact that IBM uses blue for its company logo and equipment, blue being a color that denotes strength. People also naturally associate blue with largeness, similar to the sky, the oceans, and even outer space. A third theory is ...
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Next: Nickname for StarbucksIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Paul Sakuma, AP
Starbucks
Popular Nickname:
Four Bucks
Did You Know?
By the late 1990s, Starbucks was everywhere and "Four Bucks" became one of the favorite nicknames (along with the more insulting "Starsucks" and, well, you know). As a trend marketing specialist said in a 'USA Today' article, "We live in a society where people think $5 is $1 because of Starbucks."
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Next: Nickname for FNMA & FHLMCIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Federal National Mortgage Assoc.
& Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
Popular Nicknames:
Fannie Mae; Freddie Mac
Did You Know?
'Slate' gets the award for offering an explanation of the source of the nicknames, which is: FNMA got its moniker because of its acronym; when you try to pronounce it as a word, it comes out sounding something like "Fannie Mae." When it came time to nickname the competitor, however, FHLMC didn't naturally sound like a recognizable name. "Freddie," then, is a take on "federal," and "Mac" a reference to the terminal "MC."
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Next: Nickname for CBSIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
CBS
Popular Nickname:
The Tiffany Network
Did You Know?
The Tiffany moniker harkens back to the CBS of radio's heyday and the early days of television. With the likes of Edward R. Murrow reporting from London during the Blitz, Orson Welles scaring the bejebus out of listeners with his broadcast of 'The War of the Worlds,' the hit multi-cultural comedy 'I Love Lucy,' and the iconic western 'Gunsmoke,' the network's reputation for quality was once as glittering as one of Tiffany's diamond-pavéd bracelets.
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Next: Nickname for MicrosoftIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Richard Drew, AP
Microsoft
Popular Nickname:
Mister Softee
Did You Know?
The nickname Mister Softee comes from Microsoft's stock symbol: MSFT. As you see, it has some of the same letters as the beloved soft ice cream vendor, Mister Softee. And so, a bit of Wall Street slang was born.
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Next: Nickname for Howard JohnsonIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Howard Johnson’s
Popular Nickname:
HoJo's
Did You Know?
So how did Howard Johnson's become HoJo's? BloggingStocks speculates the nickname came about for two reasons: One is the human love of rhythm; in this case, the double O, as in yo-yo, polo, cocoa, Hans Solo, the dodo, and FloJo's mojo. HoJo flows pleasingly off the tongue. Howard Johnson's flows out like a handful of rusty bolts. The other reason may be ...
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Next: Nickname for NBCIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
NBC
Popular Nickname:
The Peacock Network
Did You Know?
Since the coming of color television in 1956, the NBC peacock has been a television communications fixture, and NBC television is respectfully referred to as "The Peacock Network" by people and publications throughout the industry.
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Next: Nickname for Goldman SachsIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Goldman Sachs
Popular Nickname:
Golden Slacks
Did You Know?
With the exception of a few years, including the 2007/2008 woes, investment bankers and brokers and traders on Wall Street have done far better financially than most workers on Main Street. And among investment bankers, those at Goldman Sachs are thought of as the highest paid on Wall Street. Hence: Golden Slacks. Another reason may be ...
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AP
Home Depot
Popular Nickname:
The Home Despot
Did You Know?
This is one of the more unfortunate company nicknames, especially since it was bestowed on the company not from outside sources, but from within the company's own hierarchy. "Home Despot" is a name that shall long remain the legacy of one former chief executive officer, Bob Nardelli, who believed in a military-style rule.
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Next: Nicknames for Taco BellIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
Taco Bell
Popular Nickname:
Taco Hell; Toxic Bell; Taco Smell
Did You Know?
One BloggingStocks blogger puts it this way: When I hear my friends use the term, it is always in the context of "Want to grab some lunch at Taco Hell?" The nickname implies acceptance that the food quality will be less than gourmet, but a cost worth the concession.
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Next: Nicknames for GMIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
General Motors (GM)
Popular Nicknames:
The General, Mother Motors
Did You Know?
According to a New York Times article, at one point GM's presence loomed so large that some children of GM employees nicknamed the company Mother Motors, the breast that feeds Flint, Mich. But it is (or was) more commonly nicknamed, "The General."
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Next: Nickname for CostcoIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
Costco
Popular Nickname:
The Hundred-Dollar Store
Did You Know?
So many people walk into Costco to save some money on one thing -- just one little thing. An hour later they walk out loaded down with bulk bargains -- and $100 lighter. That's where Costco gets its increasingly popular nickname: The $100 Store.
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Next: Nickname for Applebee'sIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
Applebee's
Popular Nickname:
Crapplebee's
Did You Know?
Blogger Zac Bissonnette says: I first heard the nickname "Crapplebee's" from my brother, when I suggested that we go to dinner at Applebee's and he didn't think it was such a good idea. I don't know that it's "crappy" per se; it's more that there's nothing especially unique about it. It's very similar to Chili's, T.G.I. Friday's, Ruby Tuesday's, and a whole bunch of other fast-casual chains with "apostrophe s" in their names.
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Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Disney
Popular Nickname:
Mouse House
Did You Know?
Anyone who has ever wondered about the term "Mouse House" need only consult the slanguage dictionary of the show business bible 'Variety,' which defines it this way: "the Walt Disney Co. or any division thereof, a reference to the company's most famous animated character, Mickey Mouse." Variety also refers to Walt Disney Co. simply as the "Mouse."
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AP
Fiat
Popular Nickname:
Fix It Again Tony
Did You Know?
Fiat was dubbed "Fix It Again Tony" in the '70s because at the time Italian cars were awful -- they were built with cheap Russian steel that rusted easily. Their reputation among American consumers never recovered even though modern Fiats are pretty respectable. This is mainly due to the fact that Fiat has not sold cars in North America since 1982, and therefore those are the last Fiats Americans have usually seen.
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Next: Nickname for Burger KingIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
Burger King
Popular Nickname:
BK
Did You Know?
Perhaps we are just lazy, but BK just works. Only time will tell if it becomes so popular with consumers that Burger King does away with the "urger" and "ing" altogether. Hey, it's not like it hasn't happened before. Think Kentucky Fried Chicken's change to KFC.
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Scott Wintrow, Getty Images
Bloomingdale's
Popular Nickname:
Bloomies
Did You Know?
Bloomingdale's has remained a draw for younger professionals seeking exciting new fashion trends. It's not surprising that at some point its hip, young clientele started affectionately calling it "Bloomies." The chain embraced its nickname officially in 1973 with the launching of a new intimate apparel line that featured panties branded "Bloomies."
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Next: Nickname for Whole FoodsIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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AP
Whole Foods
Popular Nickname:
Whole Paycheck
Did You Know?
Not surprisingly, the company is chagrined about its pricey moniker, especially in an atmosphere of rising food costs and growing discontent among consumers. In a recent New York Times article, co-president Walter Robb was quoted as saying, "I'm getting a little tired of that tag around our neck. We are a lot more competitive than people give us credit for. We challenge anyone on like items."
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AP
UPS
Popular Nickname:
Big Brown
Did You Know?
The simplicity of a brand name or symbol confers status on a company. Decades ago, the symbol might literally have been a stock symbol: the oldest companies got one letter ticker symbols from the New York Stock Exchange. United Parcel Service now gets that status by taking an entire color: brown. The company first started using its trademark brown trucks in the 1920s when it delivered appliances and other goods for department stores.
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Next: Nickname for Roadway ExpressIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Roadway Express
Popular Nickname:
Always on the Road and in the Way
Did You Know?
Blogger Trey Thoelcke says: Once or twice a year, the family and I take a long, cross-country drive on vacation. So when I heard that the nickname of the freight hauler Roadway Express was "always on the Road and in the Way," I knew exactly what that meant. It never seems to fail: just as I'm about to catch up to a semi truck, it suddenly swings over into my lane and then spends the next five to ten miles inching past a very slightly slower truck.
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Next: Nickname for Neiman MarcusIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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David Zalubowski, AP
Neiman Marcus
Popular Nickname:
Needless Markup
Did You Know?
It may be the most successful upscale retail department chain that shoppers love to hold a grudge against. The chain caters to primarily upper-income females and features designer lines that rival boutique (and beyond) price levels. Further, while some of the products are decidedly exclusive, some are not or appear to not be, but the prices of these items remain in the stratosphere, and it is for this reason that the store was tagged with this nickname.
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More: Biggest Company FlopsIf You Liked 'Nicknames,' Try ...
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Now that you've taken a look at the common nicknames people call popular companies, check out which products well-known companies tried to launch, but consumers just weren't into.
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