Trivial Pursuits
Among the myriad travel sites, there's one that keeps popping up in TV ads that I won't be using any time soon. While some internet booking sites have self-explanatory names such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com and the like, Trivago leaves me befuddled.
Mulling this over, as I am wont to do, I notice the the middle "va" could be the imperative form of aller: to go, making the name Trigogo, or three times two gos, or six gos total. Would they attempt to subliminally influence me to buy a whole lot of plane tickets and hotel reservations I wouldn't otherwise? Shameless behavior. Or perhaps the Tri is meant to imply "trip": Trip: go, go! Also annoying and frankly bossy.
But the sandwiching of a French word between two English is surprising, since the French have spent the better part of the last century mocking the Quebecois for peppering their phrases with jarring English words and figures of speech, in their ridiculous accent. I recall listening to a Canadian cousin telling a joke once in which an unhappy fellow se pitchait (pronounced spichay) from a window. We all looked at each other, then it dawned on me: pitch, throw, he threw himself from a window. I translated for the French audience who went "Ahhh". And once, a Canadian who interned in our design firm complained that no one wanting to eat lunch at McDonald's, Mais ça gout bon!, he exclaimed, literally translated "But it tastes good", and my colleagues snickered because a literate Parisian would say ça a bon goût, or "it has good taste"-- which, even if you think that McDonalds fare is delectable, is patently absurd. Anyways...
Another niggling impression is that of Zhivago, and a negative one for a site that promotes weekends in Moscow with guided tours to Red Square, if I may be so bold.
But my main objection is that the "Triv" makes me feel that their offerings are trivial, unsubstantial and I'd be better suited choosing a more serious site for my travel plans. So I'll just fall back on the old stand-by, lastminute.com, since that's as far ahead as my planning extends, in an event.
Mulling this over, as I am wont to do, I notice the the middle "va" could be the imperative form of aller: to go, making the name Trigogo, or three times two gos, or six gos total. Would they attempt to subliminally influence me to buy a whole lot of plane tickets and hotel reservations I wouldn't otherwise? Shameless behavior. Or perhaps the Tri is meant to imply "trip": Trip: go, go! Also annoying and frankly bossy.
But the sandwiching of a French word between two English is surprising, since the French have spent the better part of the last century mocking the Quebecois for peppering their phrases with jarring English words and figures of speech, in their ridiculous accent. I recall listening to a Canadian cousin telling a joke once in which an unhappy fellow se pitchait (pronounced spichay) from a window. We all looked at each other, then it dawned on me: pitch, throw, he threw himself from a window. I translated for the French audience who went "Ahhh". And once, a Canadian who interned in our design firm complained that no one wanting to eat lunch at McDonald's, Mais ça gout bon!, he exclaimed, literally translated "But it tastes good", and my colleagues snickered because a literate Parisian would say ça a bon goût, or "it has good taste"-- which, even if you think that McDonalds fare is delectable, is patently absurd. Anyways...
Another niggling impression is that of Zhivago, and a negative one for a site that promotes weekends in Moscow with guided tours to Red Square, if I may be so bold.
But my main objection is that the "Triv" makes me feel that their offerings are trivial, unsubstantial and I'd be better suited choosing a more serious site for my travel plans. So I'll just fall back on the old stand-by, lastminute.com, since that's as far ahead as my planning extends, in an event.
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