Heinz Mayochup has an unfortunate translation in Cree
The Kraft Heinz company must have been selling a decent amount of their mayonnaise-ketchup mashup in the United States so they expanded sales into Canada.
What could go wrong?
Mayochup tastes exactly the same on both sides of the border but Canada’s Cree speakers think the condiment sounds a little too much like a distasteful situation.
CBC radio host Waubgeshig Rice tweeted the unfortunate translation he got from Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon of the Mushkegowuk council in Northern Ontario.
Doing my part to help our Mushkego Cree friends take their language worldwide: Heinz's Mayochup lampooned for meaning 's**tface' in Cree language https://t.co/YgnZmBKdWP via @MailOnline
— Waubgeshig Rice (@waub) May 18, 2019
Apparently, Mayochup sounds very similar to the Cree word for “s**tfaced”
Cree Literacy Network director Arden Ogg told the National Post the translation can vary in each dialect, but mayo has a strong resemblance to the Cree word mêyi, which means excrement.
“Certainly the first part refers to excrement or feces, all across the Cree language continuum, which is going to get uproarious laughter,” she told the newspaper.
Perhaps those who originally suggested the name Ketchonnaise are feeling vindicated.
Steven Adams is a Tribune-Review manager/photography. You can contact Steven at sadams@triblive.com.
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