Trademarks Lexis and Lexus (was nexis is baffling)

[Doug Harris]

Lexus means nothing like Cingular or Verizon mean nothing. Or, worse,
National Grid (a utility), which _sounds_ like it means something, but
translates to many customers as "natural greed". They see this upstart from
Britain (where the name supposedly does have a meaning) as adding too little
value in its electricity-delivery service to justify the rates charged.
I could give a bunch of other marketing-word examples if any sprang to
mind. (As could anyone in this group.) Alas, most of these names do NOT
spring immediately to mind -- in part because one can't, looking at them,
imagine how they're supposed to be pronounced.
(I can't recall: Did Xerox ever have this
what's-it-mean/how-do-you-pronounce it problem?)
(the other) doug

-----Original Message-----
JL wrote:

It is popularly believed in the ad and marketing industries that X is the
most interesting and enticing letter you can use (I never spell "sex"
without it.)  Contrariwise, Q is the least appealing.

  So always try to use an X and avoid a Q. If you can suggest some appealing
word with it, like "sex" or luxury" (but definitely not "tax" or "Xerxes"),
so much the better.

  JL

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