Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 February 23

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February 23

Piranha = slut in portuguese?

Caio Blinder#Offenses to Arab women originally said that Blinder called two women "slut". I checked the source and the word used was piranha. The editor in question has not always followed the sources, which is why I post here for input. Sjö (talk) 18:15, 23 February 2021 (UTC)

Yup. Seems to be true. It would appear so. --Jayron32 18:19, 23 February 2021 (UTC)

Wing On?

Seeing the news reports of the Boeing airliner with a burning engine recently reminded me of my previous life in the insurance industry. We had dealings with a firm in Singapore called THE WING ON FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY, which caused no end of confusion because somebody would invariably file their correspondence with the aviation claims, assuming it was related to an aircraft with a "wing on fire". I just wondered if anyone knows the actual meaning of "Wing On", presumably from one of the Chinese languages? Alansplodge (talk) 18:47, 23 February 2021 (UTC)

Looking at Wing On it appears to be a form of this, presumably from Yong'an DuncanHill (talk) 18:52, 23 February 2021 (UTC)

Thanks Duncan, the Wikipedia article didn't come up on my Google search. It seems the department store, the bank and the insurer are all part of the same family enterprise. "Everlasting Peace Insurance Company" has a fine ring to it. Alansplodge (talk) 22:09, 23 February 2021 (UTC)

I used to work in an office a few hundred feet from the Wing On Funeral Hope Home (or Chapel) in Toronto. (As you see at the link, it's apparently no longer in business.) People found that name amusing, but "Wing On Fire..." is way better! --142.112.149.107 (talk) 00:04, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

There is also Wing On Travel, which in spite of the name does not cater for airbound travel. I could not figure out if they are (or originated as) part of the Wing On Company.  --Lambiam 09:43, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

Yes, they also have a house, which fortunately seems to be not on fire. Presumably not related to this singer who often sounds like she is. Was reminded of Larson Martinevans123 (talk) 10:18, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

There are many Wing On Chinese restaurants and convenience stores. 95.150.9.67 (talk) 11:58, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

Or some at least. There appear to be two in England, one in Bicester and one in Royston. Alansplodge (talk) 16:11, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

The one in Darlington not so enticing. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:37, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

(There's a Wing On Convenience Store just up the road here in Hoxton. I'll take a look at it when I go out later tonight. It's two doors along from the chicken takeaway where a teenage girl was shot and killed some years ago.[1]. 146.199.206.11 (talk) 18:25, 24 February 2021 (UTC)

(It seems that Gorsuch Street (misspelled in that source as "Gorusch Street") has connections with the Kray twins: [2]. Sorry to digress (even further).) Martinevans123 (talk) 11:17, 25 February 2021 (UTC)