To think that this is probably not a wise name to call an internationally-exporting company?

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

A relative kindly bought my DS a plastic film tie-in Disney-Pixar cup from a major British supermarket chain, which he instantly loved. However, when washing it, I noticed the sticker on the underside containing the bar code, product details and the name of the company who made/imported it.

The company name is P-Slinky. According to its website, the 'Slinky' bit is a more recent addition (they make the famous stair-descending toys) and they were formerly just called P** Products.

The asterisked word is spelt out in full, in capitals, and is what I always understood to be a grossly offensive and pretty-much-anathema term for a gay man (sounds similar to a horses foot).

I assumed it was maybe an Asia-based company attempting onomatopoeia for a magic trick reveal or something without understanding the implications in colloquial English, but no, they're based in New Jersey, USA.

It's a huge, general company making all kinds of worldwide-market toys and similar products - it's not like it's a trendy company aimed at the gay community and trying to reclaim the term (as with Jonathan Ross's erstwhile house band). It looks like they chose the name both because of the rapid success of their company and the fact that they make a lot of foam-based toys(?!).

Does the word not have the same connotations in North America? Is it just me or is it not that different from calling your company N-word Products?

If you'd said it was short for willy woofta then we'd have known what you meant.

Brilliant virtue signalling OP

Absolutely not the intention at all. My OP wasn't in any way suggesting that the company should 'think of the children' and be shamed into changing their name. I just thought it didn't make a lot of business sense calling yourself something that could cause offence to a lot of people (now I realise that I was mistaken and that poof is not at all offensive and is apparently how all gay men prefer to be addressed ). Similar principle to greeting a customer with "Can I help you, Madam?" as opposed to "What is it, you fat old cow?"

Oh when I was a child a "poof" (to rhyme with "hoof") was the little padded thing that you could rest your feet on, or sit on if there was nowhere else available.

I would call it a foot stool now.

Same here - I believe it's spelt 'pouffe', but often pronounced 'poof' or sometimes 'poof-ay'.

Would you call it a foot stool now as you just prefer that description or deliberately to avoid any confusion with 'poof' meaning a gay man?!

Also, poof and hoof don't rhyme! Bizarre thread!

Poof absolutely rhymes with hoof.

None of my gay friends are offended by the word but then it all depends on the intent behind it. In fact, my ex-flatmate was incredibly camp but if he saw anyone more camp than him he'd tut and say "what a poof!"

To be honest, my main thinking in not typing the word out in full is that, had I been correct that it was considered grossly offensive, MNHQ would have deleted my OP, which would have made it completely pointless.

I can think of at least 4 other words where this would almost certainly happen - it has before when somebody used the offensive R-word to describe people with learning difficulties. Granted it was used gratuitously then, but I don't know if it would be allowed to stand even if it was a specific discussion about the use of the word itself.

Similar principle to greeting a customer with "Can I help you, Madam?" as opposed to "What is it, you fat old cow?"
Is that why my café's not getting any cusomters? Off to update the staff training manual!

@StealthPolarBear

I was going to tell the story of the Vauxhall Nova being renamed in the Spanish speaking world as it means "doesn't go" but decided to check it first.
I found this article

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_blunder

Pass me the poof means the foot stool in my house. Coincidentally in Ireland the slang for penis is Micky so when I see people at Disney or Disney products with love Mickey or or Mickey fun etc it means a very different thing

Beside the point but tough and bœuf rhyme.

Beside the point but tough and bœuf rhyme.

No they don't - tough is pronounced 'tuff, since when was boeuf pronounced buff? It's more like berff.

Beside the point but tough and bœuf rhyme.

No they don’t 🤷🏻‍♀️

Fancy paddedfootrests are called poufes
I will decline to suggest any rhyming terms (am questioning my sanity after reading this thread! Started re-reading words in different accents and everything)

When I was little, my family used the word poof as a synonym for fart. As in, “Was that you ? Did you just poof?”

“No, it was the dog who poofed, not me.”

😂