Why do Japanese people call KFC "Kentucky" ?

[ghettocities]

Does anyone know the reason behind

every Japanese person calling Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC just the word "Kentucky." Or does anyone know the reason why Japanese people call Baskin Robbins 31 flavors "Thirty one" , or why Japanese people call French Fries "Potato". And the list goes on! Now with the clues I've set out for myself it would seem that the Japanese people re-word words over the whole L's for R's madness or to shorten up a would be waste of time but there are things like Wendy's in Japan having "Super value meal" and they don't call that just "super" etc.etc. , What's the deal? What kind of logic is this?! I don't understand it when Japanese girls ask me if I "want to eat Kentucky" , Kentucky is a state and states aren't edible.

Josh

[Blututh]

Culture differences bro, they're just THERE.

[Tollen]

indeed lol wouldn't it just be sad without them? :(
but I understand your pointless frustration ^_^
maybe someone knows the actual reasons for things like these? ease of speech or some deep and meaningful reason? hehe who knows maybe they're just layzy?.... nah didnt think so ^_^
so yeah im intrigued now... maybe its something to do with the media? or westernism? or advertising lol ? *shrug*

[DoctorP]

I don't understand it when Japanese girls ask me if I "want to eat Kentucky" , Kentucky is a state and states aren't edible.
Josh

some people would say the same thing about KFC! It's just not edible!

[blade_bltz]

What's Thirty-one? I'm only familiar with "Saaty-one"

Truth be told it took me a while to put two and two together when I first heard that.

[Ewok85]

Kentucky Fried Chicken is a registered trademark, if I said to one of my Aussie friends, "hey, what do you want to eat? Fancy Kentucky?" they would know straight away what I mean.

[doinkies]

Well, I guess that ケンタッキー and サーティーワン are easier to remember and pronounce for Japanese people than the full names of said chains.

[KrazyKat]

katakana loan words tend to get really long. It makes sense to abbreviate them.

[Kyoko_desu]

Originally Posted by KrazyKat
Katakana loan words tend to get really long. It makes sense to abbreviate them.
That's right. Why we call it Kentucky but not Kentucky Fried Chicken is just it's easier and faster to say. Of course, no one here thinks Kentucky State is edible.

Actually, calling Kentucky Fried Chicken ケンタッキー　is thought kinda outdated and uncool here for the last several years. Recently, we've made it even shorter and now it's called ケンタ(kenta) by young people here.

By the way, McDonalds is called マクド(in Kansai area), or マック (in Kanto area), and "going to McDonald’s" is マクる.　Going to Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream is ハゲる.

That's all I can think of for now.

[Maciamo]

Because the real name as it appears on the signs is KFC ! I also call it KFC and so do most French speakers (probably speakers of other languages too).

[Glenn]

Now it is, but I believe before they wanted to not make the "fried" part so explicit due to a marketing move it was actually "Kentucky Fried Chicken." It's called KFC in the states, too, and it's referred to that way on the commercials.

[Kinsao]

I always think of KFC as 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' even though everyone in the UK calls it 'KFC'.
'Kentucky' is just another way of abbreviating the name, and thinking about it I can see that 'Kentucky' or 'Kenta' would probably be easier for Japanese people to pronounce than 'KFC'.

[RockLee]

AFAIK Chinese ppl say "KFC" too.

[Maciamo]

After reading the replies, I am coming to wonder : why do some Americans don't know that the real name is KFC and NOT Kentucky, which alone is just the name of a state ?

[nurizeko]

All i have to say is with countries that's idea of modern popular culture is to speak so "ghetto" you've long since forgotten proper english, i think its a bit rich to complain about another country's slang.


Your frustration is understandable but bear with it man, its just Japanese slang.
:cool:

[DoctorP]

After reading the replies, I am coming to wonder : why do some Americans don't know that the real name is KFC and NOT Kentucky, which alone is just the name of a state ?

Because the real name is indeed Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was shortened several years ago to be just KFC.

[Rich303]

I've heard English people refer to KFC as 'Kentucky' - and I used to know a girl who's nickname was 'Kentucky Bucket' (not very flattering, but her boyfriend sometimes called her that affectionately !)

In parts of the UK you can get Halal Fried Chicken too.

Or 'Dallas Chicken', 'Southern Fried Chicken', and every other take away place sells fried chicken now.

It is one of those foods that I sort of frown upon, but if it's late at night and I've had a good drink I find it hard to resist.

[Elizabeth]

That's right. Why we call it Kentucky but not Kentucky Fried Chicken is just it's easier and faster to say. Of course, no one here thinks Kentucky State is edible.
Actually, calling Kentucky Fried Chicken ケンタッキー　is thought kinda outdated and uncool here for the last several years. Recently, we've made it even shorter and now it's called ケンタ(kenta) by young people here.
By the way, McDonalds is called マクド(in Kansai area), or マック (in Kanto area), and "going to McDonald’s" is マクる.　Going to Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream is ハゲる.
That's all I can think of for now.
Does anyone else think of calling a fast food restaurant
ファストフードのお店（にしましょう） like my boyfriend ? He's just showing his age I'm sure, or maybe respect since he likes them so much :p
....but it's still so cute. :cute:

[Mikawa Ossan]

That's right. Why we call it Kentucky but not Kentucky Fried Chicken is just it's easier and faster to say. Of course, no one here thinks Kentucky State is edible.
Actually, calling Kentucky Fried Chicken ケンタッキー　is thought kinda outdated and uncool here for the last several years. Recently, we've made it even shorter and now it's called ケンタ(kenta) by young people here.
By the way, McDonalds is called マクド(in Kansai area), or マック (in Kanto area), and "going to McDonald’s" is マクる.　Going to Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream is ハゲる.
That's all I can think of for now.
This is how I know I'm starting to get old...

[Mars Man]

:-) This is how I know I'm starting to get old...

Oh no...if you start to feeling old, Mikawa san, then I'm gonna have to start looking for my walking cane. . .hee, hee...I know just where you're coming from. . . and feel lucky to be working with these 18~22 year olds at the uni. It helps me keep up a little. :relief:

[leonmarino]

It's hard to keep up with new Japanese words or abbreviations when you don't have a lot of contact with Japan or Japanese people..

I went to Japan last year, for the first time in 11 (!!) years, and not only did I hear new popular words like 微妙、ウザい and abbreviations like 写メ, I also found out that some words I use are seriously outdated. This is because I didn't pay a lot of attention to my Japanese side, and didn't have a lot of contact with Japanese people except my mother, so I have been using the vocabulary I developed in the 80's as a kid. Examples are シブイ, ナウい or あばよ〜!:p

Anyways, back to the topic. Yeah, the Japanese do have a lot of abbreviations.. For years I didn't know the word マスコミ which means mass media is actually an abbreviation of mass communication..:relief: And I still don't know what the word 合コン stands for! Anyone?

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Incidentally,
Abbreviation word of "STARBUCKS COFFEE" is "スタバ(Sutaba)",
It is "SUTABA-RU" going in "STARBUCKS COFFEE".
The others,
"ググる(GuGu-ru)":The information on a network is retrieved using Google.

[ArmandV]

What amuses me about KFCs in Japan are the statues of Col. Sanders. I never see them in the U.S.

[Pachipro]

Kyoko Desu and others have stated the correct reason in that it is just short and simple. Nothing more.

To a foreigner it may sound odd, and may make no sense to us at first, but they do that with so many other foreign words too numerous to mention here.

As with so many other things the Japanese adopt from the west, they take it, change it to suit their needs, and, in essence, I think it then becomes a Japanese word even though it is written in katagana.

[yukio_michael]

By the way, McDonalds is called マクド(in Kansai area), or マック (in Kanto area), and "going to McDonald’s" is マクる.　Going to Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream is ハゲる.
That's all I can think of for now.We (gf & I) called it マクド、in Chiba prefecture as well... also, for fami resu, Johnathans', we call it, ジョナ...

to go to a restaraunt, to go to Johnathan's, is to 'do jona'... ジョナしてる？

[Dutch Baka]

I also always call KFC Kentucky.

Btw people, there are people who can not read hiragana, katana, and most not even Kanji.. so please think about that people too. thank you!

[Glenn]

Btw people, there are people who can not read hiragana, katana, and most not even Kanji.. so please think about that people too. thank you!

Sometimes that's hard to remember. I'll want to gloss a kanji coumpound with hiragana for my friends who don't know any Japanese sometimes just because it always clears things up for me, and it can be hard to get out of my head. I've forgotten what it's like for it all to look like chicken scratch.

What amuses me about KFCs in Japan are the statues of Col. Sanders. I never see them in the U.S.

I had no idea about that until I watched the first episode of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, where a young girl is looking through a trash pile for a statue of him (it sounded like they were calling him keita-kun, but I guess it was kenta-kun; that's embarassing...). That's pretty funny that they put statues of him in front of the stores (well, to me at least). It reminds me of the episode of "Family Guy" when Peter asks to meet the colonel.

[yukio_michael]

A friend of mine from Tokyo told me about one of the biggest events he remembers in Japan, was that of the KFC 'Colonel' comming to Tokyo... it was apparently a big thing and attracted some huge crowd---

I remember, I had KFC on christmas day in Japan...

I think it's natural to use naturally-occuring Japanese, rather than roumaji, where much of our learning encourages us NOT to use and rely on roumaji... maybe when we use katakana etc, we should be encouraged to provide a roumaji translation...

[ArmandV]

A friend of mine from Tokyo told me about one of the biggest events he remembers in Japan, was that of the KFC 'Colonel' comming to Tokyo... it was apparently a big thing and attracted some huge crowd---


That had to have been many moons ago. The Colonel has been dead for years.

[Kyoko_desu]

Originally Posted by ArmandV
What amuses me about KFCs in Japan are the statues of Col. Sanders. I never see them in the U.S.
I didn't know that. We like that statue and call him "kentakkii no ojisan". Well, he's at least not that scary as "donarudo-kun" (the statue of the clown at McDonald's). It always reminds me of "It" by Stephen King...
Originally Posted by leonmarino
I still don't know what the word 合コン stands for! Anyone?
合コン(goukon) is an abbreviation for 合同コンパ(goudou konpa).
My dictionary says 合同(goudou) means:
amalgamation // association // coalescence // coalition // congruence // congruency // conjunction // consolidation // incorporation // joinder // merger // tie-up // trust joins
Now, コンパ(konpa) derives from an English word "company" with the meaning of 交際/交友(kouyuu/kousai).
It is a party in which two or more groups of young people join, as leonmarino san probably already knows, and I'm guessing he has joined lots of them!
Originally Posted by Dutch Baka
Btw people, there are people who can not read hiragana, katana, and most not even Kanji.. so please think about that people too. thank you!
Awwww! I'm afraid it's me who started it. *punches herself*
Gomennasai and I'll be more thoughtfull from now on.

[Glenn]

I didn't know that. We like that statue and call him "kentakkii no ojisan". Well, he's at least not that scary as "donarudo-kun" (the statue of the clown at McDonald's). It always reminds me of "It" by Stephen King...

No kidding! Clowns are just freaky! That's funny that it reminds you of Stephen King's "It." "It" was never made visible, was it?

[Dutch Baka]

Awwww! I'm afraid it's me who started it. *punches herself*
Gomennasai and I'll be more thoughtfull from now on.

*put some ice on Kyoko san her head, you don't have to punch yourself for this :relief: :relief: *

I , and others probably don't care when that it happen, but when it happens to much, it means that this people can not follow the thread anymore, and can't post in here!

It is a waste of time * okay fun to learn, but annoying* to make a whole list and ask you guys what this and that means in Kanji etc.

[Glenn]

交際/交友(kouyuu/kousai).

Oh yeah, these are backwards. :relief:

交際 -- kousai
交友 -- kouyuu

Sorry, just wanted to make that clear. :bow:

[Minty]

Because the real name as it appears on the signs is KFC ! I also call it KFC and so do most French speakers (probably speakers of other languages too).

Actually we don’t have KFC in Strasbourg; people here don't really know what it is. :p

I saw one in Nice last time when my husband took me on a trip to visit his friend, but even his friend in Nice didn’t know KFC.

The clients of the Fast-food industries here are usually kids and tourists.:hihi:

Everybody here knows Mc Donald’s though, and besides that we have “Quick” a fast food company from Belgium.

@OP All over Asian people call Kentucky fried Chicken KFC, and often people say "Lets go eat at Kentucky’s", the usage of KFC or Kentucky is not just in Japan.

In Chinese it is 肯�ｺ基家香雞 (KenDeJi Home smell good Chicken)
While the state Kentucky is肯塔基 (Ken DaJi), usually words are translated using the closest Chinese sounds available in the Chinese sound chart. But in short people just say KFC.

People in France called wedges country potatoes or American potatoes.

[bossel]

AFAIK Chinese ppl say "KFC" too.
In Chinese it is 肯�ｺ基家香雞 (KenDeJi Home smell good Chicken)
While the state Kentucky is肯塔基 (Ken DaJi), usually words are translated using the closest Chinese sounds available in the Chinese sound chart. But in short people just say KFC.
The Chinese I know all just say Kentucky. When my girlfriend 1st mentioned it, I didn't know what she meant (also because I've never eaten there). She on the other hand didn't know the abbreviation KFC.

[epigene]

The reason why KFC is "Kentucky" has already been stated, I think. So, I'll just add a little "unchiku (profound knowlege, otherwise known as trivia)" to that.

I'm old enough to remember 1970 when Kentucky Fried Chicken came to Japan (roughly the same time MacDonald's came to Japan). According to this, the name KFC was adopted in 1991:
http://www.snopes.com/lost/kfc.htm#add

The "Kentucky" name was firmly established for 20 years, and the Japanese subsidiary did little to change the name (considering the commercials they aired, calling itself "Kentucky" rather then KFC).

If I remember correctly, the Colonel Sanders statue started being set up when he came to promote the chain:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=126&article=24605&archive=true
He was a pop icon at that time.

:wave:

[Glenn]

Ah, I was fooled by an urban legend! Oh well, now I know the real reason the name was changed. At least I was right about the change. :relief:

[ArmandV]

The state apparently didn't agree with KFC's old slogan, "More cluck for your buck!"

[ghettocities]

Yeah, Japan's re-wording doesn't halt my life or anything and I can understand some of the reasons why -- like in Street Fighter 2 (the video game,) M. Bison was no longer the boxer charecter's name because it sounded like Mike Tyson, right? And yeah I've called Super Mario Brothers just "Mario" a trillion times but someone mentioned "saaty-one" or "31" and when I first heard saaty-one I remember spending a good half an hour (the car trip over to one,) trying to figure out in my mind what I had just agreed to go to. Ah Japan, so many surprises.

Josh

[leonmarino]

Excuse me for being stupid but what on earth is "saaty-one"?

[Mikawa Ossan]

Excuse me for being stupid but what on earth is "saaty-one"?
31 Or more precisely, サーティワン , right?

[leonmarino]

Yeah sure but what does 31 mean? :relief:

[RockLee]

Yeah sure but what does 31 mean? :relief:Baskin Robbins 31 flavors

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baskin-Robbins ;-)

[Dutch Baka]

Pretty cute logo :D

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/91/Logo_baskinrobbins.gif

[Mycernius]

I just call it inedible. Can't stand KFC. The buckets probably got more taste and probably better for you.:okashii:

[Kyoko_desu]

Let me show you why we call Baskin Robbins saaty-wan.
http://www.31ice.co.jp/brj/index.htm
http://www.31ice.co.jp/brj/htm/cm3_bw.htm
See? The name "Baskin Robbins" is written in English and is not really mentioned in Japanese. It always says just サーティワンアイスクリーム(saaty wan aisu kuriimu) here.

Mmmm, I'm getting hungry for Rum Raisin ice cream. It's been always my fav...

[Kakulin]

Does anyone know the reason behind
every Japanese person calling Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC just the word "Kentucky." Or does anyone know the reason why Japanese people call Baskin Robbins 31 flavors "Thirty one" , or why Japanese people call French Fries "Potato". And the list goes on! Now with the clues I've set out for myself it would seem that the Japanese people re-word words over the whole L's for R's madness or to shorten up a would be waste of time but there are things like Wendy's in Japan having "Super value meal" and they don't call that just "super" etc.etc. , What's the deal? What kind of logic is this?! I don't understand it when Japanese girls ask me if I "want to eat Kentucky" , Kentucky is a state and states aren't edible.
Josh

I think that only continental U.S. americans call it like that. In Puerto Rico we use the same abreviations that you say the Japanese do. So it is not only the Japanese that call KFC Kentucky and all that. For example when I'm going to eat at KFC in my island I say: "Voy pa' Kentucky" which translated to english literally means "Going to Kentucky". Everyone understands that i'm going to the restaurant and not the US state. Same thing applies for the french fries and every thing else. When I want french fries I say: "Quiero papas" which translated to english literally means "want potatoes". Etc. etc.

[bighair]

We used to call KFC "the grease bucket".....:blush:

[Minty]

The Chinese I know all just say Kentucky. When my girlfriend 1st mentioned it, I didn't know what she meant (also because I've never eaten there). She on the other hand didn't know the abbreviation KFC.
Hi Bossel, you know come to think of it, I think肯�ｺ基Ken De Ji home smell good chicken is the commercial slogan they used in Chinese, the name of the KFC brand is just肯�ｺ基Ken De Ji which is Kentucky in English. However I saw this slogan in M’sia though. And I mean the mandarin commercial of KFC, because in M’sia there are always commercials in 3 languages, possibly four, don’t quite remember, but I only recall 3 Malay, Chinese and English (at least the last time I checked it was like this). Yes it must be the regional differences in the Chinese commercial campaigns for KFC in different parts of the world.:p

[kaistuck]

lol, I just moved to Japan back in April (don't know much Japanese, but I'm learning), and I grew up in Kentucky. My dad and I went to KFC last week and it actually had a statue of Colonel Sanders!!! I've never seen one of those, not even back home in Kentucky. We actually lived just a couple miles from where Colonel Sanders lived before he died, but still, I've never seen a STATUE of him!

[nice gaijin]

That's interesting about the name change; I remember a recent ad campaign where KFC tried to reintroduce a different meaning to the acronym: Kitchen Fresh Chicken. What a bunch of hooey.

Anyways, the colonel statues are quite interesting, and he surely does look amiable, especially in his summer garb. Here's a photo I took in Kyoto:

[ArmandV]

The Colonel looks pretty good in his yukata!

[ArmandV]

We actually lived just a couple miles from where Colonel Sanders lived before he died, but still, I've never seen a STATUE of him!


Me neither, until I went to Japan. Odd, isn't it?

[ghettocities]

Change isn't always a good thing though, Sizzler's all you can eat buffet in Japan looks like America's Sizzler's all you can eat buffet (at first glance,) but after closer examination you find out that their soups aren't really soups.

In America's Sizzler's restaurant you'd find (on a daily basis,) a chicken noodle soup, veggitable and meat type soup and then either a chowder or a chilli and I mean I preach about Sizzler's in Japan any chance I get but when you look at their soups they have: Onion soup (pretty much like onion flavored hot water,) Corn soup (pretty much like corn flavored hot water with a little bit of corn in it,) and then another flavorless one.

So Yeah KFC in Japan has statues, lucky you, Sizzler's has flavored hot water for soup in Japan, poor me :)

Josh

[nova]

I also call it "Kentucky" :relief:.