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Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

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Re: Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

#21

Post by ChainOfFools »

Y for yellow, given that's the color of the handle and that you need something to be representative of the color. Even having a yellow square could confuse it with S for square, or having a banana can confuse it with B for banana. Similar problems exist with S for Sun, C for (a yellow) crayon etc.

Also the handle is what has been drawn superimposed over the letter.

Still, confusion with A for axe isnt any better than S for sun or whatever. Maybe the reasoning was that axe was semantically far enough away from being one of the usual standard bearers of the color yellow, that children would associate the letter with the color rather than the object?

Re: Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

#22

Post by jomohke »

nomilk wrote: post #17

The most upvoted answer gives the explanation the ball manufacturer is Swedish ('axe' in Swedish starts with a 'y'), but other answers say it was probably manufactured in a country where English wasn't the first language (e.g. China) and the 'y' for axe was simply a typo. The evidence against the Swedish explanation is that the ball says c for 'cat' and d for 'dog', but in swedish the translations are 'katt' and 'hun…

The most upvoted answer does track it down to a Chinese source.

Re: Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

#23

Post by saaaaaam »

WJW wrote: post #12

First comment on the answer: > This is quite the most extraordinary stack exchange answer that I've ever seen. And I couldn't agree more. Well worth perusing if you (like me) usually only check the comments on HN.

I’ve just read a dissertation about a plastic ball. I’m not sure what I think about that. It’s a mixture of impressed, horrified and bemused…

Re: Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

#27

Post by nomilk »

jomohke wrote: post #22
nomilk wrote: post #17

The most upvoted answer gives the explanation the ball manufacturer is Swedish ('axe' in Swedish starts with a 'y'), but other answers say it was probably manufactured in a country where English wasn't the first language (e.g. China) and the 'y' for axe was simply a typo. The evidence against the Swedish explanation is that the ball says c for 'cat' and d for 'dog', but in swedish the translations are 'katt' and 'hun…

The most upvoted answer does track it down to a Chinese source.

My mistake (I completely confess to only having skimmed the most upvoted answer!).

> Our suspects! Hiding in China, right where our intelligence said they'd be. And all the other images match as well.

And the lead came from HN itself!

Re: Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

#28

Post by frostburg »

ChainOfFools wrote: post #21

Y for yellow, given that's the color of the handle and that you need something to be representative of the color. Even having a yellow square could confuse it with S for square, or having a banana can confuse it with B for banana. Similar problems exist with S for Sun, C for (a yellow) crayon etc. Also the handle is what has been drawn superimposed over the letter. Still, confusion with A for axe isnt any better than…

A bucket of yellow paint would be a likely choice if that were the case.

Re: Which word begins with "y" and looks like an axe in this picture? (2017)

#30

Post by linuxftw »

My personal theory is double translation of sorts. The item in question could be a 'hatchet.' Many romance languages use 'j' for the 'h' sound in English. Somebody somewhere was looking at 'jatchet.' Next, someone assumed that the j was pronounced 'y' as in a Germanic language (and also Semitic?). Thus, they ended up with 'yatchet.'

Of course, 'y' is right next to 'h' on a qwerty keyboard, so it could just be a typo if they're going for hatchet.

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