# All Slavic languages: nicknames for cars



## TriglavNationalPark

Popular nicknames for various models of cars were common in Europe decades ago, when choice was more limited and people had a somewhat more personal relationship with cars. What nicknames were common in your language?

Let me begin with *Slovenian*:

Citroën 2CV: *spaček* (spaček = mutant, deformed monster; a reference to its unusual shape)

Renault 4: *katrca* (from the French quatre = four)

Zastava 101: *stoenka* (from stoena = one hundred and one)

FIAT / Zastava 600: *fičko *(a modified diminiutive of FIAT)

FIAT 126 / Polski FIAT 126p: *bolha* (bolha = flea; a reference to its small size)

Citroën DS: *žaba* (žaba = frog; a reference to its frog-like shape)

Volkswagen Beetle: *hrošč* (hrošč = beetle)

I'll add more if I can remember them.


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## trance0

We also used to call "bolha" "pejček" sometimes.


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## TriglavNationalPark

trance0 said:


> We also used to call "bolha" "pejček" sometimes.


 
Interesting. I admit that "pejček" is new to me, but Google tells me it was pretty widespread. I assume that this is just the diminuitive form of the letter "p" in 126*p*, right?

EDIT: According to the Slovenian Wikipedia, the following nicknames were all used for this car in Slovenia: bolha, peglica, peglezen, pejček, pejek, and kalimero.


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## Duya

Serbo-Croatian:
Citroën 2CV: *spaček* (imported from Czech or Slovenian?)

Zastava 101: *stojadin* (from sto jedan = 101) or *kec *(ace, chiefly Serbian)

FIAT / Zastava 600: *fićo* (Hr, Bos)/*fića* (Srb)

FIAT 126 / Polski FIAT 126p: *peglica* (=small iron, I think, from its mark 126 PGL rather than the shape)

Citroën DS: *ajkula* (shark)

Volkswagen Beetle: *buba* (=beetle) or *folcika *(from "Volkswagen")

Mercedes: *mečka* (female bear, a pun on the name)

 Fiat/Zastava 1300: *tristać *(from 300, trista)

Polski Fiat 125: *pezejac *(from "PZ", I suppose it was its marque on the local market)


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## skye

I think we called "bolha" "peglezn" (=an iron).


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## TriglavNationalPark

Duya said:


> Serbo-Croatian:
> Citroën 2CV: *spaček* (imported from Czech or Slovenian?)


 
Probably Slovenian, since 2CVs were assembled in the Slovenian town of Koper for the entire Yugoslav market and the word means "mutant" in Slovenian. I haven't been able to find "spaček" in online Czech dictionaries, athough it does appear to be a fairly common Czech surname.


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## texpert

Citroën 2CV: *kachna, kačena* (duck).
All Zastavas were simply Zastava or Jugo. Pronounced *"zástava"* as this word means "deposit" in CZ.
FIAT 600: *šestistovka, fiátek* (diminutive)
FIAT 126: stošestadvacítka, fiátek
VW Beetle: *brouk*
Mercedes: *meďák, meďour *(just diminutives, though it might have resembled a "bear" or "honey" to someone)
Moskvič: *Leninovy sáně* (Lenin's sledge)


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## Mišo

Volkswagen Beetle: *chrobák* (beatle)
BMW (in general): *bavorák* (as samenamed drink from fernet and tonic)
Mercedes (in general): *meďák*
Audi (in general): *audina*
Škoda (in general): *škodovka*
Škoda 105, 120: *stopäťka, stodvacina*
Škoda Favoriti: *favák* (more times used for samenamed bicycle)
Škoda Felícia: *felda*
Škoda Oktávia: *oktávka*
Praga V3S: *vetrieska*
Tatra (in general): *tatrovka*
Porsche (in general): *poršečko*
Corvette (in general): *korveta*
off-roader (in general): *džíp* (as samenamed off-road mark)


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## ilocas2

TriglavNationalPark said:


> I haven't been able to find "spaček" in online Czech dictionaries, athough it does appear to be a fairly common Czech surname.



The correct spelling is *špaček* and it means the starling bird (škorec in Slovenian). It also means a kind of obsolete wooden toy, pencil butt and cigarette butt (although for cigarette butt there are more frequent words).

Probably it doesn't have connection with the Slovenian word "spaček".

According to Etymological dictionary of Czech language the word "špaček" comes from German "Spatz" (sparrow).

PS: Sorry for reviving such old thread


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## iobyo

*Macedonian*:

Citroën 2CV: *спачек*
 Zastava 101: *стоеден*,* стоедно*, *стојадин*
Fiat 600: *фиќо* (usually [фичо])
Fiat 126: *пегличка*, *пегличе*
Citroën DS: *ајкула*
Volkswagen Beetle: *буба*
Mercedes: *мечка*,* мерџо*
 Fiat 1300:* тристаќ* (usually [тристач])
Fiat 125: *пезетка*
Lamborghini: *ламбурџино*
Ford Escort: *стокец*
?: *деголка*


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## marco_2

I remember the following for Polish:

VW Beetle - *garbus *(a hunchback)
Polish FIAT 126 - *maluch *(a little child)
Trabant - *mydelniczka *(a soap box) or *zemsta Ulbrichta / Honeckera *(Ulbricht's / Honecker's revenge - for the loss in WW2  )


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