Does the term "merc" cause offence?

S80

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Messages
350
Reaction score
0
Location
North Lincolnshire
Your Mercedes
None at the monent, but there's an OM642 in the Jeep Grand Cherokee!
Maybe it's just me, but shortening 'Mercedes-Benz' to 'merc' raises the hairs on the back of my neck just a tad :mad: The same applies to 'Jag'.

I'm not even sure why, really, but it seems to invoke images of chrome wheel-arches, window tints, big speakers - and other 'bling' accessories !!

Am I just too sensitive? :)
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Yes I think that you are right,,an MB does sound much nicer
 

amwebby

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
228
Reaction score
0
Location
Thorpe Bay
Your Mercedes
W215
I abhor abbreviations, Merc rankles as does Lag for Lagonda and Vanq for Vanquish. Lag just sounds like slag and I don't think I need to elucidate on what Vanq sounds like.
 

Alex M Grieve

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
9,388
Reaction score
60
Location
Broom, Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
B Class d200 Sport Premium Plus (66)
Maybe it's just me, but shortening 'Mercedes-Benz' to 'merc' raises the hairs on the back of my neck just a tad :mad: The same applies to 'Jag'.

I'm not even sure why, really, but it seems to invoke images of chrome wheel-arches, window tints, big speakers - and other 'bling' accessories !!

Am I just too sensitive? :)

I agree with you - there are numerous bits of verbal shorthand that get up my nose too.

But there will always be different schools of thought. Take tertiary education for example - those who call it Varsity think those who call it Uni are oiks. Those who call it Uni think the Varsity lot are snobs! Ner the twain shall meet!

There is nothing wrong with being sensitive, but you counselor will tell you that, if you can't change it you need to learn to live with it - for your own sake!
 

ncooper

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
Messages
421
Reaction score
0
Location
York
Your Mercedes
1984 Mercedes Benz 280 SL,1993 Mercedes Benz 190E Manual,1993 Mercedes Benz 190E Auto
I abhor abbreviations, Merc rankles as does Lag for Lagonda and Vanq for Vanquish. Lag just sounds like slag and I don't think I need to elucidate on what Vanq sounds like.

I agree wholeheartedly and being also a Land Rover owner I particularly dislike "Landy",it makes my skin crawl.


Regards,
Nick.
 

jberks

Senior Member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
11,153
Reaction score
41
Location
M1, Outside lane, somewhere between Leeds and Lond
Your Mercedes
Jaguar XF 3.0 S, LR Freelander 2, Fiat 500 & Fiat Panda
oh dear,
as a Landy and Merc owner then, I'm in trouble. ;-)
To be honest, with the 'better' brands, using the slang is way of saying yes I've got one but I'm not bragging. If you say I have a "Mercedes Benz", it's implied "therefore I'm better than you" Whereas "I drive a Merc" is "yes I have a Mercedes Benz but I'm still the same down to earth bloke I always was".

I'd feel a bit of a dick using their, full multi-sylabic names to be honest.
 

ncooper

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
Messages
421
Reaction score
0
Location
York
Your Mercedes
1984 Mercedes Benz 280 SL,1993 Mercedes Benz 190E Manual,1993 Mercedes Benz 190E Auto
oh dear,
as a Landy and Merc owner then, I'm in trouble. ;-)
To be honest, with the 'better' brands, using the slang is way of saying yes I've got one but I'm not bragging. If you say I have a "Mercedes Benz", it's implied "therefore I'm better than you" Whereas "I drive a Merc" is "yes I have a Mercedes Benz but I'm still the same down to earth bloke I always was".

I'd feel a bit of a dick using their, full multi-sylabic names to be honest.

Oh Dear,clearly I must be a bit of a dick then....;),answers on a postcard please.
I've always felt the opposite,ie "Merc" and "Landy" imply that you are very familiar with such brands and therefore somehow better.
If I am feeling really pedantic,it also implies to me that the speaker just can't be bothered with long words,after all,who shortens "Ford"or "Skoda"?
But then I dislike abbreviations as much as I do cliches and jargon and slightly less than I abhor the influence of American,typified by that hideous word "Transportation".
It doesn't exist in the English language and there is no use of it where the word "Transport" will not do.

Regards,
Nick.
 
Last edited:

100%Bitch

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
3,810
Reaction score
93
Location
Norfolk 'n' good
Your Mercedes
215 CL600, 216 Facelift CL500, 172 SLK55, Nissan Cube, R170 SLK230 & an Auto Trail Comanche.
I don't like Merc either. I always use Mercedes and have heard Benz used also in conversation.

Much better than being a "j3rk in a Merc" :lol:
 

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
But then I dislike abbreviations as much as I do cliches and jargon and slightly less than I abhor the influence of American,typified by that hideous word "Transportation".
It doesn't exist in the English language and there is no use of it where the word "Transport" will not do.

Regards,
Nick.

It is in the Oxford Dictionaries as a noun derived from transport.

So far the thread offers us the choice of Mercedes-Benz or Merc. Personally I find the simple word Mercedes is fine for most uses. When writing on a forum I tend to say MB because it is so much quicker for a lousy typist like me.
 

amwebby

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
228
Reaction score
0
Location
Thorpe Bay
Your Mercedes
W215
But then I dislike abbreviations as much as I do cliches and jargon and slightly less than I abhor the influence of American,typified by that hideous word "Transportation".
It doesn't exist in the English language and there is no use of it where the word "Transport" will not do.
I must challenge you on that one. Transportation, in English, is the act of expelling a person from their native land as when we moved convicts to Australia. The Americans do misuse the word to mean Transport but then they also misuse pants to mean trousers, which is really pants. :p
 
Last edited:
C

C180 Chris

Guest
In General i agree, and i hate the "Americanisms" that are steadily creeping into our language, but must admit to using Merc when discussing my cars :Oops:

I also can't stand the almost Australian accent that lots of the younger generation seem to have adopted, it is particularly noted when ringing call centres. I find words such as Don't know ( a popular one with call centres)seem to come out more like doynt noyr or something like that.

Text language is another HATE for me, again the younger generation seem to be more guilty of this than the older ones (but not always) Things like M8 for mate or B4 instead of before. Indeed my 14 year old daughter can send a text message to me that i am unable to understand at all, and often does.
I have a habbit of sending the message back with "IN ENGLISH PLEASE" at the top.

Indeed i am with Sir Trevor McDonald in wanting to keep the English language alive and well:D:D

And all that from a Geordie, Ah divn't naah!!! hahaha
 

benz1

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
80
Reaction score
0
I tend to use 'Mercedes' or 'Benz' depending on who I am speaking to. The former for people I am less familiar with.
Also say 'BM' instead of Beemer.
Jaguar is short enough as it is...
 

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
I must challenge you on that one. Transportation, in English, is the act of expelling a person from their native land as when we moved convicts to Australia. The American do misuse the word to mean Transport but then they also misuse pants to mean trousers, which is really pants. :p

Try the site Ask Oxford.
 

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
Very interesting how large chunks of the English population like to shorten as many things as possible especially names. Valerie Val; Tracey Trace; etc etc. While another chunk of the population regard all the shortening as very non-U.
 

Myros

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
2,741
Reaction score
21
Location
in the great , grim 'oop north
Your Mercedes
R107, S211, R170, C219
but they were Mercs

40 years ago when I was a kid. Good enough then, good enough now.and we've had BMs and Volkies and GMs and allsorts.

The Germans like to call them Benz-es. or the proper Mer-tsay-dez. Why don't we? It's not a Murr-say-dees as we pronounce it at all.

Come on PSmart, back me up.
 

Avantgarde Automotive, Mercedes-Benz and SLR McLaren specialists. Service, repairs, diagnosis and motorsport preparation.
Unit 14 Hither Green Trading Estate, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6XU Tel: 01275 217270 Email:steve@avantgarde-automotive.co.uk
www.avantgarde-automotive.co.uk
Top Bottom