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The Meaning Behind The Words


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Gabriel Constantin

Below is a list of various GTA IV objects and places. In this topic I am hoping to discover the origin and meaning of each object/place's name. The list is far from complete and more information will be added shortly. However, feel free to discuss the meanings and fill any blank spots or add anything I've missed.

 

Boroughs

 

We all know that Rockstar like to fill their remade cities with remade streets & districts. Most of these share something with their orginal counterpart, and Liberty City seems to be no exception. Below are my believed meanings behind Rockstar's new names for the five NYC boroughs featured in-game:

 

 

NYC Borough LC Borough Meaning
Brooklyn Broker Broker, Outer Hebrides — village in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Rockstar North are located in Scotland, a homage to the game devolper's homeland.
Mahattan Algonquin Algonquin is a native American tribe. The tribe has also given its name to the Lenape or Lenni-Lenape who where the people who named Manhattan. They spoke a Algonquian language.
Queens Dukes A Duke is a title given to the son and sometime daughter of a country's soverigns (Queens). This implies that Dukes, in Liberty City, is the son of Queens in New York City. Intrestingly enough, New York was also named after the Duke Of York.
Bronx Bohan Bohan: The piece of skin that connects the penis to the scotum. Typical Rockstar humour that implies that Bronx is the "nutsack of New York City."
New Jersey Alderney Alderney is a Channel Island and British Crown Dependency alike Jersey (which New Jersey was named after, funnily enough).
Note: I'm aware that New Jersey is not a NYC borough, but for the sack of simplicity, it was included in the above table.

 

The meanings are far from complete, and some I am unsure of. Any ideas, help or discussion would be beneficial to both me and the GTA Community.

 

Brands

 

Rockstar are also known for their humourous take on commercialisation. They have created their own business empire within each Grand Theft Auto title. Below are the meaning behind each brand/product's name:

 

 

Mean Machine (Movie)/Starbucks Bean Machine Play on the words of the British film. Makes reference to a Bean of Coffee.
MetLife GetaLife Implying that someone (maybe us?) should get a life.
Sprite Sprunk Play on the word "Spunk", a euphonism for semen.
Coca-Cola E-Cola Play on the word E-Coli, a bacteria that causes food poisoning.
Budweiser Logger Beer Lager is a well attenuated beer brewed in cool conditions using a slow-acting brewers yeast, known as a bottom-fermenting yeast, and then stored (or "lagered") for a period in cool conditions to clear away particles and certain flavour compounds to produce a clean taste. The most popular examples of beer brewed using the lager method are pale lagers, also known as largers.
Taco Bell Cluckin' Bell A reference to the orginal franchise. In some places "Bell" is a slang term for penis. And Cluckin' is an obvious reference to roosters (also known as Cocks).

 

Also rhymes with "f*cking hell." It may also make reference to Black Adder goes fourth, in which Edmund states "I have something to say that rhymes with Clucking Bell."

Panasonic Panoramic In its most general sense, a panorama is any wide view of a physical space. It has also come to refer to a wide-angle representation of such a view — whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model. Further, the motion-picture term, pan or panning, is derived from "panorama". Whereas Panasonic are an electronics company who produce wide-screen TVs.
Max Factor Max Renda Max Factor is a make-up company. Whereas make-up is designed to make people look aesthetically pleasing, Renders are made to make a 3D model similarly pleasing.
Timex Kronos Kronos is a reference to the Greek deity Chronos, the "embodiment of time." And to a lesser extent, Cronus/Cronos/Kronos, the father of Zeus. Kronos, in GTA IV, appears to be a watch manufactuer.
FlyBe.com flyUS Play on the words of the Exeter based airline.
Burger King Burger Shot May make reference to the "Money Shot," a slang term for the male ejaculation during pornographic films. That in turn, may refrence the rumours of Burger King employee's ejaculating or excreting other bodily fluids into customer's food.
MTV MeTV Play on words of the popular television channel. May be making reference to the egotistical nature of many of the station's shows.
CNN CNT Play on words of the American News station. When read as a single word it is pronounced "c*nt" a slang term for the vagina.
Corona Pißwasser Pißwasser is German for "Piss Water." Makes reference to the orginal product's habit of spoiling due to the fact that it is stored in a clear bottle, unlike other beers. May also make reference to the colour of the product, which is similar to the colour of dehydrated urine.
7-11 24-7 MEANING
Bench Ranch Play on words on the clothing line. Ranch means: To shoot a hot creamy load (ejaculate) onto your partner's bung hole (anus), and then toss the salad (masturbate). Also seen in SA.
REAL GAME MEANING
REAL GAME MEANING
COMING SOON

 

Movies/Television Shows

 

 

Real-Life Counterpart In-Game Counterpart Meaning
America's Next Top Model America's Next Top Hooker A play on words of the television program. May reference some people's view towards models.
Lethal Weapon Heavy Weapon X A play on words of the action movie. "Heavy" and "Lethal" are both ways of describing powerful or high-caliber weapons. Also seen in GTA LCS.
REAL GAME MEANING
REAL GAME MEANING
REAL GAME MEANING
REAL GAME MEANING
Edited by Gabriel Constantin
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Twang of Cauliflower

I believe a Duke is what they call the Queen's brother. Although, I have no idea where I heard that. I'm probably incorrect.

 

 

A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. The title comes from the Latin dux, which had the sense of "military commander" and was employed both by the Germanic peoples themselves and by the Roman authors covering them to refer to their war leaders.
Maybe that's where the military base will be?

 

 

Then there are royal dukes.

 

 

Various royal houses traditionally awarded (mainly) dukedoms to the sons and in some cases, the daughters, of their respective Sovereigns; others include at least one dukedom in a wider list of similarly granted titles, nominal dukedoms without any actual authority, often even without an estate. Such titles are still conferred on royal princes or princesses in the current European monarchies of Belgium, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

 

Then there's that college, but that's in North Carolina.

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Gabriel Constantin
Brooklyn doesn't really have a booming economy. Most brokers hang out in Manhattan.

That's what I thought. Can you think of any other reason why Brooklyn might be called Broker? Because I can't. sad.gif

 

@Twang of Cauliflower: Thanks for that. The military base idea seems very plausible. I will add it to the list.

 

@adamcs: Haha! That seems like a very Rockstar-esque name. Can anyone think of a connection between the bohan and Brooklyn?

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Bronx - Bohan

 

The closest thing I could find to Bohan was an article on Mike Bohan "The Kindest Man in Radio Land." Gerry House has coined a word after Bohan -- bohanning, used as another term for mooching in reference to Mike's uncanny ability to get a lot for very little, or, for nothing at all. Whether than has any reference to the Bronx, I don't know.

 

Bohan:The piece of skin that connects the penis to the ballsack.(scrodum)

 

Typically, I think the latter is the one R* would have chosen. lol.gif

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Gabriel Constantin
Broker, Outer Hebrides — village in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland

 

The studio is located in scotland, perhaps a tribute?

Seems logical. It would not be the first time Rockstar have payed tribute to their homelands in a GTA game.

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Gabriel Constantin
Bohan: "The piece of skin that connects the penis to the ballsack.(scrodum)"

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bohan icon14.gif

Urban dictionary misspelled scrotum. It's with a "T"

Lol. Can't believe I didn't notice that! Thanks. smile.gif

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Mister Zero

The brands one should be fun, what with GetaLife, Sprunk and Tarbrucks making an appearance. smile.gif

 

 

Starbucks Tarbrucks Play on the words of the popular coffee chain. Also made an appearance in VC.
MetLife GetaLife Implying that someone (maybe us?) should get a life.
Sprunk 7 Up perhaps? Play on the word "Spunk", a euphonism for semen.
Edited by Mister Zero
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Gabriel Constantin
The brands one should be fun, what with GetaLife, Sprunk and Tarbrucks making an appearance. smile.gif

 

 

Starbucks Tarbrucks Play on the words of the popular coffee chain. Also made an appearance in VC.
MetLife GetaLife Implying that someone (maybe us?) should get a life.
Sprunk 7 Up perhaps? Play on the word "Spunk", a euphonism for semen.

Thanks! I'll add those to main list right away. smile.gif

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Some of the stuff is interesting, but some...I mean, I don't know what to think. Why to post that "Roman" means "From Rome" in English? It doesn't have any meaning whatsoever in this context, it's just a common name! Why post an evident definition for an absolutely clear word like "Dukes"? It's obviously just a spoof of Queens.

 

I really don't get it confused.gif

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Nick Papagiorgio

Actually, the foe Starbucks in VC was called Tarbrush, not Tarbrucks. wink.gif

 

Logger Beer is a take on Budweiser, most likely.

Cluckin' Bell is obviously a play on the name of Taco Bell, and is meant to be a KFC type fast-food joint (was included in SA, and mentioned in LCS, I think).

 

There's definitely more I can dig out.

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FatSkinnyGuy
Some of the stuff is interesting, but some...I mean, I don't know what to think. Why to post that "Roman" means "From Rome" in English? It doesn't have any meaning whatsoever in this context, it's just a common name! Why post an evident definition for an absolutely clear word like "Dukes"? It's obviously just a spoof of Queens.

 

I really don't get it confused.gif

I agree with Roman part, it is just a common name. My brother once got beat up by a guy named Roman, true story. mad.gif

 

But, I think Dukes=Queens is a clever finding. colgate.gif

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I do believe the coffee shop we get in IV is called the Bean Machine.

 

Adding to the list, there's a play on Panasonic called "Panoramic," Max Renda is Max Factor, and America's Next Top Hooker should be obvious.

 

Open to interpretation are Kronos, E-Cola, flyUS, Cluckin' Bell, Burger Shot, MeTV (MTV?), Logger Beer, the green and white awning resembling a T.G.I. Friday's.

 

EDIT - there seems some incongruities in the Real-Life / In-Game Counterpart section.

Edited by geomy
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Ronmar The Only

Urban Dictonary for Niko:

 

  Niko 

 

Niko is a French adjective to qualify someone close to perfection. It is used to talk about semi-god or very beautiful men AND very modest people as well.

 

"Have you seen the new intern at AL ? He's such a Niko..."

"I would love to tap that Niko"

 

Niko

 

Hehe...love urban dictionary.

 

And Rockstar...for poor Niko isn't very close to perfection in the bodily aspect.

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I do believe the coffee shop we get in IV is called the Bean Machine.

 

Adding to the list, there's a play on Panasonic called "Panoramic," Max Renda is Max Factor, and America's Next Top Hooker should be obvious.

 

Open to interpretation are Kronos, E-Cola, flyUS, Cluckin' Bell, Burger Shot, MeTV (MTV?), Logger Beer, the green and white awning resembling a T.G.I. Friday's.

 

EDIT - there seems some incongruities in the Real-Life / In-Game Counterpart section.

E-Cola=Ecoli

Kronos=Timex??

flyUS=FlyBE

Cluckin' Bell=sombody mentioned Taco Bell

Burger Shot=Burger (add the shot cause its gta) King??

MeTV (MTV?)

Logger Beer=somebody mentioned Bud

the green and white awning resembling a T.G.I. Friday's= to me it looks like it says H.O.T. which i thought was a reference to Hot coffee

Edited by Turk_B
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Twang of Cauliflower

 

Lager is a well attenuated beer brewed in cool conditions using a slow-acting brewers yeast, known as a bottom-fermenting yeast, and then stored (or "lagered") for a period in cool conditions to clear away particles and certain flavour compounds to produce a clean taste. The most popular examples of beer brewed using the lager method are pale lagers, also known as largers.

 

I don't know what any of that means, but I do know it's pronounced much like 'logger.' tounge.gif

 

And Kronos is a reference to the Greek deity Chronos, the "embodiment of time." And to a lesser extent, Cronus/Cronos/Kronos, the father of Zeus.

Edited by Twang of Cauliflower
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