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The Real Beamer

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B

BUCKEYE_BOB

Member
Offline
Just a question. I Have always wondered how did people start calling BMW's beamers? At work a few years back I had a friend say he just got a old beamer to fix up. I thought he was talking about a Sunbeam. I said great I have not seen a Sunbeam since I was a kid a neighbor had a yellow sunbeam. He said no a Beamer is a BMW. I guess I always liked Sunbeam's more than BMW'S. -- Bob
 
aeronca65t

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
Offline
I always called the Rootes cars "Beams". I guess "Beemers" is close to that. And now we have "MINI-Beemers" too.
I saw a 540 last week that had vanity license plates that read: "BEEMUU" Pretty clever.
Don't forget that there is also another "Beam".....Pilbeams:

https://www.pilbeamracing.co.uk/index2.html
 
D

Darcy

Member
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BMW cars are supposed to be called Bimmers, and BMW motorcycles are supposed to be called Beamers
yesnod.gif


Though it seems that people call the cars Beamers for some reason
confused.gif
 
lawguy

lawguy

Jedi Knight
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Well, people are lazy and saying "Bee Em Double-Eew" is quite a mouthful. Bimmer or beamer are the logical shorthand.

As to which one of those two a person uses, Ive heard BMW drivers use the term "beamer", but they sound pretensious using it. I've never heard a BMW owner say "bimmer", but I guess some may. Bimmer is what I have heard from women and teenagers, but perhaps that's just my experience.

As for Sunbeams. I usually don't here them referred to collectively, and if I do, people just say "Sunbeams"- 2 syllables, as opposed to 5 for BMW.

So much for minutia.
 
UltimateQuestion

UltimateQuestion

Jedi Warrior
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Since "i" in German is pronounced as "e" in English - "Bimmer" is "Beemer"
thumbsup.gif
 
PC

PC

Obi Wan
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by UltimateQuestion:
Since "i" in German is pronounced as "e" in English - "Bimmer" is "Beemer"
thumbsup.gif
<hr></blockquote>

Not when it's between consonants. As an example zimmer, German for room, rhymes with the English word glimmer. Therefore the German pronunciation of Bimmer would be the same as ours.


PC.


.

[ 04-19-2004: Message edited by: PC ]</p>
 
UltimateQuestion

UltimateQuestion

Jedi Warrior
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Oops! You are correct, guess its been too long since my German classes.

Entschuldigen Sie mich bitte! Ich möchte ein Bier.
thirsty.gif
 
Bruce Bowker

Bruce Bowker

Obi Wan
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Darcy:
BMW cars are supposed to be called Bimmers, and BMW motorcycles are supposed to be called Beamers
yesnod.gif


<hr></blockquote>

I was told same by head of the BMW club at a major car show.
 
S

ssunbeam

Freshman Member
Offline
"called bombers" grk, funny
and some planes with BMW engines were called
Tante Ju
i.e. Aunt Ju (JU=Junkers 52, the first fullmetal plane, the german equivalent to the DC3)
 
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