What color is "BRUNO"?!

[misa.j]

I was looking at my camping gear catalog and was almost baffled by the names of the colors for clothing.

"Breen" for dark greenish brown
"Grill" for dark grey
"Monarch" for deep lavender
"Soho" for dark blue
"Navajo Joe" for brownish red, and
"Bruno" for dark brown!

I also couldn't make out of where the word "birigian", the name for green paint or crayon in my art supply I received at school in Japan, came from.

Have you heard strange or interesting names for colors in your language?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Boy.....

that would make for some interesting police reports! The bank robber was Bruno , driving a Grill & Soho Ford! Hope that trend doesn't catch on.

Uncle Frank

 

[epigene]

I also couldn't make out of where the word "birigian", the name for green paint or crayon in my art supply I received at school in Japan, came from.

That's Japanese misspelling for "viridian" (greenish-blue). Western loan words first learned in katakana always get weird misspellings here in Japan.

Are those color names restricted to outdoor gear makers? I recall it took a while for me to remember color names at LL Bean.

 

[Kinsao]

Have a look at the Dulux colours. They even have a colour called "Manly Tan"!

 

[misa.j]

That's Japanese misspelling for "viridian" (greenish-blue).

Aha! Thanks epigene! Now, that makes sense, I asked my husband what it was, but he just kept singing "Billy Jean is not my lover~" mimicking Michael Jackson instead of answering me...

"Manly Tan"... they soon will have one called "Fake Tan"!

I thought it was interesting how there were so many different ways to say colors as each person has different perception of colors.