One day, sitting at my desk and talking to a good friend on the telephone, I noticed on my wall map a Japanese city called Fukuoka.
Needless to say, and without intending any offence to my readers, I mispronounced it when I said to my aforementioned friend "Golly, old chap, do you know there is a place in Japan called F***-you-okay?"
"Don't be daft", he replied, "Its pronounced Foo-koo-oh-kaa and British Airways flies there."
"Well", I said, "if ever I need a company name, that's what I am going to use."
"I bet you won't get THAT past Companies House!" he replied.
"I bet I can," came my response.
"A decent meal says you won't!" he said.
And so it was that, several months later, I had a most interesting conversation with one of the minions at Companies House who, after much stifled sniggering and a preliminary refusal to register, later rang me back to ask "Is this some new Japanese management method like that just in time stuff - you know - Khazi or something?"
"Yes" I said, very tongue in cheek.
"Name granted" he replied, "Madam Registrar wouldn't want anyone to think we Welsh are racist or anything!"
Fukuoka Consulting Ltd sticks in clients' minds wonderfully . . . once they have been taught the correct pronunciation, and the free lunch was excellent!