Why do so many call a BMW a "Beemer" vs a "Bimmer"?

ragingclue · 05-04-2009, 02:23 PM

What surprises me are not the variance of answers on here, but moreso the intensity of peoples' opinions on such a stupid subject. Who cares what anyone else calls it. It's not a black and white issue. No defined right or wrong. So why get so pissed when someone else refers to the marque by a different name than you would? It really makes no sense to me.

blue2fire · 05-04-2009, 02:25 PM

I get so indignant when everybody says PORSH and COUP.

And:

JAGWAR
JAGUIRE
HUNDI

Buschy · 05-04-2009, 05:31 PM

beamer bimmer whatever.
My dogs name is Beemer, but I spell it Bimmer. so yeah whatever.

MrRoboto · 05-04-2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragingclue

What surprises me are not the variance of answers on here, but moreso the intensity of peoples' opinions on such a stupid subject. Who cares what anyone else calls it. It's not a black and white issue. No defined right or wrong. So why get so pissed when someone else refers to the marque by a different name than you would? It really makes no sense to me.

Actually it is black and white. Again for the record.

Bimmer = Car
Beemer = Bike

Read your BMW history.

Buschy · 05-04-2009, 08:17 PM

I call mine "The M"

ragingclue · 05-05-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrRoboto

Actually it is black and white. Again for the record.

Bimmer = Car
Beemer = Bike

Read your BMW history.

Mmm hmm....

Link to such official historical documents backed by BMW themselves, please...

SteveMD · 05-05-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Mmm hmm....

Link to such official historical documents backed by BMW themselves, please...

I would like to see a cite too and don't link me to Wikipedia or anything that involves someone at the Boston chapter of the CCA who had an old BSA bike and knew someone at BMW who had a cousin who told him that its Bimmer and Beemer etc..

It's Beemer or BM, for bikes and cars as far as I, and the rest of the English speaking world are concerned (except for the good old USA).

To thorw a nut in the works, I was told the other day, that both Bimmer and Beemer are pronouced BEAMER. If that's teh case, I don't care how the yanks spell it, I'm good with that!

blue2fire · 05-05-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveMD

It's Beemer or BM, for bikes and cars as far as I, and the rest of the English speaking world are concerned (except for the good old USA).

Exactly.

Artz 330 · 05-05-2009, 05:01 PM

i call mine the "One" the "Three" and the "M" lol...

theres a hiphop song and the guy says "My Beamer" lol

Buschy · 05-05-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cagekicker

"sim simmer who's got the keys to my bimmer". that is a very old reggae song.

actually I think its
ZIM ZIMMA, WHO GOT THE KEYS TO MY BIMMER

its beanie man, lol

banger · 05-06-2009, 08:40 AM

I don't need to know how to say it....

I just have to know how to pay for it !!!

With membership comes privilege, I get to call it what I want.

"Tanks for askin"

MrRoboto · 05-06-2009, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Mmm hmm....

Link to such official historical documents backed by BMW themselves, please...

So if it is not officially documented by BMW it is not part of BMW history? The terms were developed by the enthusiast community many years ago.

SteveMD · 05-06-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrRoboto

So if it is not officially documented by BMW it is not part of BMW history? The terms were developed by the enthusiast community many years ago.

If you say so

ChrisV · 05-07-2009, 10:37 AM

They were, and bimmer is pronounced like dimmer, as in the thing that makes your lights go dim.

That switch is not pronounced "dee-mer." And since, unlike the name "Porsche," the terms are not German in origin, then the pronunciations are not German, either.

imported_mega · 05-08-2009, 08:01 AM

what does a light switch have to do with this discussion?

bmw is not spelled bimmer or beamer or dimmer

I'll keep calling them beamers until I see something other than a bunch of disgruntled motorcycle riders complaining

ragingclue · 05-08-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrRoboto

So if it is not officially documented by BMW it is not part of BMW history? The terms were developed by the enthusiast community many years ago.

Well that's fine, and you can refer to your BMW however you want; I'm just saying it's kinda silly in my eyes to get so worked up over people supposedly mispronouncing the word, when it's just something made up by a bunch of boys in a club a few years ago. If BMW themselves had an official stance on the ordeal, or if the terminology was even somewhat global, then you'd have a case. Otherwise, I don't see the point of needing to go around correcting everyone, and getting upset that they're too ignorant to abide by these rules written in sand, by a club of enthusiasts so many years ago.

FWIW, I call it a Bimmer. And if others are interested in why I do, that's fine; I'll tell them. But, they're free to call it whatever they want in my mind.

MrRoboto · 05-08-2009, 09:19 AM

^^^Completely agree with you. Call it whatever you want. Nobody is upset, No one is correcting anybody. We all should recognize where the terminology came from though. It is part of BMW racing history documented by BMW or not.

SteveMD · 05-08-2009, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Well that's fine, and you can refer to your BMW however you want; I'm just saying it's kinda silly in my eyes to get so worked up over people supposedly mispronouncing the word, when it's just something made up by a bunch of boys in a club a few years ago. If BMW themselves had an official stance on the ordeal, or if the terminology was even somewhat global, then you'd have a case. Otherwise, I don't see the point of needing to go around correcting everyone, and getting upset that they're too ignorant to abide by these rules written in sand, by a club of enthusiasts so many years ago.

FWIW, I call it a Bimmer. And if others are interested in why I do, that's fine; I'll tell them. But, they're free to call it whatever they want in my mind.

Well said.

kyleb350 · 05-08-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buschy

actually I think its
ZIM ZIMMA, WHO GOT THE KEYS TO MY BIMMER

its beanie man, lol

I think he might be referring to "I'll be dat" by Redman. He pretty much says the same line but says "Beamer" lol.

I have not heard one single person pronounce it as "Bimmer", so I therefore grew up with the mentality of calling all BMWs Beamers

H0v07 · 05-08-2009, 09:43 PM

B.M.W to long Bim.mer (:

ChrisV · 05-11-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imported_mega

what does a light switch have to do with this discussion?

Pronunciation.

Quote:

bmw is not spelled bimmer or beamer or dimmer

But the SLANG is. As in BimmerPost, like the site you're on. Or Bimmerforums, or bimmerboard, two other major forums. Notice the spelling. And the pronounciation is based on the fact that these are english terms, not german ones, so the language rules apply.

Quote:

I'll keep calling them beamers until I see something other than a bunch of disgruntled motorcycle riders complaining

Call them what you want. But the terms came from specific backgrounds, and mean specific things (and have for decades).

You know what a rat rod is, right? Well, that's slang too. It means a specific thing, and you can't point to a street rod and call it a rat rod. They are different, and the enthusiasts in those camps will point out your error.

imported_mega · 05-11-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisV

Pronunciation.

But the SLANG is. As in BimmerPost, like the site you're on. Or Bimmerforums, or bimmerboard, two other major forums. Notice the spelling. And the pronounciation is based on the fact that these are english terms, not german ones, so the language rules apply.

we are talking about SPELLING people say it and spell it bimmer vs beamer

a light switch has nothing to do with the spelling of the slang we use for bmw, nobody spells it swatch do they?

Personally I call them beamers, and will continue to do it, and FWIW I am NOT on bimmerpost I am on 1addicts, at least that's what it says in my address bar

05-04-2009, 02:23 PM	#45
ragingclue One cam is enough 130 Rep 6,801 Posts Drives: VF Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: mulletville iTrader: (1)	What surprises me are not the variance of answers on here, but moreso the intensity of peoples' opinions on such a stupid subject. Who cares what anyone else calls it. It's not a black and white issue. No defined right or wrong. So why get so pissed when someone else refers to the marque by a different name than you would? It really makes no sense to me.
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05-04-2009, 05:31 PM	#47
Buschy Colonel 289 Rep 2,496 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Dallas/Fort Worth iTrader: (7)	beamer bimmer whatever. My dogs name is Beemer, but I spell it Bimmer. so yeah whatever. __________________
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05-04-2009, 08:17 PM	#49
Buschy Colonel 289 Rep 2,496 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Dallas/Fort Worth iTrader: (7)	I call mine "The M" __________________
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05-05-2009, 05:01 PM	#53
Artz 330 Colonel 196 Rep 2,486 Posts Drives: Z4M, 335i, 135i Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lawrenceville, NJ iTrader: (4) Garage List 2006 330i [0.00]	i call mine the "One" the "Three" and the "M" lol... theres a hiphop song and the guy says "My Beamer" lol __________________
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05-06-2009, 08:40 AM	#55
banger New Member 0 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 2008 Si Roadie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: occupied east coast iTrader: (0)	I don't need to know how to say it.... I just have to know how to pay for it !!! With membership comes privilege, I get to call it what I want. "Tanks for askin"
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05-07-2009, 10:37 AM	#58
ChrisV 7er 9 Rep 409 Posts Drives: 1998 BMW 740iL Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Pikesville, MD iTrader: (0) Garage List 1998 740iL [6.00]	They were, and bimmer is pronounced like dimmer, as in the thing that makes your lights go dim. That switch is not pronounced "dee-mer." And since, unlike the name "Porsche," the terms are not German in origin, then the pronunciations are not German, either. __________________ 1998 740iL
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05-08-2009, 08:01 AM	#59
imported_mega Colonel 122 Rep 2,199 Posts Drives: various bmw's Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: neverland iTrader: (0)	what does a light switch have to do with this discussion? bmw is not spelled bimmer or beamer or dimmer I'll keep calling them beamers until I see something other than a bunch of disgruntled motorcycle riders complaining __________________ You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape. Driving e82, e72, e85, R53 Gone but not forgotten.. 1974 2002, many various 3s.
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05-08-2009, 09:19 AM	#61
MrRoboto Brigadier General 1846 Rep 4,836 Posts Drives: VO 1M Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	^^^Completely agree with you. Call it whatever you want. Nobody is upset, No one is correcting anybody. We all should recognize where the terminology came from though. It is part of BMW racing history documented by BMW or not.
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05-08-2009, 09:43 PM	#64
H0v07 Private First Class 8 Rep 123 Posts Drives: M3 have no car Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: L.A iTrader: (0)	B.M.W to long Bim.mer (:
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