Ikea Store, Paramus, New Jersey
OK, so Swedish has some pronunciation problems here in the Americas, but Ikea’s replacement of one accented spelling with another phonetic one just doesn’t cut it. Actually, if you try for something like a cross between HAY DOH and HAY DOR, the average Swede would probably understand you were saying goodbye – and would be relieved that you were leaving. It is lucky this isn’t a street address, as Sjuttiosju (Seventy-Seven), for instance, defies any kind of phonetic alternative, involving as it does some very un-British mouth manipulations. As an Architect in Stockholm in 1961 I was frequently taunted to attempt that one, a perennial source of amusement for my Swedish colleagues after they had downed a couple of aquavits.