Monde-what? That was the response from many observers after Kraft Foods announced plans in March to name its spun-off snacks division "Mondelez International." Kraft said the new name -- prounounced "mohn-dah-LEEZ" -- comes from a combination of the words "monde," derived from the Latin for "world," and "deliz," short for "delicious." But it later emerged that "Mondelez" is pronounced similarly to a Russian phrase describing a sex act. A Mondelez spokesman said that when "pronounced properly," the name "is unmistakable and has no negative connotations."
Luckily, there aren't plans for any Mondelez-branded products; Mondelez International is simply the corporate home for existing brands like Oreo, Cadbury, Nabisco and Trident. -- James O'Toole
