c4countdown

A supermarket has renamed 'pollacks', calling it 'colin' instead, because it reckons shoppers are embarrassed by the name.

Sainsbury's claims shoppers have been steering clear of the fish purely because of the name, reports The Sun.

Colin was chosen as it is French for hake - a similar fish to pollack. Pollack tastes very similar to cod but is not endangered, so Sainsbury's wants to encourage more people to eat it.

Fashion designer and Red or Dead founder Wayne Hemingway, who created the packaging for the rebranded fish, said: "Image really is everything.

"As a keen fisherman it seems daft that pollack isn't more popular, particularly when it's readily available off our own coast, tastes great and is cheaper than cod."

Mr Hemingway created packaging for the fillets based on the abstract paintings of Jackson Pollock. The limited-edition packets will be stocked in ten stores around the UK.

Debbi Flack wrote:A supermarket has renamed 'pollacks', calling it 'colin' instead, because it reckons shoppers are embarrassed by the name.

Thank god for that. I've lost count of the number of times I've left supermarkets with bags full of unwanted condoms, haemorrhoid creams and tampons because I'm too embarrassed to buy pollack.

Debbi Flack wrote:A supermarket has renamed 'pollacks', calling it 'colin' instead, because it reckons shoppers are embarrassed by the name.

Sounds like an excuse for a fish theme at the next Countdown in Lincoln to me!

Although of course that might give Kirk even more of an advantage if he attends.

Jon Corby wrote:

Debbi Flack wrote:A supermarket has renamed 'pollacks', calling it 'colin' instead, because it reckons shoppers are embarrassed by the name.

Thank god for that. I've lost count of the number of times I've left supermarkets with bags full of unwanted condoms because I'm too embarrassed to buy pollack.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:

Jimmy Gough wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids. It must be something to do with that!

Wow - 33 with 3 kids. Have you heard of a condom?

Scrape the breadcrumbs off a new 'Colin' fish finger and pop it inside a used condom. Hey presto, boil in the bag pollack in parsley sauce!



(Stolen from Viz about 10 years ago and cleverly made topical by saying 'pollack' instead of cod)

Jon Corby wrote:Scrape the breadcrumbs off a new 'Colin' fish finger and pop it inside a used condom.

Also perfect for surf 'n' turf.

Derek Hazell wrote:

Debbi Flack wrote:A supermarket has renamed 'pollacks', calling it 'colin' instead, because it reckons shoppers are embarrassed by the name.

Sounds like an excuse for a fish theme at the next Countdown in Lincoln to me!

Although of course that might give Kirk even more of an advantage if he attends.

Don't tempt me. Really, don't.

It's political correctness gone mad!

As this is clearly being done solely to confuse the French, I think your reaction is rather niggardly.

Thank god for that.

Colin sounds delightful especially with the attractive packaging based on the work of Jackoff Nutsack.

I thought Colin was a lizard. (I realise this joke will be lost on anyone under the age of about 35. What was that John Cleese ad actually for, anyway? Anyone remember?)

Chambers' dictionary defines colin as 'the Virginian quail', so it's OK in Scrabble, even though it's not a Countdown word.

Jon Corby wrote:

Debbi Flack wrote:A supermarket has renamed 'pollacks', calling it 'colin' instead, because it reckons shoppers are embarrassed by the name.

Thank god for that. I've lost count of the number of times I've left supermarkets with bags full of unwanted condoms, haemorrhoid creams and tampons because I'm too embarrassed to buy pollack.

Every time I need to buy Preperation H, I have to get a tattoo done just so they don't think it's for piles.

As an atheist, I always thought cod was pollacks anyway.

John Bosley wrote:As an atheist, I always thought cod was pollacks anyway.

Ah, the piece of cod that passeth all understanding.

David Williams wrote:As this is clearly being done solely to confuse the French, I think your reaction is rather niggardly.

Did you have "no pun intended" on the solely? I guess you did but made me chuckle!

John Bosley wrote:As an atheist, I always thought cod was pollacks anyway.

You saw it here first, but it is also in today's Guardian letters page. Sick that one gets so much pleasure out of such a small achievement.

I've never even heard of it!

What is it you have not heard of, Jason?

The piece of cod that passeth all understanding?

Phil Reynolds wrote:Ah, the piece of cod that passeth all understanding.

I somehow missed this, and attempted to salute the later piece of plagiarism. So many layers. Best word-play ever. I salute you.

John, I've never heard of pollacks.

As Debbi said, it is a type of fish that we should eat instead of cod because the latter is running out. The stupid 'twaddle' is that Sainsburys have changed the name because they say customers are too scared to ask for pollack because it sounds like 'bollock' which is very slightly rude (they say).

John Bosley wrote:As Debbi said, it is a type of fish that we should eat instead of cod because the latter is running out. The stupid 'twaddle' is that Sainsburys have changed the name because they say customers are too scared to ask for pollack because it sounds like 'bollock' which is very slightly rude (they say).

but not as rude as penwoman though.

You are funny, Kirk!

I'm slightly confused - Sainsbury's thought Pollock/Pollack sounded a bit stupid, so they replace it with... something else that sounds stupid. A fish called Colin? Why didn't they take this opportunity to call it something cool like... I don't know, Delishofish. I'd buy that.

Are you sure the new name isn't actually Coley, which is another name for Pollock?

Paul Hammond wrote:I'm slightly confused - Sainsbury's thought Pollock/Pollack sounded a bit stupid, so they replace it with... something else that sounds stupid. A fish called Colin? Why didn't they take this opportunity to call it something cool like... I don't know, Delishofish. I'd buy that.

Are you sure the new name isn't actually Coley, which is another name for Pollock?

I heard it was actually Conot.

AFAIK colin is the French word for pollack and is pronounced colan like the French do. It is absolutely stupid - except, of course, it has publicised the bloody fish.