What you name your BMW issues.
My buddy Dave and I had a high-school acquaintance who was keen on recounting her weekend exploits throughout our shared lunch hour. We’ll name her Misty. Misty’s exploits had been largely restricted to working on the deli counter of an area grocery retailer, and/or visiting her sister in Calumet Metropolis. Calumet Metropolis is on the lake, and never all that far south of Chicago—and possibly a 60-minute drive from our suburban village. Oh, and Misty’s sister owned a BMW—that is essential to my story.
Is it Bimmer of Beemer?
It’s Bimmer, proper?
Now, none of that is actually noteworthy, and the weekend recaps had been—at finest—repetitive—however there was one ingredient of Misty’s storytelling that, over time, turned grating. First, she lovingly referred to Calumet Metropolis as “Cal Metropolis,” and she or he all the time referred to her sister’s automobile as a “Beemer.”
Cal Metropolis
Now, plenty of folks name Calumet Metropolis Cal Metropolis—although the implied familiarity appeared to recommend that this one-time bootlegger haven was now a weekend haven little shy of Monte Carlo or Las Vegas when it comes to its magnificence, majesty, and premium facilities. Although Dave and I had been unacquainted with the charms of Calumet Metropolis, we had been fairly certain the city was being oversold to us. No matter.
However the Beemer factor…
Who says Beemer?
Now, Dave and I had been severe automobile nuts, and browse each article in each subject of each automobile journal each month, and we had been fairly sure that the suitable nickname for a BMW was Bimmer. Individuals, a minimum of guys, who referred to BMWs as Beemers had been, weirdo car-guy fakers simply seeking to be mocked. However Misty was a lady, and…how may we show we had been proper? Life earlier than the Web was difficult.
Bikes?
Little did Dave and I do know in regards to the duplicitous nature of BMW and its loyal fanbase.
And whereas BMW house owners overwhelming referred to their automobiles as Bimmers, we had no concept {that a} sperate and distinct tradition of motorbike house owners referred to their machines as Beemers. Actually, who knew?
Per BMW…
Per BMW, the precise firm, comes this:
“Strictly talking, it’s incorrect to speak a few “beamer automobile” (or “beemer automobile”). The proper time period for a BMW vehicle is “bimmer” – “beemer” and “beamer” really solely check with a BMW motorbike.”
We’ll ignore the choice spelling choices prompt above, and simply reaffirm: A BMW automobile is a Bimmer, a BMW motorbike is a Beemer.
Sorry, Misty
As for Misty, we’ll forgive the lapse in car-culture consciousness. Seemingly she was nonetheless in a daze following one other wonder-filled weekend in Cal Metropolis.
Hearken to the Automotive Stuff Podcast
Bimmer and Beemer Footage
Click on beneath for enlarged photographs
