Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2016 September 8

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September 8

Does clock manufacturer "Sharix" exist or was it made up? (Seen in an episode of Маша и Медведь)

Does a clock manufacturer apparently named "Sharix" (a name you can see on a clock here in the episode of Маша и Медведь called Подкидыш) really exist? Thanks. Basemetal 23:50, 8 September 2016 (UTC)

This fan-page on VK says it's alluding to Rolex. ---Sluzzelin talk 06:28, 9 September 2016 (UTC)

Thanks Sluzzelin. I hadn't noticed you had answered. The episode she mentions is a different one (this one) but it is obviously the same clock. I must say I am skeptical. What makes her believe it is an аллюзия to the Swiss firm Rolex? I don't get it and she doesn't give any reason. Is there some Russian pun here I don't get? Russian speaker out there? Besides did Rolex ever manufacture mantel clocks? And there was a better opportunity to really spoof Rolex when Мишка wears an alarm clock like a wristwatch such as in this episode. Basemetal 10:23, 10 September 2016 (UTC)

A pun? There are the diminutives шарик and ролик. Sitting next to each other in the phrase шарики за ролики they mean something like crazy. Wiktionary's article on шарик has "у него шарики за ролики заехали‎ ― [...] ― he is off his rocker; he went a little zonkers". ---Sluzzelin talk 12:28, 10 September 2016 (UTC)

Ah this must be it! Congratulations Sluzzelin! With the Russian normal pronunciation of Rolex more like Роликс (unaccented 'e' in Russian sounds more like short 'i') this fits perfectly. I think you are a genius Sluzzelin. (Yes, a perfect parallel would have rather led to "Sharex" but I can sort of understand why coming from Russian they came up with "Sharix" instead). Basemetal 12:52, 10 September 2016 (UTC)