giving things names

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i never do this (that i can think of): eg if i had a car i wd call it "my car" (the car i do have i call "my sister's car")

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:04 (twenty-three years ago)

a. what have you named?
b. what is the name?

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Me and my brother have a car but he's away for the year so I own it at the mo. My friends all call it "the tank", because it's dark green and it has a really fucking loud diesel engine. Sounds more like a tractor than a tank to me.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I named my panda 'bygumps' when small. In later years my sister told me that the identity of bygumps was a mystery to all and was widely assumed to be my imaginary friend. I do not remember having an imaginary friend, but I suppose it is possible I transferred the name onto the panda. It was not a live panda.

Naming things is a bit rubbish. I like the idea of nothing having a name and everyone having to describe anew each time they refer to anything.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:13 (twenty-three years ago)

when we label things, we presume to have understood them. i just point.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

naming teddybears etc = not exactly what i wz talking abt
imaginary friends = a difft thread obv

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Who said anything about a teddybear?

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:18 (twenty-three years ago)

"Movie???"

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I name my computers, but only for network identification purposes. (they're called 'frood', 'gimp', 'ariel' (the ilx server!), 'golum', 'rob', and 'viv') I'd never actually say the name of one of these machines out loud, though. I'd just point and say "that one".

― Andrew (enneff), Saturday, 19 October 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

It has never even occurred to me to do this with any inanimate objects beyond cuddly toys (and they tended to be kind of basic - a teddy called Teddy, a tiger called Tiger and, most creatively, a rabbit called Bunny - it's no wonder I came up with such an imaginative ILX ID). I generally look in a mystified manner at anyone who does do it - such as my ex-wife, who thought it cute to give things names.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 19 October 2002 18:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Inc. yr stubby little fella?

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 19 October 2002 18:17 (twenty-three years ago)

I am obsessed with moments in history where public things seem to get named or re-named more than usual. Things like streets, baseball teams, countries, hairstyles. I imagine these times to be contestable and energetic and slapdash.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 19 October 2002 18:29 (twenty-three years ago)

whenever I buy a guitar from someone who has a funny name I always name it after them, like the Tim Froth Special or Lee Grant Special.

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 19 October 2002 18:41 (twenty-three years ago)

i dont think i am a particularly 'twee' person and i groan when people name objects cutesy-pie names, but i have named my car ( brian ), my computer ( george ), the toaster ( harry ).

― donna (donna), Saturday, 19 October 2002 18:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Thankfully not, Nick. I think she knew me well enough to know that this would not go down well. (Dan to thread, obv.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 19 October 2002 19:45 (twenty-three years ago)

a friend of mine named his laptop 'Mr. computer'...how original!!!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 19 October 2002 20:08 (twenty-three years ago)

the first question i ask before getting into a strange vehicle is does it have a name. it makes me sad and nervous when it doesnt.

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 19 October 2002 20:28 (twenty-three years ago)

What if I say "I call it 'Crashy'"?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 19 October 2002 20:38 (twenty-three years ago)

then i would giggle.

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 19 October 2002 22:27 (twenty-three years ago)

When my supersignificant other used to live in a really old apartment building near Queen St., he had names for each of the three equally decrepit, but behaviourally distinct elevators: 1) Dopey, 2) Jumpy, 3) Bitey. We hated Bitey the most.

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 19 October 2002 23:50 (twenty-three years ago)

I can guess that Jumpy jumped, and Dopey was a little slow, but what the heck did Bitey do?

― A Nairn (moretap), Sunday, 20 October 2002 03:46 (twenty-three years ago)

The door on Bitey was FAST.

― Kim (Kim), Sunday, 20 October 2002 05:15 (twenty-three years ago)

When we were kids we called our Morris Traveller 'Percy', cause it's number plate was 'PCY' and it has great character. Since then, nothing.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 20 October 2002 10:26 (twenty-three years ago)

My car is called Enko, the previous one was Fen and the one before that was Cleo. You have to name cars, else you'd feel really silly talking to them.

― toraneko (toraneko), Sunday, 20 October 2002 10:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think that I would even name any objects that aren't vehicles or musical instruments. Our car is called "Fuzzy", because the number plate begins "FZY". (There's a nearly identical car in the neighbourhood with a number plate beginning "FKY", which we of course refer to as "Fucky".) My main bass is called "Brownie". These names were my wife's idea, but they have stuck and I use them without feeling foolish.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Sunday, 20 October 2002 13:27 (twenty-three years ago)

I can think of nothing I've named which must mean my life is neither contestable nor energetic and slapdash.

My friend's car is named "Bonky".

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 20 October 2002 13:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I call everything "The Beast". My car, my amplifier, any whitegoods or consumer electronics that don't work, etc..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 20 October 2002 22:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I was really bad at this as a kid. My oldest stuffed animal is called Polar Bear. My oldest doll is called Doll.

― Maria (Maria), Sunday, 20 October 2002 23:20 (twenty-three years ago)

My big backpack is My Beloved Monster. I think I had the Eels song running through my head when I got it or something.

― Miss Laura, Monday, 21 October 2002 08:52 (twenty-three years ago)

My family once had a cat called "Cat". This was due to trying out a stupid number of name suggestions from each member of the family and none of them sticking rather than radical anominalism.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 21 October 2002 08:57 (twenty-three years ago)

i don't name inanimate objects at all and think it's weird to name your car. it's just a car, it has no personality and if it does maybe it's time you got it serviced.

― angela (angela), Monday, 21 October 2002 09:06 (twenty-three years ago)

A tiger called 'Grr Argh' lives in our front room. Lixis other tiger is called 'Greg'. I have a meerkat called Spacestation Pongo. All my Pokémon already have names. My floppy cuddly dog is called 'floppy dog'.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 21 October 2002 09:15 (twenty-three years ago)

i guess i do give things names if they belong to starry and she asks ppl to give them names

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 21 October 2002 09:18 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I am still not entirely sure what our cat is called and I have lived here for two years.

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 9 September 2004 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

My sister's car was The Skagmobile cause the license plate started with SKG.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 9 September 2004 00:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Lucy Lurex calls her car Georgina, and that's a licence plate thing too.

― rainy (rainy), Thursday, 9 September 2004 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

The mated pair of cardinals in our back yard had to be called Claude and Claudia.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 9 September 2004 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I named my iPod "The Moog Liberation Army" (after the Symbionese Liberation Army and Moog's early-'80s line of keytars).

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 September 2004 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

My friend Jen's car is called the Bitchchunksmobile, I have no idea why.

A friend suggested we call the 2 kittens me and a flatmate got some years back Dim and Sim. We declined the idea ;)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 9 September 2004 01:18 (twenty-one years ago)

my computer gets called a LOT of names when it isn't working.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 9 September 2004 01:58 (twenty-one years ago)

My first car was called Berky, the current one is The Pug.

I call my computer the Peter, it started as a name for Playstations but now applies to every computer. "I'm going on the Peter"

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 9 September 2004 06:45 (twenty-one years ago)

My last car was called "Mr. Fusion", but I got rid of it cos it was crap. Now I have a good car, but can't think of a name... Any suggestions?

― Craig Gilchrist, Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, I can't remember what my iPod's called. :(

― Craig Gilchrist, Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Call your car Rod Craig.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm, he seems to have retired awfully young, which wouldn't be a good thing for a car. Maybe 'Motor Theresa'...

― Craig Gilchrist, Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:29 (twenty-one years ago)

my best mate's first car (a black metro!) was called the cat mobile on account of the fact that it kept being damaged & repaired.

― PinXor (Pinkpanther), Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I seen a bumper sticker the other day on a little banger which said "Honk if parts fall off". How I laughed.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey! Electric Sounda! My laptop is called "The BEAST" as any fule kno, but I didn't know you had similar BEASTLY inclinations! Of course the word "BEAST" is in capitals on my Beast, but I'm still glad to see the noble title has fans all over the globe.

― Starry (hello chickens), Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"georgina" is sometimes called "slutbeast", accompanied with a kick, and then followed by "oh my god georgina i'm so sorry" and a hug and kiss of the bonnet.

my guitar is called wendy carlos.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 9 September 2004 08:52 (twenty-one years ago)

cos my guitar is a carlos and i heart wendy carlos also my mums name is wendy so it all makes perfect sense.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 9 September 2004 08:54 (twenty-one years ago)

did the guitar have a sex change?

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 September 2004 08:56 (twenty-one years ago)

yes, i fashioned its phallic neck into a vagina. its rather difficult to play tho.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 9 September 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

We call the strange cupboard at the top of our stairs "the linen cupbaord". It's in the tone, you have to try and sound like Anthony Hopkins in Remains Of The Day. It is not a linen cupboard in any way, shape or form, we are just putting on airs. (It's not an airing cupboard either.)

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 9 September 2004 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

We call all the squirrels in our yard "Squee" because Rufus has a book about a squirrel named Squee. My truck is Druids, named by it's previous owner, my mom's wife. My mom and her partner have always named vehicles. In high school, I drove Macho, a 66 Econoline.

― Maria D. (Maria D.), Thursday, 9 September 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

My car is Mr Rushworth and Sarah's laptop is Lady Bertram. Who can figure out the connection without googling?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 9 September 2004 11:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it an Evelyn Waugh thing?

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 9 September 2004 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

No, it's earlier than that. I think I have it.

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 9 September 2004 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Mr Rushworth is hopeless and Lady Bertram is indolent, if that helps?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I call squirrels 'squidgers', it just seems to fit!

― PinXor (Pinkpanther), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"It is a truth universaly acknowledged that a car in possession of a good engine must be in need of a home computer and a copy of Jane Austen's other novels in order to rip off the correct first line."

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

So which novel, eh? ;)

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never given names to things, it always makes me think of Full Metal Jacket.

This is my rifle
There are many others like it
But this one is mine

I suppose naming guitars is cool, up until the point where you hear someone say "this bit needs a Rodney" in the studio.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Mansfield Park - your car is rather stupid and Sarah's computer is a bit of hypocondriac.

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

That's pretty much it, yeah. I think the fact that my car is slow and unreactive and that Sarah's computer takes an age to do anything and is always fanning itself were the main reasons for the names.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

After leaving a dance club the other night, long after the metro had stopped running, I went out to where my bike was locked up and patted it on the seat and said, "Ah, Bikey." I was feeling wistful, knowing that I wouldn't be able to ride it much longer, what with winter coming any freakin' day now, I'm sure. It's taken me 8 years to call my bike by any name. Which I'm just going to interpret as having intimacy issues. (haha.)

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

you can ride in the winter!

― kelsey (kelstarry), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread has prompted me to start calling my wacom pad "paddy".

― m. (mitchlnw), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

(I live in Montreal. I cannot ride in the winter for I will die. I used to ride year round in Vancouver, but it's not prone to weeks of -20C weather...)

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Little objects I constantly use acquire the honorific Mr., e.g., "Mr. X-Acto." My baseball gloves are Old Greenie and Old Blackie. My prior car was referred to backwardly as "Atoyot" (auto-yacht, get it?). "Honda" doesn't really work backwards, so my Civic is "The Palindrome."

― briania (briania), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

that is sad. i'm going to try & bike this winter. i'm kind of a wimp, though. I won't be shocked if i don't last very long.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

If you name your bike you can say things like "It's only snow, bikey! Onward ho!" as you battle the elements. I'm sure it works, this teamness.

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Studded snow tires, people. Winter biking can be beautiful, as long as you don't have to rely on it to go everywhere.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 9 September 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I am dying to bike this winter. But even if I don't, I figure I'll only be out for a couple-three months. I can bike when it's cold, just not when it's icy.

I think I shall call my bike "The Grey Lady," in an effort to glamorize my having picked the dullest possible color for a bicycle.

http://www.raleighusa.com/images/items/cross/full/04Ral_C30_M_GRA-f.jpg

― Tonight at ten (kenan), Thursday, 9 September 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I name everything. Guitars, computers, even my mobile phone. (It's called Bastard 2.) It's like a compulsion. How can I have a working relationship with a piece of equipment if I don't know what it's called?

(though strangely enough, I haven't named my work computer - maybe coz I don't like it very much.)

Guitars usually get named after whatever pop star or other boy I'm lusting after at the time, but sometimes I forget what the crush even was, and the guitar bears the name for long after. Though guitar names recently have been less imaginative - Danny the Danelectro and J-Man the Jazzmaster were a little uninspired, I guess.

Percy/Pursey the laptop has replaced Alexander Graham Laptop...

Crikey, I'm sad. Maybe I should have had babies instead.

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 10 September 2004 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

(I used to even name the tables in my database things like "George" and "Charles" but I think actually they were named after the kings of England if you want to get technical about it. Other programmers could never figure out what order they would go in (Come on! Charles clearly goes after James! Are you dumb?) but maybe I should have given them numbers to make it easier for them.)

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 10 September 2004 09:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm. That never really occurred to me. I'm having SO MUCH trouble trying to think up a name for my car, when(if) I have kids they'll either be nameless for the first couple of years or I'll keep changing their names when I decide I don't really like that name as much as I used to.

― Craig Gilchrist, Friday, 10 September 2004 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yeah, and I checked my iPod. It's called "The Amazemotron". No idea.

― Craig Gilchrist, Friday, 10 September 2004 09:16 (twenty-one years ago)

(Come on! Charles clearly goes after James! Are you dumb?)

If you also had tables called "Charles II" and "James II" that would *really* confuse the other developers.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 10 September 2004 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha ha!

It was in the States, so maybe I should have named them after Presidents instead. I just really didn't want to name them dumb things like "buildings" and "mortgages" and tedious descriptive names like that.

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 10 September 2004 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

After this one Space Ghost episode, everything that didn't already have a name was called the Confusatron for a couple of weeks.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Friday, 10 September 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

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