I know it’s not uncommon to name musical instruments. In the past, I have owned a guitar named Maynard, and my G&L SB2 bass guitar Isadore is now available for adoption. I’ve decided that Glorianna is the perfect name for the viola that I’m waiting for the UPS man to deliver sometime today.
I have a fountain pen named Spike. My favorite veil is named Esmerelda.
So, does anyone else name favorite things?
(no, parts of the human anatomy do not count among favorite things. I don’t want to know what you named your penis.)
I’ve only recently started naming inanimate things. My computer’s name is Maurice (I originally called him"Clarice" but then later decided he was a boy.) My bicycle’s name is Lucy Magnificant. I love my bike.
Well, a friend of mine has a cello that’s on her third name. At the moment she’s Elise, before that, she was Franchesca, and before that, Consuela. Another friend of mine has a scarf-thingy named mopsy.
I just normally call things by what they are. For example, when I misplace a book, you can normally find me wandering around my house, looking everywhere, muttering, “Here, booky booky booky! Here, book! Where are you? Libro, donde estas? (in case it will be impressed by another language) Libro? Libro? Dammit, where did I leave that thing? Now, if I was a book, where would I hide? Here, booky booky booky!”
I personify most things, I name few. The dividing line seems to be eyes. If it has eyes, it has a name. This goes for my car (the headlights are the eyes, you see), my piggy bank, my rubber duckies, the duck decoy that’s staring at me from on top of my computer tower right now, the penguin mug on my desk, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Things that don’t have eyes are “Mr [Name of Object].” C’mon, Mr. Telephone, work with me here…
Not actual names, but our previous van was a Ford Aerostar usually referred to as the Mean Green Machine and the Ford Club Wagon we currently own is the Big Brown Behemoth. And least, those were/are their “public” names; they were sometimes referred to by less complimentary terms when they were in the shop for repairs.
My previous computer was usually called f*** a** POS, particularly after the CPU fan broke and it kept overheating and breaking down until I figured out what was causing it.
Of course! My car has a name as do several other inanimate items. Why not?
Interesting that Urban Ranger mentions giving names to teddy bears. I think having a bear or two around is more or less essential for any well-balanced mature adult, and I do get a little wary of people who claim to be grown-ups but who don’t have any ongoing relationship with a domestic bear (non-animate) or similar small companion. Who do these emotionally-stunted people think they’re kidding?
However, may I offer two crumbs of thought. We all know that the ‘Teddy’ as in ‘teddy bear’ comes from the Theodore Roosevelt story. I think a bear should only be referred to as a ‘teddy’ if his name happens to be ‘Theodore’ or ‘Ted’ or some similar derivative. Otherwise, it’s really not appropriate. I live with four bears, all of whom have names. None of them are called ‘Teddy’ nor do they wish to be.
Secondly, I don’t honestly believe that one gives a bear a name. I believe that a bear’s name is one of his or her most prized possessions, and s/he will share it with you once s/he gets to know you a little and decides you can be trusted. It’s really a process of building trust, listening to what the bear is saying (in that special non-organic way that bears have) and gradually discovering his or her name as and when s/he decides the time is right to reveal it.
Well, I refer to my computer as “that evil shiny box” pretty often.
I talk to inanimate objects quite often unconsciously and people have found this somewhat disturbing.
The few names I do give to inanimate objects are unfit for this forum. As others have mentioned, it’s generally an electronic device that has decided now is the perfect time to behave in a manner completely contrary to my wishes.
And every name is assigned anew everytime the device in question misbehaves. It depends on how annoyed I am at the time, whether the computer is called “slowpoke” or “f**kstain.”
Upon a bit of reflection, I think the PC’s name is most often “painintheass,” all one word, with a silent “th” in the middle.
[sub]Don’t double post this, ya painintheass, they can read it the first time.[/sub]
My computer doesn’t really have a name. Mainly it gets sweard at a lot by me. Most stuff I have also doesn’t have a name but my fave teddy’s do (ie Sleepy my oooooold teddy who is all dressed and ready for bed and Kelly the Koala whom I made in home ec. We know each other real well.)
