# Explain you username **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694 "2012-02-23T03:51:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/61 "2012-02-23T14:00:50Z")
I think I’ve chimed in on just about every one of these threads over the years, but hey, why not. “Fach” is German for “compartment” or “cubby hole”. It’s also used in other areas, such as academia, where it means “subject”. In the world of classical singing, it refers to a voice type; not just the traditional soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone, bass categories, but further broken down by vocal weight, tessitura, etc. In the German repertoire house system, roles are assigned Fachs, and the house singers in that Fach are then chosen for those roles. [Here’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fach) more information. Anyway, in grad school and for a few years thereafter, my Fach was in flux; nobody seemed to know whether I was a tenor or baritone, or what kind. “Verwirrt” means confused. So I was “fachverwirrt”. That confusion has since faded, but I kept the name. As far as I can tell, I’m the only one on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/62 "2012-02-23T14:02:47Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I’ve only ever seen the MST3K version, and I loved it. I thought I’d mention this, as I always think of it when I see you post, and it gives me a segue into my own name’s origin. I was watching an episode of MST3K (I don’t remember which), and the actor on-screen was attempting, rather unsuccessfully, to emote. Either Joel or Mike (again, I forget which, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t one of the 'bots) said, “This face intentionally left blank.” I thought this was quite a hoot, being a pun on the traditional, “[This page intentionally left blank](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentionally_blank_page)” sometimes found in books, and so, a user-name was born. You might really like this shirt, then: [http://www.zazzle.com/left\_bank\_shirt-235398302199930749](http://www.zazzle.com/left_bank_shirt-235398302199930749) Or this card: [http://www.zazzle.com/left\_bank\_greeting\_card-137649185971356286](http://www.zazzle.com/left_bank_greeting_card-137649185971356286) The drawing is from Graig Swanson’s sadly departed “Perspicuity” cartoon. [http://content.perspicuity.com/?q=node/219](http://content.perspicuity.com/?q=node/219) ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/63 "2012-02-23T14:09:19Z")
Mine comes from [Lorem Ipsum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum), the pseudo-Latin placeholder text that you often see on dummy websites or samples of print layouts. Being a lover of language, I was intrigued by the story of where the phrase comes from. Lorem became “Lauren” to sound more like an actual name and make it clear that I am female - it’s not my real first name. I first used the name when I signed up for a MetaFilter account last year. I was already lurking at SD then, so when I created an account here too, I decided to stick with what works. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/64 "2012-02-23T14:13:10Z")
sa = 1st two letters of my first name je = 1st two letters of my last name Not particularly original, but at least I can remember it! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/65 "2012-02-23T14:17:01Z")
I plucked my user name out of a National Lampoon Magazine article about “101 Names for your Band.” It was separated into genres, and under country-punk was listed: “Cowboy Bob and the Jackbatties.” It made me chuckle; I don’t even know what a jackbattie is but I’ve used “Jack Batty” as my alter-ego name ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/66 "2012-02-23T14:26:07Z")
It was my job title when I was creating an account years ago. Just sort of stuck with it. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/67 "2012-02-23T14:48:52Z")
It’s alpine backwards. There is already an Alpine on the boards. I chose it because I live in the mountains, and at the time it was the name of my dog. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/68 "2012-02-23T15:08:42Z")
I kayak. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/69 "2012-02-23T15:20:57Z")
I’m named after the intuition one relies on when looking for the right move in a chess game. I heard it in a Chessmaster lecture by [Josh Waitzkin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Waitzkin). > [@Polycarp](#): > > [My patron saint.](http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/108.html) And this whole time, I thought you were a [fish Pokemon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magikarp). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/70 "2012-02-23T15:23:12Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Until a couple years ago, I owned ferrets. How can I keep them out of potted plants? Oh, yeah, the OP Carnivorous plants is one of my hobbies. I was trying to think of a user name when I registered and glanced at a pot of _Utricularia longifolia._ Hey, could have been worse! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/71 "2012-02-23T15:25:52Z")
I’m 6’8". Lurked for quite a while, then one day decided to post. Didn’t take the time to think of a good name, so chose a stupid pun. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/72 "2012-02-23T15:26:44Z")
I Spoonerised Fritz Leiber’s excellent short story Spacetime for Springers, about Grummet the kitten. It happens that Springtime is my favourite season. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/73 "2012-02-23T15:29:05Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’m a fan of Canadian fantasy/alt-history writer Guy Gavriel Kay - at least up until _the Sarantine Mosaic_, after which he seems to have lost his mojo. Alessan is one of the (male!) protagonists of his greatest work, _Tigana_. Damn, I was hoping it was graffiti at Masada. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/74 "2012-02-23T15:32:08Z")
I pity the fool. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/75 "2012-02-23T15:35:02Z")
Anaamika=the girl with no name, or anonymous. In Sanskrit it also means “ring finger” and the funny thing is, Chinese also calls the ring finger “unnamed”. It can also mean “one whose destiny doesn’t depend on her name”, so all in all, a decent name. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/76 "2012-02-23T15:37:35Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I’m 6’8". > > Lurked for quite a while, then one day decided to post. Didn’t take the time to think of a good name, so chose a stupid pun. I’m bummed as you’ve ruined the mystery. Every time I saw your username I thought it had to do with eating vomit…or something. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/77 "2012-02-23T15:38:01Z")
I love information–obscure, useful, whatever. You might say I…eat it up. I used to be ‘w\*i n t e rhawk11’ (spacing, etc. to foil search engines, hopefully), named after my longtime Shadowrun web novel character, but when the board became Google-searchable I didn’t want anybody looking for my stories to find my SDMB posts. At least not easily. :P) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/78 "2012-02-23T15:43:51Z")
Hello Again was the “show name” (formal name used for horse shows) of my horse. Her “barn name” or everyday name was Holly. She passed away in 2005. Originally I used a somewhat meaningless letter combination as a username. IIRC my name change request was sent on the evening of September 10, 2001, and subsequently somewhat delayed. Edited to add pics: [the spotty wench feared no water jump](http://phatlewt.wedge.net/bbs/download/file.php?id=21) [One of us looks sharp and it isn’t me](http://phatlewt.wedge.net/bbs/download/file.php?id=22) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/79 "2012-02-23T16:00:56Z")
I’m a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan books, and took my name from the Dendarii mountains (and their namesake, the Dendarii mercenaries.) ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694/80 "2012-02-23T16:05:36Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > And this whole time, I thought you were a [fish Pokemon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magikarp). Me too. As for **Malleus, Incus, Stapes!** , I just thought that the names of the [ossicles](http://oto2.wustl.edu/bbears/ossicle.htm) had a sort of poetic rhythm to them, and that the SDMB was a good place to have an obscure username. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-you-username/613694.md?page=5)