# I dislike alliterative animal names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876 "2013-07-07T16:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/1 "2013-07-07T16:20:05Z")
The News has a story about an eagle who has found a new mate after her first one was killed by a bus a couple of years ago. The male eagle was called ‘Eddie the Eagle’. The female is called Eva. This sort of thing bugs me. Eddie the Eagle, Sam the Snake, Barney the Bear, Timmy the Turtle… What’s wrong with ‘Asmodeus the Ferret’ or ‘Napalm the Cat’ or ‘George the Pig’ or ‘Jimmie the Whale’? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/2 "2013-07-07T16:34:45Z")
I was under the impression that the animals preferred the alliterative names. I’ve never heard one complain about it. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/3 "2013-07-07T16:41:10Z")
I knew someone who had a pet guinea pig named “Achtung Lebewesen”, because that’s what it said on the box it came in. Made sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/4 "2013-07-07T17:08:53Z")
Alliterative Animal Names may be annoying, but they’re not such direct ridicule-fodder as some of the combined dog-breed names. I mean, come on. “Labradoodle”? You expect me to take that seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/5 "2013-07-07T17:29:27Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I mean, come on. “Labradoodle”? You expect me to take that seriously? How about a shihtzpoo? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/6 "2013-07-07T17:39:34Z")
I absolutely abhor alliteration when unexpectedly used unnecessarily. Apparently, my grandfather’s girlfriend had a beagle named Bagel. I actually think that’s kind of cute. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/7 "2013-07-07T18:03:14Z")
What beef do you have with Tony The Tiger? He’s GREAT! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/8 "2013-07-07T18:04:36Z")
Not meant as a hijack, but back in the 60’s some buddies and I decided to create an alphabet book for kids that would amuse grownups, too. We divided the task into three steps: 1. come up with 26 unlikely pets 2. come up with unlikely/mismatching names for them 3. devise little stories for why they would have those names We did well on steps 1 and 2 but the project fell apart on step 3. I can only recall one completed entry: > [@](#): > > Jake the Tarantula was named after an amulet that Princess Grace had received from Cary Grant. Other critters we were proud of: Norman the Cow Pony Ted the Barnacle Victor the Manatee Gus the Komodo Dragon Lewis the Hamster ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/9 "2013-07-07T18:30:30Z")
To be fair though, they may have named it after one of Britain’s, ummm, greatest sporting heroes. > **[US](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/)** > > From the US election and Biden's presidency, to gun control and abortion rights; stay up-to-date with the latest lines and comment with The Telegraph. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/10 "2013-07-07T19:13:09Z")
I write for children, and editors often say (in articles about doing this or in their submission guidelines) that they HATE this. So if I have talking animals in my stories, I usually just call them Moose or Puppy, not Marvin Moose and Patty Puppy. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/11 "2013-07-07T20:21:28Z")
So, you’re not a fan of Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, Daffy (or Donald) Duck, Leo the Lion, or Deputy Dawg? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/12 "2013-07-07T23:15:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Jimmie the Whale’? Sounds like someone who’d have you buried in the New Jersey Pine Barrens if you don’t provide enough plankton. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/13 "2013-07-07T23:27:09Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Sounds like someone who’d have you buried in the New Jersey Pine Barrens if you don’t provide enough plankton. I have not been buried in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Also, I have no idea of Jimmie the Whale’s current location. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/14 "2013-07-07T23:49:44Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Not meant as a hijack, but back in the 60’s some buddies and I decided to create an alphabet book for kids that would amuse grownups, too. It’s been [done](http://www.plastic-castle.com/tom/tinies.htm) ;). ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/15 "2013-07-08T01:45:12Z")
My uncle had a dog called Deefa. D for dog, was funny the first time you heard it… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/16 "2013-07-08T01:59:49Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > My uncle had a dog called Deefa. > > D for dog, was funny the first time you heard it… Your uncle would probably get along great with _my_ uncle, who had a dog whose name was pronounced “Deeoji”…spelled “DOG”. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/17 "2013-07-08T14:06:22Z")
One thing I absolutely hate is that EVERY SINGLE news story or magazine article about dogs uses the term “four-legged friends” and/or Fido. Who the hell names their dog “Fido?” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/18 "2013-07-08T14:16:15Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Your uncle would probably get along great with _my_ uncle, who had a dog whose name was pronounced “Deeoji”…spelled “DOG”. That seemed to be a popular name for dogs about 30 years ago. One guy I worked with had a white dog named Awd – Average White Dog. > [@Ponch8](#): > > Who the hell names their dog “Fido?” I would. But it would be named ironically. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/19 "2013-07-08T14:34:50Z")
Moved from IMHO to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876/20 "2013-07-08T15:28:54Z")
If I ever get a marmalade cat, I will seriously consider naming him Napalm. I will, however, refrain from quoting _Apocalypse Now_ afterward. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dislike-alliterative-animal-names/662876.md?page=2)