# Screen name significance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 28, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897 "2003-03-28T21:48:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sidewinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Sidewinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sidewinder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/1 "2003-03-28T21:48:37Z")
What is the meaning behind your chosen screen name? Some of the names on SDMB truly mystify me, and I’m sure others have wondered the same. As for me, Sidewinder is something I picked up when another person said my car handles like a heat-seeking missile. 😃 It sort of has a double meaning because I like the desert a lot. So, how about yours? ---
**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:** [March 28, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/2 "2003-03-28T21:57:29Z")
I really effing hate elves. 😃 Actually, it’s just a name that nobody else ever uses, so I use it pretty much everywhere I sign up on-line. ---
**Author:** ![maskedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@maskedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maskedman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/3 "2003-03-28T22:18:18Z")
It’s so the system can say ‘Thank You Maskedman’ whenever I post something. It’s from a Lenny Bruce schtick about the Lone Ranger and Tonto. ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/4 "2003-03-28T22:20:12Z")
I’m not actually named after the animal (although I do find penguin to be almost unbearably cute), rather it’s the title of a **Tragically Hip** song. They are one of my favorite bands, so I though, what the heck. Also, the name I originally wanted, Bobcaygeon (another **Hip** song), was taken. Grrr… ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/5 "2003-03-28T22:25:44Z")
If you are interested, there have been a number of threads dedicated to the topic of the meaning or origin of the Usernames selected by the Teeming Millions[sup]TM[/sup]… as follows… [Your Literary Straight Dope Handle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=80663&pagenumber=1) [What does your Straight Dope nickname mean?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=49129) [What does your name mean?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85621) [Where’d you get your board name?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=53582) [Stupid User Names](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=54201) [How did you chose your username?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=35192) [What’s the story behind your username?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69008) [What’s your username mean?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=104615) [The “What’s the deal with your username?” Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=125811) [Explain what your name means, and what you think we think it means](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=127387) [Explain your username!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=158404) Also, [Doper Name Game (categorizing)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=97076) ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/6 "2003-03-28T23:09:55Z")
Mephistopheles is just too hard for people to pronounce. Plus, my name appears in too many different forms in various plays, novels, songs, comics, poems, musical works, and so forth. I didn’t want to deal with people telling me my name was spelled wrong. Thus plain old Mephisto. The true meaning of my name? I’ll tell you . . . for a price . . . 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/7 "2003-03-28T23:12:11Z")
A lot of people think my name means I’m fanatically dedicated to my fifteen cats, but that’s not quite it. It’s more a statement of my ambitions in life. Some day, I want to be the strange old lady down the street with the houseful of cats–the one who all the kids are afraid of. ---
**Author:** ![Merla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Merla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merla)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/8 "2003-03-28T23:24:15Z")
I haven’t been here long enough to reply to one of those previous what does your name mean threads, so I’ll reply to this one. I’ve had over 25 usernames various places. I finally settled on Merla after some time. If Merla is taken anywhere, I choose MerlaSteele. Merla was originally Mela Merwoman, from a character I liked in a Xanth novel (by Piers Anthony). Over time I saw it was too lengthy and changed it to just Mela. But Mela was already taken for a name in several places, so I just added an R and made it Merla. The Steele I add sometimes is because I’m a great fan of the old TV show Remington Steele. Merla ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/9 "2003-03-28T23:43:59Z")
I guzplained mine [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=136583). ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/10 "2003-03-29T00:25:25Z")
EnderW is my first name. 24 is the number of shots my parents had the night I was conceived. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/11 "2003-03-29T00:32:03Z")
There’s no meaning behind mine at all, truthfully. Well, maybe a little bit. I just figured “enginner” had to be already taken, so I didn’t bother to try that. It also sort of fits my current life situation. Should I bother to post the obvious? What the heck. ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/12 "2003-03-29T00:45:52Z")
Well…it used to be a tribute to Reagan. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/13 "2003-03-29T00:58:56Z")
What was that you said, **Gazelle**? I can’t hear ya’. [sub]Damn. I have been waiting to pull that out for months, and then she posted the link that explains the whole thing. Crap.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/14 "2003-03-29T01:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by CrazyCatLady_ > Some day, I want to be the strange old lady down the street with the houseful of cats–the one who all the kids are afraid of. Trust me, if you have 15 cats you’ve achieved your goal. Whether you know it or not, you’re known as the lady down the street with all the cats.🙂 The first message board I posted to was a soccer board and I chose this name. I don’t want to have to remember a lot of names so I use this one. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/15 "2003-03-29T01:50:48Z")
Well, I am a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, and I am occasionally possesed by and giant octopus-like humaniod “sleeping” in the sunken city of Rl’yeh…eaeoanfa e HA pUnnY hUmAns, hOw dArE thEE qUEstIOn whAt nAmE I chOOse tO UsE On thIs bOArd!! OnE dAy I shAll rIsE frOm thE dEpths And dEvOUr yOU All. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/16 "2003-03-29T01:59:43Z")
Mine’s pretty simple… I’m a theatrical lighting person … “Lighting” At times, I act like a complete tool. … “tool” ---
**Author:** ![IDemandBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e57/32.png) [@IDemandBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDemandBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/17 "2003-03-29T02:09:36Z")
Mine is rather self-explanatory…it pretty much means what it says. 😃 –IDB ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/18 "2003-03-29T03:28:42Z")
Needed a screen name, looked around the room and saw my cat Fritz. Besides, I like the movie. ---
**Author:** ![catnoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@catnoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catnoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/19 "2003-03-29T06:18:58Z")
Mine is just a contraction of my name. I got tired of trying to remember what name went to what and streamlined everything. Also, I’ve always wanted to be called Cat. A lady at church when I was little went by the name of Kat for Katherine and I thought it was soooo cooool. ---
**Author:** ![Kat\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Kat\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat_Lady)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897/20 "2003-03-29T10:32:52Z")
Mine is easy…Kat is for Kathleen and Lady well, it is what some people call me…like in “Hey Lady!” Besides with 4 cats and a tendancy to take in strays it sorta fits. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screen-name-significance/164897.md?page=2)