# The "Whats the deal with your name?" Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2002, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211 "2002-07-16T09:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/21 "2002-07-16T15:04:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Seven is my real first name. Is your dad George Costanza? My username? Half of it refers to the character in “Death of a Salesman” and the other half is just made up. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/22 "2002-07-16T15:09:03Z")
I just dig that cat from the comic strip **Mutts**. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/23 "2002-07-16T15:12:36Z")
Lodrain: > [@](#): > > I’m naming my child ‘Pi’. Now, please, don’t do anything so irrational. As for my user name…well, that’s pretty simple, isn’t it? **C** haim **M** attis **Keller** ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/24 "2002-07-16T15:25:50Z")
My name is nonsensical. I picked it at the last second cuz the name I _really_ wanted was not available. ☹ Not that I’ve _ever_ seen a post by the person who has the name I really wanted. ---
**Author:** ![zepchick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/858c86/32.png) [@zepchick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zepchick)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/25 "2002-07-16T15:30:19Z")
Mine isn’t too hard to figure out for any classic rock fans…Zep refers to Zeppelin, as in Led Zeppelin, which is my favorite rock band of all time. The second part just refers to my gender. I nearly always refer to girls as chicks, something I found very chauvenistic a couple of years ago, and now find I use it myself more than most guys do! 😉 > [@](#): > > Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run…There’s still time to change the road you’re on" > [@](#): > > “My charm consists of humor and intelligence…If all else fails, shake your pecs and beg for sex!”–Evan ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/26 "2002-07-16T15:52:16Z")
Belrix was Arthur’s Pendragon’s name while he lived with the Prydn in the book Firelord by Parke Godwin. In their language it means “Firelord”, a name I use in other places. This is my all-time favorite book. Here’s a [Review](http://freepages.writing.rootsweb.com/~dpalmer/writing/w59.htm) by regular person (with links to other reviews) and here’s the [Book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005VWYK/qid=1026834395/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_12/002-6168335-5275245), unfortunately out of print. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/27 "2002-07-16T15:57:45Z")
Nott is a family nickname. One night I started telling a joke that ended with a highschool kid telling me, “My history teacher said I should ask you what my country can do for me.” About that time, I needed an internet name, and pow, there it was. ---
**Author:** ![Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chance_the_Gardener)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/28 "2002-07-16T16:12:23Z")
Pick up a copy of _Being There_ by Jerzy Kocinski, or rent the Peter Sellers movie by the same name. Some years ago I used to post as **K. Chauncey Gardener** on web sites, but I abbreviated to **Chance** after a while. Since **Chance** was taken (though I’ve never seen anyone actually _use_ this name on this board,) I tacked on the rest of it, fully acknowledging my namesake. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/29 "2002-07-16T16:31:15Z")
I know I’ve done this in one of the other threads, but here goes… It’s my name. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/30 "2002-07-16T16:52:03Z")
It’s one of my favorite novels, by Isabel Allende. (I was a Spanish major in college.) Read it in the original, if at all possible. Part of it also resembles my name IRL. And here I’d been wanting to start a thread along these lines, because I thought it was so original…oh well! ---
**Author:** ![iconoplast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@iconoplast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iconoplast)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/31 "2002-07-16T19:14:56Z")
A word I created in high school. Icono-, meaning something that’s idolized. -plast, a unit of protoplasm. Hence, iconoplast, an idolized unit of protoplasm. You may feel free to interpret this as you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/32 "2002-07-16T19:24:06Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by Lodrain_ > > I’m naming my child ‘Pi’. > > _Posted by cmkeller, in response_ > > Now, please, don’t do anything so irrational. On the (admittedly rare) occasions where I post something witty, if no one acknowledges it I am disappointed. To prevent this from happening to others, I will sometimes hijack a thread briefly just to send kudos to the poster. To that purpose, I want to publically recognize **cmkeller’s** comment above. It is so subtle that I’m not sure if everyone caught the joke. I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/33 "2002-07-16T19:30:35Z")
Mine’s relatively simple. My name’s Ron. I’ve loved the muppets since childhood, and had a way-cool Gonzo Tshirt that has since been ruined by an unforntunate bleach accident. People at school started calling me Gonzo in jest. For lack of anything better I picked it up as my AIM name. Since then, it has stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/34 "2002-07-16T19:31:27Z")
My former name **Frank the Lost Ramone** was explained in one of them there other threads. My new name comes from a story arc in Spider-Man back in the early 90’s, Maximum Carnage. I use it for all my gaming needs, especially when I’m out playing laser tag…“You were hit by…Max Carnage!” ---
**Author:** ![Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smashed_Ice_Cream)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/35 "2002-07-16T19:34:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*Lodrain: > > Now, please, don’t do anything so irrational. > > \*\* hee hee! I named myself after Cold Stone Creamery, which is a chain of ice cream parlors that take a scoop of ice cream and smash candy or fruit or nuts or whatever you want into it. When my husband and I were first dating, we’d drive to the coast together and always stop there on the way - and I started calling them “Smashed Ice Cream Trips”, meaning we’d stop there on the way to wherever. I have no idea what prompted me to use that as a username, though. I musta been hungry. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/36 "2002-07-16T19:43:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LolaCocaCola \* > \*\*My name is nonsensical. > > I picked it at the last second cuz the name I _really_ wanted was not available. ☹ > > Not that I’ve _ever_ seen a post by the person who has the name I really wanted. \*\* Was it [lolagranola](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=4927)? ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/37 "2002-07-16T20:39:19Z")
I’ve done this before, too. However, I will play along again. (seems I always do in these sorts of threads) [Flamsterette\_X](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105572&highlight=brief+explanation+handle) F\_X ---
**Author:** ![kitarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/38 "2002-07-16T21:52:22Z")
Mine was originally (a very very long time ago - Back when I first got internet access on AOL) a character from a rather awful book which I for some reason liked at the time. I think it was called “The darkness before the dawn” or something to that effect. Darksun book. Since then I’ve just used it because everyone knows it’s me, regardless of what service I’m on. Although I suppose there are more using it now since the people at nintendo stole my name for some game of their’s. ---
**Author:** ![kitarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/39 "2002-07-16T21:55:54Z")
Ahem. What I meant to say was that the reason I originaly chose it was that it was the name of a character from a book. Of course, it still is, that’s just not my reason for keeping it. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211/40 "2002-07-16T22:04:44Z")
My reasoning’s two-fold… I was re-reading The Hobbit and The Mangler at about the time I registered for my first board. Belladonna, the plant, plays a fairly important role in the latter story, so when I saw it in the former as Bilbo’s mother’s name I was struck by the coincidence. A user name was needed, my first choice (pandora, for those who care) was taken, and so **belladonna** it became. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whats-the-deal-with-your-name-thread/119211.md?page=3)