# What's the story behind your screen name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 29, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498 "2012-12-29T17:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/1 "2012-12-29T17:04:36Z")
Mine comes from a high school nick name. It’s a play on my name, Julius Irving (Dr. J) and the drummer for the band Blackfoot. All of that, plus our tendency to refer to each other with an honorific (Chief, Doc, etc) led to Doctor Jackson. It’s been my SN on just about every internet application that requires one. BONUS - Any regrets with the SN you chose? Do you wish you could change it? I only regret the “Doctor” honorific when I respond to a medical question. I have to take great pains to make sure I mention that I am not a real doctor. I surely don’t want my layman’s answer taken with the additional authority that “Dr” confers. Not enough of a pain to make me want to change my SN, though. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/2 "2012-12-29T17:18:06Z")
Mine’s the first 2 letters of my first name + first 2 letters of my last name. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/3 "2012-12-29T17:25:03Z")
I lost my temper at the registration process. Everything I normally use elsewhere was taken, and it kept telling me I couldn’t have them. “WhyNot”, I petulantly typed. And blam, here we are. True story. However, it’s also something I say a whole lot in real life (much to the consternation of anyone in any sort of authority over me), so it fits. It’s occasionally come in useful/amusing as a “My username is my post” response to threads. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/4 "2012-12-29T17:26:57Z")
I’m a hairy gay man who lives in (ok, near) a swamp. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/5 "2012-12-29T17:32:19Z")
Nothing too complicated. When first casting about for a screen name I noticed that a lot of posters had handles with some kind of literary allusion, so I went that route. Borrowed the nickname of a favorite character from one of my favorite books and authors: Joseph Fielding (Seldom Seen) Smith III; _The Monkey Wrench Gang_; Edward Abbey. It suits me OK, don’t care to change it. SS ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/6 "2012-12-29T17:53:51Z")
I was bored of using the username I had been for the last 15 years, so I decided to get something different. Of course, I had an impossible time thinking of something. But I looked over at the table and saw a package of Angelsoft toilet paper and thought ‘Huh…why not!’. So there you go. I was inspired by ass wiping paper. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/7 "2012-12-29T17:54:00Z")
One of my friends dads gave this name when I was a kid and it kind of stuck with my close friends. ( it was just Badger) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/8 "2012-12-29T17:56:32Z")
I’m accident prone, in a major way. I once managed to hit my head twice getting out of a recliner. Once, while reguiling my friends with tales of my many accidents, one nick named me Mr. Accident. A couple of weeks later I decided to register on the dope, and just used that name. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/9 "2012-12-29T17:59:48Z")
I used to go by Nekogami (I like cats, and Japanese stuff, it was an easy choice), then decided that too many people used that, so I changed it up a bit into something that’s actually a valid Japanese name (I spell it 神野猫, if you’re interested). ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/10 "2012-12-29T18:02:22Z")
666 was taken. Or I thought it was too obvious. I forget which. So my lazy ass went with 678. The first part is classified. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/11 "2012-12-29T18:05:47Z")
I’m usually a creative person, but my screen name isn’t creative. It’s my name, plus the first letter of my last name. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/12 "2012-12-29T18:48:33Z")
> [@](#): > > “Ellen Cherry was from the south and had good manners. She didn’t have any panties on, but she had good manners.” > ― Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and All :eek: 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/13 "2012-12-29T18:52:41Z")
Mine is actually from a Jason Mraz song I really like, “The Dreamlife of Rand Mcnally.” I like it. Plus, you have to look to find me. If you type in ‘Randmcnally’ you’ll get a ton of hits before you get anything I’ve typed. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/14 "2012-12-29T18:54:14Z")
When I signed up I went to my bookshelf, closed my eyes and grabbed a book. Khadaji is the main character in _The Man Who Never Missed._ I like it because it is short and not-too-common. (Although I have no idea how it is properly pronounced.) ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/15 "2012-12-29T18:56:14Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > :eek: 🆒 And the roast turkey laid upon its back…traveling farther and faster than many an aspiring actress Sorry Tom I probably butchered that but I love that book IRL my first name is Kirk been called Captain all my life **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/16 "2012-12-29T19:11:05Z")
At one of my old jobs, we had a gift shop where we sold puppets. One of the puppets was a chipmunk and when you rubbed its hands together, it looked positively nefarious. We called it the Nefarious Chipmunk (go figure). I no longer work with the chipmunk, but it has always stuck with me. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/17 "2012-12-29T23:09:12Z")
Ever watch _The Simpsons_? You know how when Barney greets Homer, he says “Hey Homie”? My brother, a huge _Simpsons_ fan, says that every time he sees me, imitating Barney. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/18 "2012-12-29T23:18:13Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > (it was just Badger) Back when you cared… (But Honey Badger don’t care. Honey Badger don’t give a shit.) My name? I seriously don’t know. I know I was going to go for Dibny, but TPTB said it was taken (but this was back in '99, and I never did see a Dibny). Why I went with not-quite-an-abbreviation instead, I’m baffled by. As well as the all-lower-case… how affected. i should post without caps, i should. even the first-person pronoun, i would think. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/19 "2012-12-29T23:36:27Z")
I had a lovely female betta fish who got old and couldn’t swim anymore so I made her a little lettuce boat that would float round with about an inch of water in it. She lived in the lettuce boats for a few more months till she died. I called her FloatyGimpy. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498/20 "2012-12-30T00:04:52Z")
When I got my first computer and used AOL, I had to have a name. Having no imagination, I chose my first name/first 4 letters of my second name. Been than on the interenet since. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-behind-your-screen-name/645498.md?page=2)