Actually, it’s a list of “20 Totally Overused Words in Game Names,” but any marketing guy worth his salt will immediately make a list and get two 20-sided dice. “Darkness Origin”? Sure.
Hey wait… there are only 20 words, Mario is in there, and Dragon and Battle are NOT in there? WTF?
I learned about the Moby Games project through this article, which is a cool list of games that you can use to see if your next blockbuster title concept has been used yet.
Evidently, the sales of Crayola crayons are based on the names of the colors. Why else would they change the names? Do crayons really need to be “current” and “trendy”?
Here are the other old names followed by the new names: laser lemon, super happy; wild tangerine, fun in the sun; screamin’ green, giving tree; beaver, bear hug; turquoise blue, happy ever after; hot magenta, famous; orchid, best friends.
Yes, I know that “best friends” is not a color. Don’t get me started.
The British government has decided to no longer refer to the “War on Terror.” Bully for them! I’ve said many times that this is not a war and the enemy are not soldiers.
“The people who were murdered on July 7 were not the victims of war. The men who killed them were not soldiers,” Macdonald said. “They were fantasists, narcissists, murderers and criminals and need to be responded to in that way.”
His remarks signal a change in emphasis across Whitehall, where the “war on terror” language has officially been ditched.
This whole idiocy started with the “War on Poverty,” I think. Then there was the “War on Drugs.” What it all adds up to is a “War on Common Sense.”
Nice to see a government coming to its senses. Wish that would happen to ours.
Holy shit! The name “Chuck” seems to be popular, according to this article that Jason found. (The percentage of my blog that’s original continues to shrink.) Here’s the most amazing part:
It’s not so much that Chuck is chosen to sound out of style, like Floyd or Wilfred. It sounds immune to style, a steady island of everyman in a river of sophisticates and metrosexuals. It’s such a perfect choice than you can take the inverse of Chuck and find the fashion of the moment. Chuck’s a nickname, therefore formality must be trendy. Chuck’s all hard consonants, so smooth vowel-laden names are all the rage.
“Immune to style, a steady island of everyman.” Yep, that’s me. I’m just not sure that’s a compliment.
The moral to this story? If you’re not trendy, just wait. You will be again. Although it might take 50 years.
The way I quote myself works is not entirely understood.
The WSJ calls it “branding” your newborn. Don’t name that child after his grandfather! He needs a previously unheard of name.
Sean and Dawn Mistretta from Charlotte, N.C., tossed around possibilities for five months before they hired a pair of consultants — baby-name book authors who draw up lists of suggestions for $50. During a 30-minute conference call with Mrs. Mistretta, 34, a lawyer, and Mr. Mistretta, 35, a securities trader, the consultants discussed names based on their phonetic elements, popularity, and ethnic and linguistic origins — then sent a 15-page list of possibilities. When their daughter was born in April, the Mistrettas settled on one of the consultants’ suggestions — Ava — but only after taking one final straw poll of doctors and nurses at the hospital. While her family complimented the choice, Mrs. Mistretta says, “they think we’re a little neurotic.”
I am reminded of the Lewis Black routine about kids named “Asshole” (As-show-la) and “Shithead” (Shi-theed).
When I went to school (Mother of God, that makes me sound old), there was another Chuck the whole time and I knew five Kathys. Somehow, we all survived this debacle.
Once there were no Chucks. Except for my grandfather, the first Charles Louis Kallenbach, and then me.
I went to school with a guy named Chuck, same age, lots of the same classes. We would alternate going by Chuck or Chuckie. Or Carlos and Carlitos in Spanish class. Hard to believe. Some of my aunts, if I saw them today, would still call me Chuckie. But I wish they wouldn’t.
One of my teachers called me Charles. I didn’t like it. I had one teacher that called me Charlie. The only person in my whole life that ever called me Charlie. I didn’t like that either.
I wrote my name eighteen different ways and decided that I liked Chuck Kallenbach II the best. Nowadays, I leave off the II for fear of seeming pretentious. Hah! My official banking name is Charles L. Kallenbach II, however.
Chuck Connors was the star of an old western called The Rifleman from 1963. (Yes, I owned a toy plastic rifle with the trademark oversized handguard.)
Then there was Chuck Norris, a movie star in The Green Berets and Way of the Dragon before Walker Texas Ranger and all the stupid jokes.
Of course, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars sneakers were often called “Chucks,” since way back in 1969.
After that there was Chuck and Bob on Soap in 1977. Not too proud of that one, that guy was a complete idiot.
Now, there are Chucks everywhere. Chuck Bartowski in NBC’s Chuck. Charlotte “Chuck” Charles on Pushing Daisies. (A friend of mine had a girlfriend she called “Charlie” whose name was also Charlotte. I named my hamster for her.) Chuck Darling on Back to You, that Kelsey Grammer comedy that’s going to break his string of hits.
As my mother would have said, “Every dog has his day.” Even if his name is Chuck.
NBC has a new show about a nerd on its fall schedule. “Let’s see, he needs a real nerdy name. How about…”
We used to have folks over to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer at our old apartment. One night, after a character was introduced with the name “Old Man Kaltenbach” just after the opening credits, the phone rang. I said, “I’m not answering that.” My son did, and it was some other friends who thought the coincidence was funny.
Hobo Name #798 of John Hodgson’s 700 Hobo Names. (One hundred hobo names were added to the paperback edition.) They are all illustrated individually by hundreds of artists.
Many names have more than one illustration. There are others with “Chuck” in the name, like #40: All-but-Dissertation Tucker Dummychuck and #612: Chuck McKindred: Not So Holy, But Very Moley.
Ape Lad is an illustrator of hoboes that will do one especially for you. It’s only $10 with PayPal when you send him a hobo name, and you get a postcard with his original art on it. I’ve already sent away and am anxiously awaiting my hobo illo.
Amy Lee, Amos Lee, Tori Amos, Famous Amos… who can tell them apart? Well, here’s a handy guide that explains all. Thank goodness for New York Magazine.
I told them they missed some key data on 10cc (the average male ejaculate was supposedly NINE cc, so they were engaging in some macho one-upmanship), but there’s some cute stuff here otherwise.
CHUMBAWAMBA – In a band member’s dream, he didn’t know which door to use in a public toilet because the signs said “Chumba” and “Wamba” instead of “Men” and “Women”
Find your favorite band! See what the rumors say!
i quote myself. 