What’s in a name?

[MrPixel]

For erotic stories, I have more of an issue with seeing names that, to me, seem outdated, archaic or just not sexy, like "Edward" or "Alice".

What if your Alice character runs a restaurant? Or is a server in a diner? So much there in just that name alone for comedic development. Ohgawd. A plot bunny.

 

[ChuckWolf]

What if your Alice character runs a restaurant? Or is a server in a diner? So much there in just that name alone for comedic development. Ohgawd. A plot bunny.

Not for a sex story, IMO.

Having said that, I am going to work a character into a future story that is very much patterned after Flo (Polly Holliday).

 

[GuiltyCowboy]

For erotic stories, I have more of an issue with seeing names that, to me, seem outdated, archaic or just not sexy, like "Edward" or "Alice".

These three people are called Sean, Archibald and Ursula - which are, to me, perhaps three of the least sexy names in the English language.

 

[sirhugs]

These three people are called Sean, Archibald and Ursula - which are, to me, perhaps three of the least sexy names in the English language.

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what's wrong with Sean?

 

[sirhugs]

For erotic stories, I have more of an issue with seeing names that, to me, seem outdated, archaic or just not sexy, like "Edward" or "Alice".

Since when is Edward outdated?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I'm afraid one of my favourite characters is called Dan. He's only ever a significant character in Gay Male, so you can probably avoid him easily.

There's one name where I might actually do the 'download, put into word processor, find and replace with different name' if I wanted to read the story, but it's never come up, luckily.

I recently encountered my own name in a porn story for the first time ever, which was distinctly weird, but possibly made me root for her more. I can count on one hand how often I've met someone with my name, and it certainly makes people remember me. It must be kinda comfortably anonymous to go through life being called something like 'Dave'.

 

[sirhugs]

When you write a running story that has, at last count, at least 40 characters, you gotta have names.

With apologies to @sirhugs and @Timesup , the idea of a complex story without named characters including surnames is preposterous.

@TheRedLantern has it right - write your own stories if this is such a trigger issue.

many of my first person POV stories are told by the character I think of as Nameless Narrator. Some of them I would consider complex. The more complex they are, the better they seem to do, despite starring NN.

 

[StillStunned]

Danny doesn't bother me, it's very specifically Dan.

In that case, I hope you don't mind Poppy or Jess either. Or Womanizer.

 

[GuiltyCowboy]

what's wrong with Sean?

Nothing at all!

It’s a bit silly being rude about names because we all have our unique contexts. Edward and Alice, for example, are both perfectly decent names for me with good connotations.

But Sean falls into that category of name that is intrinsically funny for me because it’s a homonym for another word. Like Doug. Sean -> shorn -> Shaun the Sheep.

Which reminds me of one of my favourite jokes…

Q: what do you call a man with 5 rabbits up his bum?
A: Warren.

 

[sirhugs]

Nothing at all!

It’s a bit silly being rude about names because we all have our unique contexts. Edward and Alice, for example, are both perfectly decent names for me with good connotations.

But Sean falls into that category of name that is intrinsically funny for me because it’s a homonym for another word. Like Doug. Sean -> shorn -> Shaun the Sheep.

Which reminds me of one of my favourite jokes…

Q: what do you call a man with 5 rabbits up his bum?
A: Warren.

or one gerbil is Richard Gere

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Nothing at all!

It’s a bit silly being rude about names because we all have our unique contexts. Edward and Alice, for example, are both perfectly decent names for me with good connotations.

But Sean falls into that category of name that is intrinsically funny for me because it’s a homonym for another word. Like Doug. Sean -> shorn -> Shaun the Sheep.

Which reminds me of one of my favourite jokes…

Q: what do you call a man with 5 rabbits up his bum?
A: Warren.

Ah. so no Doug, Douglas, Sean, Cliff, Jack, Lou, Derek, Claude, Stu, Frank...
And no women called Annette, Gail, Carol, Anita, Eileen...

Bit limiting? Also, what do you call a man with a plank on his head?
Edward.

 

[MrPixel]

...what do you call a man with a plank on his head?

Bored.

 

[THBGato]

Also, what do you call a man with a plank on his head?
Edward.

Really only works with a British accent, surely?

 

[StillStunned]

What do you call a zombie with a shovel in his head?

Doug.

 

[GuiltyCowboy]

Ah. so no Doug, Douglas, Sean, Cliff, Jack, Lou, Derek, Claude, Stu, Frank...
And no women called Annette, Gail, Carol, Anita, Eileen...

Bit limiting? Also, what do you call a man with a plank on his head?
Edward.

I’m certainly not proscribing any names! If you want to call a character Amanda Huggenkiss then I’d be delighted!

Also, I’m struggling with Anita…’I need her’? ‘A neater…’?

 

[THBGato]

What do you call a man floating in water?

Bob

 

[old_prof]

What do you call a zombie with a shovel in his head?

Doug.

We need a boo reaction.

 

[old_prof]

What do you call a man floating in water?

Bob

What kind of wood doesn't float?


Natalie Wood.

(I know, very bad taste.)

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I’m certainly not proscribing any names! If you want to call a character Amanda Huggenkiss then I’d be delighted!

Also, I’m struggling with Anita…’I need her’? ‘A neater…’?

A heater. As in 'What do you call a woman with a radiator on her head?' An 'eater, innit.

And of course the guy with newspaper scrunched up in his clothes, Russell.

 

[ChuckWolf]

These three people are called Sean, Archibald and Ursula - which are, to me, perhaps three of the least sexy names in the English language.

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Ursula works for me, but yeah the other two are not great.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Since when is Edward outdated?

Alice is #62 in the U.S. Edward is #228. I think Alice is a pretty name.

 

[Comshaw]

What’s in a name?​

Comshaw

 

[Bramblethorn]

Bit limiting? Also, what do you call a man with a plank on his head?
Edward.

What do you call a man with three planks on his head? Edward Woodward.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

What do you call a man with three planks on his head? Edward Woodward.

What do you call a man with four planks on his head?

I don't know, but Edward Woodward would.

 

[Bramblethorn]

These three people are called Sean, Archibald and Ursula - which are, to me, perhaps three of the least sexy names in the English language.

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Although the third is more often called "Cary" than "Archibald", because Archibald was considered an unmarketable name.