The Game of the Name

You're holding a paint chip called Oriental Silk thinking, this looks an awful lot like Ivory. And you're right. Every so often paint makers update the names of their colors. And that means someone has the fun job of deciding that Bitter Chocolate would sell better as Raisin. Or that some lackluster grassy color needs to be called Kennebunkport Green.

Anyone who's ever agonized over naming a newborn knows about the baggage every name carries. Beyond what the name means, there's its sound, spelling, length, and double meanings. You have to consider the way it works with your last name. And the religion, nationality, class, and character it implies. It's enough to make you name the kid Jim.

Because you can get carried away. Just think of the Iraqi babies named Sadam and SCUD. Or all the little Kuwaitis named Bush. Jack Daniels just licensed its name to a Tennessee Dijon Mustard. When you're faced with naming anything from a baby to a bank, the idea is to create the effect you're after and to do it in the most memorable way possible.

Some successful examples:

1. The geodesic molecule, Buckminstefullerene

2. Furniture named after the bowlegged Queen Anne

3. WordPerfect, PagerMaker, and LaserJet

4. The acronym for Electronic Ground Automatic Destruct System. That's right, EGAD!

And of course, my personal favorite, Right Brain Works.

Read more Right Brain Workouts

GoCreate.com®

Animal Crackers	Books	Brainline	Heads Above	Head Shed
Heads Up!	Music	Peter Lloyd	QuotAmaze	Right Brains
Timeline	Toolbox	Wild Ideas	WordGizmo	Workouts
	Feedback	Home	Search

© Copyright 1998-2008 Peter Lloyd