What NOT to Name the Baby

Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 5/10/2004
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, May 10, 2004
I found this intriguing-looking trade paperback in the swap shop of Nashua's Four Hills landfill/recycle center. Subtitle: "How your name has affected your personality". [Is this a serious work? You tell me: on the copyright page (this is a 1970 reprint of a 1960 publication) it says "parts of this book originally appeared in Playboy, a splendid magazine that we all should read". {grin}]

When I picked up the book I thought it would be mildly amusing, but after reading the introduction and a sample name or three I find it's quite funny indeed, and will have to bookray it as soon as I've done some minor repairs and had time to read it myself. [Isn't it amazing what one can find at the dump?]

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Very cute book - although not for the easily-offended, as many of the names (as defined by the authors) aren't especially complimentary (which shouldn't be too surprising given the title of the book):
CLIFF goes to the barber shop twice a week and talks loud. He likes to tell you how much everything he owns costs.
JOEY is a fresh kid brother who won't run errands unless you give him a half dollar.
OWEN wears a truss.
DORIS is attractive and friendly, but, if you try to kiss her, she perspires and won't stop talking.
ELSIE always looks like she's on the way to the dentist's.
OLIVIA shows up at a party with a dress that's cut too low and keeps asking the fellows if they think her dress is cut too low.
You may have noticed from these quotes that the book's style is rather "1950's teen-etiquette" - lots of emphasis on "girls" and "fellows" and the relationships between them. (Well, there are Lloyd and Gaylord, but they're exceptions.)

I found the foreword and introductory chapters more fun than the individual name entries, although many of those were amusing; but the best part for me was the "do it yourself" section at the end, where the authors obligingly post several pages of "Types without names" - descriptions to which they had failed to apply a name, so you can write in your own. Example: "______ carries around two-year-old newspaper clippings that mention his name." [Sounds like a "Greg" to me, but I could be mistaken.] An unfortunately high percentage of the female entries here have to do with appearance, but some amused me very much: "______ is nearsighted and won't wear her glasses and people think she's snooty," for example, or "_____ lies about her age before anybody asks her."

There is sometimes a bit too much paternalism and/or schoolboy humor in the tone for my taste, but overall I got a kick out of this opportunistic find.

Journal Entry 3 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, May 12, 2004
I'm sending this out on a bookray; see participants and mailing order below.

When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book. [Note: even if you've sent books to that person before, please PM them before mailing this one, to confirm that the address is correct and that they're able to take on a bookring book at this time.]

Try and read the book promptly; I don't have a hard and fast time limit here, but if you don't think you'll be able to get to the book within, say, a month, I'd appreciate it if you'd post an update either as a journal entry or in your profile, by way of indicating you haven't forgotten about the book completely {grin}.

When you're ready to pass the book along, please make another journal entry stating where you've sent it, and set the status code to "traveling".

Hope you all enjoy the book!

Participants, in mailing order:

nyisutter [Missouri]
Mom-of-one [Pennsylvania]
phillycarol [Pennsylvania]
Scrawler [Poland]

Journal Entry 4 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Controlled release:

The book's on its way to nyisutter in Missouri, to kick off the bookray. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 5 by nyisutter from St. Charles, Missouri USA on Tuesday, June 1, 2004
Received this book today. Looks interesting. Of course the first name I saw in the book was Alex, which is my daughter's name :).


Journal Entry 6 by nyisutter from St. Charles, Missouri USA on Saturday, June 5, 2004
Interesting and funny little book. Like gorydetails, I find the intro section the most humerous. I must know too many exeptions to the rule, because most of these descriptions didn't hold true for the people I know! But the individual descriptions are unique and make you wonder about the friends of the authors!

Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 7 by nyisutter from St. Charles, Missouri USA on Thursday, June 10, 2004
Mailed to Mom-of-one today.

Journal Entry 8 by Mom-of-one from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, June 16, 2004
I received this in the mail yesterday and have already read it! I find it amusing that names such as "Gladys" (my soft-spoken grandmother) is characterized as "someone who talks you into coming to a simply fabulous party she's having and when you show up there are 7 people there who don't know each other, and Gladys serves canned spaghetti and garlic bread."

It was fun seeing "older names" have youthful attributes! Most of these names I asscociate with people my grandparents age!

Gorydetails is always coming up with unique, quirky books! Thanks for including me! Sending out to phillycarol as soon as she PM's her address!

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.