Do you
give nicknames to inanimate objects? I do, and so do some of my friends. For
example…
GYPSY
One of my favorite electronic aides is Gypsy – my GPS. Gypsy has taken me to downtown Seattle, all over King and Pierce Counties, and around the Pacific Northwest. She took a flight with me to visit a friend in Texas last year, and she helped the two of us navigate the roads from Pottsboro to Athens and back. Though she sometimes spends quite a bit of time communing with satellites and recalculating before offering advice, not once has Gypsy led me astray.
SPARKY
How did author Laurel-Rain Snow choose the name “Sparky” for her e-reader? She says, “I got to thinking of
kindling (Kindle) and igniting things…hence, Sparky.” Clever! I haven’t named
my Kindle yet, but considering how often it hides from me, I’m thinking Nessie
might be a good moniker, after the elusive Loch Ness Monster.
KIWI
& THE HOLY HUMMER
Seems
like many people name their cars, don’t they? There’s Kiwi—a lime green VW Beetle my friend (and co-author) Sandra Allen bought for her daughter. The little
car’s shape and color inspired its name. One of my neighbors—a minister—drives
the Godzilla of SUVs. When we hear its throaty roar, my husband says, “There
goes the Holy Hummer.” And in my book Bluebonnets for Elly, Granny Macauley has a nickname for her tricked-out golf cart.
Elly parked Granny's golf cart near the door of the Stop 'N Shop and grabbed a fabric tote from the orange-colored bin behind the seat. Granny had hot-glued yellow fringe around the bin's edges and added a big glittery M on the back--M for Marge Macauley. An orange vinyl canopy covered the cart's top. That, too, had a trim of yellow fringe dangling from its edges, inspiring Granny to call the vehicle "My Little Surrey." To Elly, the two-person cart resembled a miniature Cotton Bowl Parade float.
Elly parked Granny's golf cart near the door of the Stop 'N Shop and grabbed a fabric tote from the orange-colored bin behind the seat. Granny had hot-glued yellow fringe around the bin's edges and added a big glittery M on the back--M for Marge Macauley. An orange vinyl canopy covered the cart's top. That, too, had a trim of yellow fringe dangling from its edges, inspiring Granny to call the vehicle "My Little Surrey." To Elly, the two-person cart resembled a miniature Cotton Bowl Parade float.
I love
names (and words), so if you have nicknames for inanimate objects in your life, please share them! Your comments are always appreciated.
Sandra
Nachlinger is the author of Bluebonnets for Elly and co-author
with Sandra Allen of I.O.U. Sex
Great post on our love of naming our objects....I love the names Gypsy and Kiwi, too. Sparky and I thank you for the mention....
ReplyDeleteYes, nice color that car !!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I don't name anything. I know though many who have cars they named. My daughter calls her printer Jake. I think it's a fun thing to do and maybe should rethink if my computer or car have a name and I just wasn't listening :)
ReplyDelete