Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for September 08, 2012

Son of Google?

Reminds me of two one-time “Simpsons” characters named Bort; the titular family was in Itchyandscratchyland where Bart was at the gift shop and eyeing personalized license plates. Also, not to mention I came across a boy named Deyahtzee during my New Mexican missionary service (I was told that when he was born, his sister told her parents to name him after de Yahtzee game).

I’ve always felt sorry for these kids that will have to spell out their name over and over for the rest of their life.

My name is Jane… and I’m a kid

Oh, topic? I’m with Rat on this one, believe it or not. Cutesy names (and cutesy spelling of conventional names) tend to set my teeth on edge — they’re one of my biggest pet peeves. Exactly what are the parents of these kids trying to prove, anyway?

Teachers should just assign each kid in their class a number.

They were a sports nut once that wanted to name his kid …Espn.

Rat’s right.And, so…REPENT! The End Is Near!

My real first name is Gehrudistnacktilfaluuihybonrgisluxortillumadvourtchmeriantwuzzlerploxykunghtrofiganglabsikotliz.

Hey! Those *********s at gocomics cut off my name!

Rat oughta take a look at Frank Zappa. Moon Unit. Dweezil. Ahmet Emuukha Rodan. Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. At least Ahmet sounds like it oughta be an old-fashinoned name in some cultures. And one of his middle names sounds like it oughta be a reference to a certain French sculptor (though based on the spelling his folks were probably more into Japanese monster movies than French art). But talk about unique names. And celebs seem to be trying to out do Zappa or at least try to emulate him. Not to mention what some of the hippies and flower children were naming their kids.

This reminds me of a George Carlin show where he said that Nick, Vinnie, and Tony would beat the $#!% out of Tyler, Kyle and Todd.

Named my godson Justin Other Moore.

Howcum Rat didn’t mention “Paris” as a cute name?!?

I totally agree with the premise of today’s strip. My problem is with the example given. Dinky-McGoogle is stupid but at least you can spell it and pronounce it. Around here, the contest is to see who can string the most unpronounceable letters together. A typical example might be D’Kwinzl. And you can’t tell after you’ve tried to read and pronounce it if the person is male or female. It infuriates me………..I’ve lived too long………..

Father: "The tradition of our tribe is that the first thing the mother sees outside the lodge is what the child’s name shall be. Why do you ask “Two dogs ********** by the Oak Tree”"?

I saw a young woman with her name on her car: P’tricia. I rather suspect that was a teen-rebellion type of spelling, though.

We’ve got two toddlers moved in, one next door and one across the street: Alexia and Alexis. Makes for some confusion (but they’re both so cute!).

Ths strip is GREAT! Don’t we all have friends like Pig and Rat?

As a African-American, I often see the worst of it. folks need to think long term when they choose names for their kids. When is the last time you heard “Shoniquanita Jones, Attorney-at-Law”?!

The other problem with the cutesy names are the cutesy spellings. “Antawn” = “Antoine”? Shouldn’t it be “Antón?” I also knew a girl called “Teamaker” whose name was pronounced “Tameeka”. I know English spelling is whack, but c’mon.

@all of the above—and why would it matter to any of you??

Look up Bizarro today too. Also, pretty funny

My kids are named Bob, Rebecca and Ed. How’s that for normal? Their names really stand out in class.

Better than John, Johnny, and Joe

This outlines Rat’s point pretty well:

http://deadspin.com/5924827/american-baby-names-are-somehow-getting-even-worse

TRADITIONAL VALUES!!!!!

My legal name is a diminutive version of a common formal name (imagine being named Bobby, Tommy, or Ricky, instead of Robert, Thomas, or Richard). It was a real pain in school when we were asked to fill out forms and told to use our full legal names. I would write my name exactly as it appears on my birth certificate, yet inevitably be called to the front of the class and told that the name I put down was a nickname, and that I should use my formal “legal” name.

You have all convinced me. My next two children shall be named “Rat” and “Pig”.

Holy cow, Rat

Oooooh… Awkward.

Don’t shout, Rat.

LOL xxx

Since when is Kaylee a new, weird name? It’s been around for quite awhile, and it’s pretty common.

This discussion on names reminds me of something I read awhile back. An older mother was giving advice to a new mom about kid’s names. She told her to stand on her back porch and yell the name about 10 or 15 times in a row. Because that’s what she would be doing for the next 18 years!

We named our son “Richard.” He’s now in high school, and has only had one classmate in all those years with the same name. With everyone else trying to be “unique” and failing (and dooming their kids to lifetimes of having dumb names), our plan has worked.

Here’s the ultimate individual name, and I dare any of you to give your kid this name.

“I am reminded at this point of a fellow I used to know whose name was Henry, only to give you an idea of what an individualist he was he spelt it H-E-N-3-R-Y. The 3 was silent, you see.” (Tom Lehrer)

I have an unusual first name so I just use my initials – not some pretentious farce like J. Alexander Smith. (Apologies to all theJ. Alexanders out there.)

I for one see nothing wrong with plain, ordinary names. They work quite well for James Bond, Sam Spade, John Wayne, and many other famous fictional characters.

At some point in the future, by an astounding coincidence, all boys and girls in the English-speaking world will be named Ashleigh.

I’m from the old school where you had to name your kid “after” some family member. I was named after my two grandmothers. The one that had my first name told my mother, “Don’t call her by my name — she’ll hate it.” Mother should have listened.

“Kill da McGoogles!” I bet you that anyone wont know what does this ref?

I heard from a friend, her colleague named the kid maverick. Reason? Tom cruise call name in top gun..

I heard that there’s a kid in Egypt named ‘Facebook’, so named because of the role the site had in the revolution. Also, there’s an Australian kid named 4Real. Really. If I am fortunate enough to get married and have a family (not until after I graduate) I probably will lean toward some solid Biblical names. I am well-versed in the Bible enough to know which named to steer clear of.

No, Rat intended that Dinky McGoogle was a girl’s name.

I’m with rat on this one.

I blame tv soap operas for the unique cutesy names.

I work at a Children’s Hospital and the names we see are sometimes ridiculous, bordering on insane. We actually keep a list of the more whack-o names that come along (hidden away to be added to when needed). You wouldn’t believe the misuse of the apostrophe, hyphen and mid-name capitalization that we see. Poor kids.

I went to school with a girl names “Little Star” I asked if she’d rather be called “Stella” and she said, "No, just drop the ‘Little.’ " .But my mom used to work at a University, and a one of the girls there was named soemthing pronounced “Go-nori-ah”. Her mom saw it on a poster at the hospital and thought it sounded pretty, I’m guessing she couldn’t read the rest of the poster…..

Although not connected to the recent trend, I grew up being called by my middle name – Alvie. I grew very tired of repeating, and many times spelling it, when introduced. A few years ago (I’m 57) I relented, and started using my first name. One I do not like, and do not identify with. Vernon. That’s right, Vernon Alvie Bird. (Google spell check is flagging Alvie.)

Oh, I’m just glad I didn’t get the name my mom wanted. Forney Alvie, after her dad.

I thought Rat was going to refer to “U’nique” as a name in the first panel. Seen it too many times, so “U’nique” is no longer unique.

OHMYGAWD, THOSE STUPID TRENDY NAMES ARE ONE OF MY BIGGEST PET PEEVES!!!!! Hayden, Kaden, Jaden, Braden, Holton, Colton, and Dolton annoy the h*ll out of me to NO end. Also Madison, McKenzie, McKenna, Riley, Taylor, Tyler, and other names that are LAST names need to STAY last names. And all those made-up names like Brynlee, Irelynn, Granleigh — Don’t even get me started on those.

Funky Winkerbeam? Doogie Howser?

Dinky-McGoogle’s middle name is “Stephan”.

My cousin has a favorite saying: “If I want to name my kid ABC and spell it XYZ, that’s my business!” Give it a rest, folks. Name your kids what you want and allow others to do the same.

And just what the heck IS wrong with Kaylee?!!! That’s MY name, I’ll have you know!!

No, of course not! And perhaps I shall name my first son Haman! Or perhaps Nebuchadnezzar, that’s a unique one.

Oy, what’s wrong with Nehemiah?

My pet peeve is the name “Chase”. I’m tempted to name a kid “Caughtit”.

I have known two kids here where I live: Jezebel and Ishmael. Seriously. The mother got them out the of the Bible. Ishamael is bad enough (being described as “a wild ass of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him” or words to that effect) but…Jezebel? “Who is on the Lord’s side, who? Throw her down!” And they threw her down, and the dogs ate her, and all they found later were the head and the hands.Nice.

My wife worked in a hospital. A new mother asked an intern for a nice upscale name for her child. Now he is Meconium forever.

….And Finally……I’m acquainted with a school teacher who one year encountered a girl named “Shithead”, pronounced Shi-THEAD. I couldn’t believe it when I heard it………

thats funny n true at the same time

And i never understood why celebrities name their kids after themselves, like Bobbi Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston. And Blanket Jackson?

Hi,I’m tedsmartbucks-rumpelstilk-loonefueus-sausage-walmart-garbanzo.

Looking for a ‘Bart’ novelty license plate. All they had was ‘Bort’

Oh dear god I hate this so much. The names you hear these days! And even if the name is normal, the spelling probably isn’t. There’s a “Meason” in my connections class, pronounced “Mason.” Just spell it right, it’s not rocket science. There’s also an “Aahliyah” in my math class. It’s just ridiculous.

If Rat used the name of Elon Musk’s youngest kid in the comics, everybody would assume he’s cussing. X Æ A-XII.

We already have one Dinky in this strip……Dinky Duck. He’s the one that was deserted by his mom and is being cared for by L’il Guard Duck.

A message from the future: It led to nothing good.