suggestive names

Arnold M. Zwicky zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
Sat Jun 10 18:06:39 UTC 2006


a correspondent writes, in connection with my writing on Language Log
on substitutes for taboo vocabulary, mentioning the character
Slartibartfast from the Hitchhiker's Guide, adding

> Adams wrote that he wanted a name
> that sounded obscene but wasn't, so he started with Phartiphuckborlz
> and tweaked it until he had something he could broadcast.

*someone* must (he says, for the hundredth time or so) have collected
names that are invented to sound indecent without being so, and/or to
trip you into making a speech error with unfortunate consequences.

i'm trying to recall the whole Farkle Family on Laugh-In: Fred and
Fannie Farkle, and their children, including Flicker, the youngest
Sparkle, and the twins Simon and Garr.  the whole thing was designed
to induce unfortunate speech errors.

is there a term for such names?  anyone studied, or at least
collected, them?

arnold, who hasn't

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