I had a professor in college called Dumm, who married another professor named Bright, and of course they saw fit to combine their names. And although Dumm-Bright is not the word you are looking for yet, but I often feel the name should be borrowed by some novelist or other.
I still say "nymomania" or "nym-omania" pretty much covers it.
As in "While planning the details of their ice-cave wedding, the nymomaniacal couple decided that the irreducible essence of their Natural Spirit Union would best be captured by changing their last name to 'Snowflake, Unique'."
there's this utterly hideous catalogue for linens and stuff called "A Touch of Class". in my family it's known as "A Touch of Ass". they have some eeevil home furnishings in there.
The usage in my family to describe someone who entirely lacks the named qualities is "Suave and debonair", pronounced "Swave and deboner". (I believe it's from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.) But that's an insult, rather than a self-indictment like 'classy', so not exactly on point.
I think for the second question "poseur" is generally used. for example, if you have to say you are cool then you are not cool. Anyone who says they are cool is a poseur.
The first question is harder for me because I can't quite see narcissism in the practice, but I suppose a sarcastically toned "trendy" would do the trick. For the full salvo you could give them "Oh, how trendy."
#16: agreed. I was walking through the airport recently and passed one of those "fine pens" stores, and thought, if I ever become the kind of person who buys a "fine pen" in an airport, I hope someone shoots me.
"Poseur" may define situation 2 but I always thought it was an example of situation 2. You never sound particularly authentic calling someone a "poseur". The word has got the smell of clove cigarettes on it.
Wait a minute...my last post referred to those women who retain their "maiden" names after marriage. For the shared last name invention, could they be Neonominists?
although admittedly, if "heterological" already exists...
And as for name recombination, I very much approve of the practice - it's very biologically correct, plus it has the benefit of directed mutation - for (real-life) ex. if you are a "Pustell", by finding the right spouse you can blot out the nominal exudate.
Also, a member of the #2 subject superset:
Description for a job opening, among the candidate requirements was "has the respect of his/her peers".
Why is it that there are some things that we know full well but can't say without morphing into dweebs?
my last post referred to those women who retain their "maiden" names after marriage
There was an Isaac Asimov story (GEEK GEEK, I know) that revolved around the idea that the term for this was "Lucy Stoner." Now I think it's so common it doesn't even have a term. I've never heard "Lucy Stoner" in any other context.
1. Hippy?
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:03 PM
I had a professor in college called Dumm, who married another professor named Bright, and of course they saw fit to combine their names. And although Dumm-Bright is not the word you are looking for yet, but I often feel the name should be borrowed by some novelist or other.
Posted by ac | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:20 PM
Take out the yet or but there. If the Dumm-Brights were compelling enough as characters, the name could do a Widmerpool, or a Svengali.
Posted by ac | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:23 PM
"do goody two shoes"
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:27 PM
1. Moral Philosophy?
2. self-righteous seems to come close.
Posted by Michael Commenting While Drunk | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:40 PM
Apparently that phrase is already in (infrequent) use - in a variety of ways. I guess I should have done a search first.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:40 PM
6 refers to 4 - should have previewed.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:41 PM
2. self-falsifying self-descriptor
Posted by washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 10:58 PM
I still say "nymomania" or "nym-omania" pretty much covers it.
As in "While planning the details of their ice-cave wedding, the nymomaniacal couple decided that the irreducible essence of their Natural Spirit Union would best be captured by changing their last name to 'Snowflake, Unique'."
Posted by Walter Sobchak | Link to this comment | 03-16-05 11:34 PM
there's this utterly hideous catalogue for linens and stuff called "A Touch of Class". in my family it's known as "A Touch of Ass". they have some eeevil home furnishings in there.
Posted by alameida | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 2:13 AM
google "heterological" - essentially "non-selfdescribing".
The fun starts when you ask if "heterlogical" is heterological.
Posted by Mitch | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 6:00 AM
Hey wait a minute, who's this Mitch fellow?
Posted by Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 6:18 AM
Goober, also gobberish.
ash
['No, not really an answer. Neither is prophylactic.']
Posted by ash | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 6:36 AM
The usage in my family to describe someone who entirely lacks the named qualities is "Suave and debonair", pronounced "Swave and deboner". (I believe it's from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.) But that's an insult, rather than a self-indictment like 'classy', so not exactly on point.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 7:35 AM
I think for the second question "poseur" is generally used. for example, if you have to say you are cool then you are not cool. Anyone who says they are cool is a poseur.
The first question is harder for me because I can't quite see narcissism in the practice, but I suppose a sarcastically toned "trendy" would do the trick. For the full salvo you could give them "Oh, how trendy."
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 8:12 AM
The Levenger's catalogue is the objective correlate of 2.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 8:19 AM
Lady.
Posted by Joe S. | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 9:06 AM
#16: agreed. I was walking through the airport recently and passed one of those "fine pens" stores, and thought, if I ever become the kind of person who buys a "fine pen" in an airport, I hope someone shoots me.
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 11:22 AM
Tripp,
"Poseur" may define situation 2 but I always thought it was an example of situation 2. You never sound particularly authentic calling someone a "poseur". The word has got the smell of clove cigarettes on it.
Posted by joe o | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 11:26 AM
As someone from the previous generation, I call them (to myself) "unmarried in name only."
Posted by savtadotty | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 12:52 PM
Wait a minute...my last post referred to those women who retain their "maiden" names after marriage. For the shared last name invention, could they be Neonominists?
Posted by savtadotty | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 12:59 PM
for #2, oxyautomoron?
although admittedly, if "heterological" already exists...
And as for name recombination, I very much approve of the practice - it's very biologically correct, plus it has the benefit of directed mutation - for (real-life) ex. if you are a "Pustell", by finding the right spouse you can blot out the nominal exudate.
Also, a member of the #2 subject superset:
Description for a job opening, among the candidate requirements was "has the respect of his/her peers".
Why is it that there are some things that we know full well but can't say without morphing into dweebs?
Posted by Anna | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 1:45 PM
my last post referred to those women who retain their "maiden" names after marriage
There was an Isaac Asimov story (GEEK GEEK, I know) that revolved around the idea that the term for this was "Lucy Stoner." Now I think it's so common it doesn't even have a term. I've never heard "Lucy Stoner" in any other context.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 03-17-05 5:49 PM
Lucy Stone was a 19th C feminist who retained her birth name after marriage. But you're right, no one uses the term anymore.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 03-18-05 8:56 AM