Dungeon Fantasy party compositions - Page 13

vicky_molokh · 11-10-2012, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

I'm sorry, swear words as names? Anything interesting there? How does that happen?

Like (IIRC) Sacrement or Chalice?

Bruno · 11-10-2012, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

I'm sorry, swear words as names? Anything interesting there? How does that happen?

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Like (IIRC) Sacrement or Chalice?

Those are swear words in Quebecois French; specifically Joual French but it's spread pretty broadly across Quebec in the last 30-40 years. But you spell them differently (phonetically) when you mean the swear word, in order to avoid offending people.

The pronunciation in English is different so they're not swear words in English, even if said in front of Quebecois. Chalice shouldn't offend anyone; French doesn't even have the CH sound, and the em-PHA-sis is on the wrong sy-LA-ble (to repeat an old joke).

On the other hand, the French word for a baby seal (phoque) is pronounced like an English word for the reproductive act that would be censored on this forum. There's really only so many one-syllable sounds the human body can make, and even less that an Anglophone can hear - short names are popular for the convenience value (either as given names or as commonly used nicknames), and one syllable words also tend to be used for basic swear words so you can scream them properly when you hit your thumb with a hammer. There's eventually bound to be a collision between the two sets.

You don't even need to bring in foreign languages though: the short form for Richard is Dick, and although that short form has great historical weight, English-speaking schoolboys all over North America still get the giggles over it.

Blood Legend · 11-10-2012, 09:16 AM

It gets me that they mention sailors and truck drivers specifically.

Stix4armz · 11-11-2012, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

I'm sorry, swear words as names? Anything interesting there? How does that happen?

My pastor's wife teaches ballet and had a little girl in one class whose name was pronounced 'shi-thay-ed', but spelled ****head. That's an example, as for how it happens I have no freakin' clue.

So while I am a fan of creativity in character naming, I also think that there should be some sort of law in the US to help protect children from stupid parents who would name them ridiculous things like that.

D10 · 08-29-2014, 11:21 AM

A few years ago me and my dad hired a cleaning lady whose name is Sayonara, we have also met a Madeinchina.

People will name their kids after anything, even a label they dont understand.

Anders · 08-29-2014, 11:51 AM

Kromm, if you ever come to Gothenburg and play in one of my games you should probably expect to be handed a list of names. That's just an unspoken rule of my group. Names carry meaning.

Of course, we might work it out as a quirk. If people react poorly to you when they find out you're named after the Big Bad Necromancer... that might be worth a point. But it's still a name that exists in the world.

sir_pudding · 08-29-2014, 12:03 PM

Since the necro has already been done, I'll say this:

My DF game has had Holden M'Hari-Balzac and his brother Fondlyn. I tolerate this sort of thing in DF, but I do actively discourage it more "serious" games, because I think it ends up being something that the player regrets when they realize they are stuck with it, and of course the SoD issues.

Flyndaran · 08-29-2014, 12:07 PM

Alien Nation had a running joke that the main human character's name Sikes sounds like a swear word in their language, phonetically syikes as in excrement-head.

My mom knew a guy named Harry Dick. Yes, he went by Harry not Harold.

Cybren · 08-29-2014, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icelander

*Well, a more accurate term would be 'deliberately silly'.

Since this thread was bumped anyway, I feel I should add a comment that a friend once decided (after having never played an RPG) he wanted to play D&D, solely because he wanted to play a character named "Snowjob Bananamonger"

EDIT: Apparently I already shared this in the thread. I have no recollection of that.

B9anders · 08-29-2014, 03:08 PM

I went to school with a black kid named '******'. I still remember the first day when the teacher asked "so how do you pronounce that? Ni-ger? Ni-GER...?"

"It's pronounced ******."

"Ok... Ni-ger."

He came from Niger, so I guess the word just didn't have that connotation there.

11-10-2012, 09:16 AM	#123
Blood Legend Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: The Fine Line Between Black and White	Re: Dungeon Fantasy party compositions It gets me that they mention sailors and truck drivers specifically. __________________ . ( )( ) -This is The Overlord Bunny o(O.o)o -Master of Bunnies O('')('') -And Destroyer of the Hasenpfeffer "This is the sort of relatively small error that destroys planetary probes." ~Bruno

08-29-2014, 11:21 AM	#125
D10 Join Date: May 2009 Location: In Rio de Janeiro, where it was cyberpunk before it was cool.	Re: Dungeon Fantasy party compositions A few years ago me and my dad hired a cleaning lady whose name is Sayonara, we have also met a Madeinchina. People will name their kids after anything, even a label they dont understand.

08-29-2014, 11:51 AM	#126
Anders Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden	Re: Dungeon Fantasy party compositions Kromm, if you ever come to Gothenburg and play in one of my games you should probably expect to be handed a list of names. That's just an unspoken rule of my group. Names carry meaning. Of course, we might work it out as a quirk. If people react poorly to you when they find out you're named after the Big Bad Necromancer... that might be worth a point. But it's still a name that exists in the world. __________________ “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius

08-29-2014, 12:03 PM	#127
sir_pudding Wielder of Smart Pants Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ventura CA	Re: Dungeon Fantasy party compositions Since the necro has already been done, I'll say this: My DF game has had Holden M'Hari-Balzac and his brother Fondlyn. I tolerate this sort of thing in DF, but I do actively discourage it more "serious" games, because I think it ends up being something that the player regrets when they realize they are stuck with it, and of course the SoD issues.

08-29-2014, 12:07 PM	#128
Flyndaran Untagged Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon	Re: Dungeon Fantasy party compositions Alien Nation had a running joke that the main human character's name Sikes sounds like a swear word in their language, phonetically syikes as in excrement-head. My mom knew a guy named Harry Dick. Yes, he went by Harry not Harold. __________________ Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.

08-29-2014, 03:08 PM	#130
B9anders Join Date: May 2006 Location: Denmark	Re: Dungeon Fantasy party compositions I went to school with a black kid named '****'. I still remember the first day when the teacher asked "so how do you pronounce that? Ni-ger? Ni-GER...?" "It's pronounced ****." "Ok... Ni-ger." He came from Niger, so I guess the word just didn't have that connotation there.