What’s in a name?

Monday, August 26, 2013 Permalink

I’m heading to a blogging conference next month. Although I’m an introvert, I can play extrovert really well and schmooze with the best of them. However… I hate those ubiquitous blogging conference questions:

What’s your name?
Where do you blog?
What’s your blog about?

Often you’ll also be asked for your Twitter handles and Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook page name.

I was sharing the Twitter handle (linked to this blog) last year when I got a surprised look, “Oh… that’s you? You look different than I expected!”

The Twitter handle in question is: @RockafellaSkank.

skank

To the unsuspecting the name is a bit weird. Like something I made up. And as a fat, frumpy middle-aged woman, I suspect I don’t look sufficiently skankish.

But the story behind the name is far more mundane. Before this blog moved to its own domain name it was hosted elsewhere (both WordPress.com and Blogger, for those in the know). And because I’m so clever and witty I wanted the title to be a play on words.

“Write About Now” was the intended name. But… as I’m such a cliché the name had already been taken. Eventually I discovered I could still call my blog page that, but… I would have to come up with something different for the domain. And after some Googling, Rockafella Skank was born!

“Write About Now” had popped into my head, thanks to the lyrics…

“Right about now, the funk soul brother.
Check it out now, the funk soul brother….”

The song in question is by Fatboy Slim. I’m not a huge fan of his music but LOVE many of his clips (Praise You and Weapon of Choice come to mind!). And what I didn’t know, was that the song is actually called Rockafella (or Rockafeller) Skank. So, although it only makes sense to Fatboy Slim fans… that’s where the original blog domain name and its accompanying Twitter account came from (plus the Twitter handle @Debbish had long gone!).

Debbish was the natural title for this blog as it is a nickname I’ve had for many-a-year. It’s not something I call myself, but when at University my friends and I (well, particularly yours truly!) had the habit of adding ‘ish’ to the end of every word – whether it made sense or not. (What can I say, I was a teenager?!). To this day two of my closest friends call me Debbish.

Another habit from my University years was that of adding ‘Schm’ to the front of words. You know…. “Boys, schmoys.” Or “Money, schmoney.” Over the years that predilection has mostly disappeared but I still do it if I’m trying to wave off something as unimportant.

And that… dear friends, is how my diet blog became “Diet Schmiet“. Its accompanying Twitter handle (@Schmiet) therefore makes far more sense.

monday1

So there you have it, some scintillating insight into my mind – not entirely warranted this early in the week – but you are most welcome ;-).

Do you have Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Blog names other than the obvious?
How did they come about?

PS. If you haven’t seen the Praise You or Weapon of Choice music videos I’d encourage you to watch them – via You Tube or the links above!

 

22 Comments
  • Liz
    August 26, 2013

    Deb, I’m going through ccchanges – thinking of changing my Twitter handle, blog name and everything else. I started off as “Stepprincess” then became “RPMgirl” then “Leanlizzy” ..it goes on!

    • Debbish
      August 26, 2013

      Is it possible to change your Twitter handle without starting from scratch? I changed the visible name to Debbish (once I started promoting our blog and it was no longer anonymous!), but thought I was stuck with the handle!!!

  • Aroha @ Colours of Sunset
    August 27, 2013

    Rockafella Skank immediately made me think of FBS! So you have 2 blogs and 2 twitters? How do you keep up!?!? My blog is Colours of Sunset. I wanted Chasing Sunset but it was taken – by someone back in 2007 who has never posted 1 blog post!!??!?! So frustrating! And the twitter name is taken also – by someone who sent 15 tweets back in 2010!!! -Aroha (#teamIBOT)

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      Oh I hate that when someone owns a domain name or twitter handle and doesn’t use it. There should be some rule that if it isn’t activated annually it’s closed. I know when I was with wordpress.com and blogger many domain names I wanted were taken (but not used or not updated!).

      PS. I actually have 3 blogs and 3 Twitter accounts. (Plus 3 Facebook blog pages and my own personal one.) Having said that I’m not overly active on FB, though changing that with my newest blog http://frasercoasting.com (though, I’m a regular on FB I need to update that blog more often!!!)

  • Nikki @ Styling You
    August 27, 2013

    Can’t wait to catch up Deb! Love the stories of our your blog names came about!

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      Yes, it will be good to see you Nik!

  • Rhianna
    August 27, 2013

    What a great name story. Mine is not nearly as exciting and they are all the same. I had enough trouble naming my children let alone blogs and twitter handles!

    leaving some fairy wishes and butterfly kisses from #teamIBOT

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      Thanks for your comment Rhianna… oh yes, the naming thing is problematic – it must be a bit like kids (I don’t have any) – you know you’re going to be stuck with it FOREVER (almost) so you have to be careful. And then if you’re like me you suffer from performance anxiety and find it hard to come to a decision!

      Deb

  • tahlia - the parenting files
    August 27, 2013

    it is all an evolving journey I think. And sometimes a change is the best thing possible! Always sparks good conversation too xx

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      True – it certainly is an ice-breaker! 😉

      Deb

  • claireyhewitt
    August 27, 2013

    I will be there. I get very confused with blognames and real names and twitter names and everything that don’t match, so forgive me now if I get all in a muddle!

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      Oh yes, I make it worse with my two blogs and twitter names! I actually used the same designer to do both blog headers and use the pics in my two Twitter avatars…. so they look consistent (though I no longer have short hair, so I no longer look like either of them! 🙁 ).

  • Katyberry
    August 27, 2013

    I laughed out loud when I read the connection between Rockafella Skank and Write about Now, because my husband and I love that song!! You are so clever!
    I call myself Katyberry on social media because I have this “thing” where I refer to myself, in my head, as Katyberry. My actual name is Katrina, but I rarely get called Katy. Back in my uni days, I knew a girl called Katie Christie, and for some unknown reason when I was feeling nervous, or about to do something daunting I would gee myself up by saying “Come On Katie Christie, you can do this”, over time this morphed into Katyberry – OK Katyberry, You’ve Got This. So it seemed a good handle for places where I was not quite myself, but this other, less fearful person!
    Great topic, and nice introduction to the way your mind works!!

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      Thanks Katyberry! 😉

      I have to admit, I never call myself Debbish, but often use it in email addresses and the like. On the name front, my name is Deborah. Growing up I was Debbie to my friends… though my family all called me Deborah. It wasn’t until I started working and had interviews I introduced myself as ‘Deborah’ and around the same time met a ‘Debbie’ I hated. She was ditzy and everything the name can suggest… As a result I became Deborah (only). I don’t mind if people call me Debbie and my old friends (and niece) still do. I actually never call myself Deb, but sign off emails and stuff as Deb, so I tend to find most people call me Deb. (It’s all very weird!)

  • The Plumbette
    August 27, 2013

    Well The Plumbette came about as that was what friends called me when I was doing my plumbing apprenticeship and the when we advertised about having a female plumber we used the name Plumbette. Little did any of us know though that Plumbette actually means a female plumbers crack!!!! The name has stuck and that is what I blog under. I will be at the conference too. I’m new at blogging and this will be m first conference, so excited but nervous too!

    • Debbish
      August 27, 2013

      Can’t wait to meet you… will be staring at everyone’s chests looking at name-tags! I like the name Plumbette and the fact that it means a female plumber’s crack makes it even more perfect. I’m a bit disappointed that your blog header doesn’t feature one! (It would certainly help it stand out!!!) 😉

      Deb

  • Emily @ Have a laugh on me
    August 27, 2013

    I’m going to make an effort to seek you out and introduce myself. My title is pretty explanatory, and most of the time I’m sure people do – have a laugh on me!
    Emily

    • Debbish
      August 28, 2013

      Definitely! Can’t wait to meet you and I’m off to check out your blog!

  • Five Degrees of Chaos
    August 29, 2013

    I had SO much angst over choosing a blog name, I literally had dozens of posts running round inside my head with nowhere to go until I could come up with a name. In the end it was a collaboration with Kristie of Hespera’s Garden who actually inspired me to blog in the first place!
    #teamIBOT (and on Thursday :p)

    • Debbish
      August 30, 2013

      Love ‘Five Degrees of Chaos’ – great name!!!!

  • Lydia C. Lee
    August 30, 2013

    write about now – I just LOVE that!! I believe it’s not our fault that we don’t look like we think…WAY cooler in my head!

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