The name game

> Eccentric parents like to call their kids some weird-sounding monikers, leaving many of them traumatised for life

George: “It wasn’t me, it was George.”

George: “Did someone call me?” etc.

That in turn reminded me that the planet Uranus was originally called George.

The guy who discovered it named it Georgium Sidius which is Latin for “George the Star”. (I am not making this up.)

I wish they’d kept the name, which is easier to grasp than the usual names for things in space, such as Corona Borealis Epsilon Tau Seti Majoris Twinkle IV, etc.

But going back to massive egos, did you know that all three of Michael Jackson’s children are called Michael, including the girl?

It sounds like a made-up story, and there is a wonderful piece of literature with the same plot: Too Many Daves by Dr Seuss.

Worse than giving all your children the same name is giving your child the same name twice.

In a column I mentioned a real person named Ho Ho, commenting that she had one of the happiest real names ever.

Reader Angela Sias responded: “Not if she is a girl.”

I know there’s a famous politician in Afghanistan called Abdullah Abdullah.

But I have to wonder at the confusion that would ensue if his middle name was also Abdullah.

Years ago, I met a guy in Hong Kong named So So-so.

I was tempted to ask him how he was feeling, purely so that I could have the following conversation.

Me: “How are you feeling today, So So-so?”

So So-So: “So-so.”

Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments to lifestyle.nury@ thesundaily.com.