What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
The time is near.
I cannot call the boat by name until it is a boat. But I cannot not have a name once it is a boat. True, she will not be officially christened until launch, but what is now a collection of separate pieces of wood will soon--very soon--become an entity, a unified whole.
And, thusly, will need a name.
I have found, either through my own research or the contributions of the many several of you, several good possibilities. These range from the sturdy and matter-of-fact Frank to the fanciful Esprit d'corps. From the plain Boys' Boat (presumably no girls allowed) to Sloop Recalcitrant.
Small craft are frequently named for local songbirds or waterfowl, and perusing a list of the avifauna of the Fox River Valley, I particularly like Ruddy Duck, which combines something that floats with a silly adjective, making it sound kind of like an English pub.
Which led me to Wodehouse, and thinking of the various boats in that canon. Nothing too great there - unnamed tramp steamers and massive Atlantic crossing liners. The women of Wodehouse are a great possibility, from Aunt Agatha to the afore-mentioned Honoria.
Perhaps something historical? Doing a bit of research, I found that Lewis and Clark took three pirogues with them on their mighty voyage of exploration, but these are sadly unnamed. I could pull something from the classics, such as Naiad or close to home: my all-too-clever sister suggested Huck: a combination of Henry and Chuck (for Charlie) . . . that has a very Norman-Rockwell-y down-on-the-lazy-river feel to it. But I don't know if I want to be too cutesy with the name.
Something Irish? A tribute to my heritage? Something from Opera? A name from my childhood? From lit'rature? Classic movies? I'd like to work the word "crusty" in, if at all possible. Crusty Duck?
Hm. Keep the suggestions coming.
It may come down to combining many of the best choices into a compound name, and calling her something shorter for every day use, like a champion dog. (The winner of the 2009 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was "Champion Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee (aka: "Stump")".)
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