While you do the Chrotch—or is it actually the Kroch?—please enjoy the dance stylings of the Sweet 16's own Neptune Pringle III, with fellow B-Boy Break Dancer Mat Guenther, "dueling to the music of Fred Wesley & the New JBs" at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington last July.
Great name, great moves.
Vote.
No. 1 La'Peaches Pitts: Mazeltov to the bride and groom!
No. 13 Neptune Pringle III:. "Tunes" can dance!
No. 14 Heidi Hohl: Realtor.
No. 2 Madz Negro: Runner.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Sweet 16: Chrotchtangle Regional
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sweet 16: Dragonwagon Regional
We love it when the highest-brow media discover NOTY. We flash back three decades, picture Baskerville Holmes or Herman Veal or Darryl Derryberry scrawled on a piece of lined yellow paper and taped to a dorm-room door. And then we imagine our reaction had some sophomore walked by and told us that The Economist would be writing about our onomastic obsession one day.
But here we are on that august British magazine's delightfully named language blog, Johnson (after the 18th century English lexicographer Samuel Johnson). The magazine's Johnson shows us some love, lists the Sweet 16 and asserts that "many such names belong to black Americans." Blogger R.L.G. (no names at The Economist!) continues:
It's not hard to understand why those cut off for centuries from full American citizenship and human dignity might not choose Dennis or Steve for their children. Many blacks have reached for Swahili influences in choosing names, though most black Americans' ancestors came from western Africa, not Swahili's heartland on the other side of the continent. But many names are either borrowed from unusual sources (brand names like Courvoisier) or made up (Chuntania)—nothing African about either. And I can verify that I have seen an African-American checkout clerk in New Orleans whose name-tag read "Bellowney", and in the same store, a Sayonara.
This is a subject we've tackled ourselves, as have people who, unlike us, actually study names. The Economist's analysis might not be airtight, but we'll agree with its key conclusion: "There's nothing racist at having a smile upon finding a Monsterville or a Chuntania."
Which segues right into the Dragonwagon and the sadly premature throwdown between Monsterville himself and Taco. May the biggest smile win.
No. 2 Taco B.M. Monster: Dutch pharmacoepidemiologist.
No. 11 Monsterville Horton IV: Houston wine salesman.
No. 8 RexAchilles Imperial: Texas swimmer.
No. 5 Vernon Lee Bad Marriage Jr.: Beat his girlfriend.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Sweet 16: Sithole Regional
Sithole time! Vote:
No. 8 Chuntania Dangerfield: Houston county employee.
No. 4 Delorean Blow: North Carolina DWI offender.
No. 11 Solo Alone: Australian rugby player.
No. 15 Yolanda Supersad: Georgia medical illustrator.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Sweet 16: Bulltron Regional
We won't bother you with the details of our busy fall and winter, or our existential NOTY crises. OK, we will for a second. We've been doing this for more than a quarter century, in one form or another, and we've always feared the day when a Nohjay or a Nocandy or a Sidebottom just wouldn't do it anymore. During that busy fall and winter, it felt like that day had arrived.
But we're not willing to concede to Father Time just yet. And we apologize profusely for letting this -- ack, last! -- year's tournament slide. And we're ready to accept assistance for 2012. So how about we just say, wake-up call received, Upshake, and we get back to the business of selecting a 2011 Name of the Year?
Where we were? Oh, yes. The Sweet Sixteen. Let's start with the Bulltron Regional. Vote now.
No. 9 Rockwell Bonecutter: Technology executive.
No. 12 Leviticus Payne: University of Cincinnati defensive back.
No. 2 Courvoisier Winetavius Richardson : Armed robbery suspect.
No. 6 Ebenezer Noonoo: Ex-college hooper.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Sweet 16
Here's another way to look at this year's drawn-out NOTY Tournament: More time to savor the onomastic greatness. Or, what's the rush?
The High Committee is heading overseas. Sure, they have the interwebs over there, but we just don't think posting the next round will be a high priority.
Meantime, enjoy your 2001 NOTY Sweet 16. I think we can all agree it's tragic that either Monsterville Horton IV or Taco B.M. Monster will be eliminated so soon. Seeding is a fickle science.
Happy summer.
Bulltron Regional
No. 9 Rockwell Bonecutter v. No. 12 Leviticus Payne
No. 6 Ebenezer Noonoo v. No. 2 Courvoisier Winetavius Richardson
Sithole Regional
No. 8 Chuntania Dangerfield v. No. 4 Delorean Blow
No. 11 Solo Alone v. No. 15 Yolanda Supersad
Dragonwagon Regional
No. 8 RexAchilles Imperial v. No. 5 Vernon Lee Bad Marriage Jr.
No. 11 Monsterville Horton IV v. No. 2 Taco B.M. Monster
Chrotchtangle Regional
No. 1 La'Peaches Pitts v. No. 13 Neptune Pringle III
No. 14 Heidi Hohl v. No. 2 Madz Negro
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Chrotchtangle Regional, Second Round, Part 2
Vote!
No. 14 Heidi Hohl: She's a real-estate agent!
No. 11 Delector Durley Jr.: He's a Leatherneck!
No. 7 Jadeveon Clowney: Mr. Football in South Carolina.
No. 2 Madz Negro: "Negro Leaves Health Troubles in Dust"
Chrotchtangle Regional, Second Round, Part 1
To quote Richard Ford, we're sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
Sorry about your office pools. Sorry about the stalled momentum. It's been a busy spring at NOTY. The 2011 tournament will just have to be spread over a longer period than any of us would like. (Which is why you should follow us @NOTYtourney so you don't waste time checking back to the site and find nothing new.)
We'll finish the second round and post the Sweet 16 match-ups. But then I'm afraid we're out of the country until August.
Scouting names, of course.
No. 1 La'Peaches Pitts: Get that bridesmaid dress fitted! Just 52 days away!
No. 8 Margarita Villa: South Carolina h.s. hurdler.
No. 12 Orel Oral: University of Indianapolis swim coach.
No. 13 Neptune Pringle III: "Accomplished musician and choreographer.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Dragonwagon Regional, Second Round, Part 2
That's Monsterville Horton IV. And here are some things we have learned about him:
Monsterville Horton, IV grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and was introduced to the exciting world of wine at the young age of seven.
His career to date has included sommelier, wine consultant, wine educator/lecturer, wine buyer and wine judge.
He has been privileged to visit, study and live in every major wine region in the world and has taught wine education and appreciation in both Europe and North America.
As one of only 135 Certified Wine Educators in the world, Monsterville has proven to possess one of the best palates on the planet.
Monsterville believes that great wine is not simple; however, it's not inscrutable either.
What we have not been able to determine:
The provenance of his name.
Vote. And follow us on Twitter @NOTYtourney.
No. 14 Dr. Loveday Conquest: University of Washington Professor, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences/Center for Quantitative Science
No. 11 Monsterville Horton IV: Houston wine salesman.
No. 7 Rev. Demon Sox: Lutheran minister, retired.
No. 2 Taco B.M. Monster: Dutch pharmacoepidemiologist.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Dragonwagon Regional, Second Round, Part 1
Vote.
No. 1 stonegarden grindlife: UCLA grad student.
No. 8 Rexachilles Imperial: Texas swimmer.
No. 5 Vernon Lee Bad Marriage Jr.: Girlfriend beater.
No. 13 Draco Slaughter: 75-year-old who joked about having a bomb in his carry-on.
Sithole Regional, Second Round, Part 2
Sorry for the delay. Life.
In any event, Atreyu is a metafictional character from The Neverending Story,
a young Greenskin warrior from the Grassy Plains... His parents were killed by a purple buffalo soon after he was born, so his entire village raised him, thus his name means "son of all" in his native language. He is summoned by the Childlike Empress to embark on a "Great Quest" to save the land of Fantastia by finding a cure for her illness. He is given AURYN, an amulet that makes whoever wears it the Childlike Empress' herald, and he sets out on his mission with his horse, Artax.
But A'Trey-U is a 6-foot, 270-pound, redshirt sophomore LSU defensive lineman from Tickfaw, La. He's a member of the Black Male Leadership Initiative. He is pursuing a degree in management. He was the "Most Friendly" male in the Class of 2009 at Hammond High School.
Follow us @NOTYtourney. Vote.
No. 11 Solo Alone: Australian rugger.
No. 14 A'Trey-U Jones: See above.
No. 10 Shahking Gomez: New York man.
No. 15 Yolanda Supersad: Georgia medical illustrator.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sithole Regional, Second Round, Part 1
Yes, first-round voting in all regions is now officially closed.
Second-round balloting is in progress in the Bulltron. Two match-ups here and two more here.
Your remaining second-round pairings are:
Sithole Regional
No. 1 Atticus Disney v. No. 8 Chuntania Dangerfield
No. 4 Delorean Blow v. No. 5 Flamur Kastrati
No. 11 Solo Alone v. No. 14 A'Trey-U Jones
No. 10 Shahking Gomez v. No. 15 Yolanda Supersad
Dragonwagon Regional
No. 1 stonegarden grindlife v. No. 8 Rexachilles Imperial
No. 5 Vernon Lee Bad Marriage Jr. v. No. 13 Draco Slaughter
No. 14 Dr. Loveday Conquest v. No. 11 Monsterville Horton IV
No. 7 Rev. Demon Sox v. No. 2 Taco B.M. Monster
Chrotchtangle Regional
No. 1 La'Peaches Pitts v. No. 8 Margarita Villa
No. 12 Orel Oral v. No. 13 Neptune Pringle III
No. 14 Heidi Hohl v. No. 11 Delector Durley Jr.
No. 7 Jadeveon Clowney v. No. 2 Madz Negro
Sithole time. Vote.
No. 1 Atticus Disney: Cal Poly heavyweight wrestler.
No. 8 Chuntania Dangerfield: Houston county employee.
No. 5 Flamur Kastrati: Norwegian footballer.
No. 4 Delorean Blow: North Carolina DWI offender.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Bulltron Regional, Second Round, Part 2
We could watch the brilliant Xtranormal animation about Boston newsman Joe Shortsleeve's set-to with Beantown firefighters all night. Which is why we're thrilled that the No. 3 seed dispatched adorable little Tuesday Muse in the first round. Now, though, he's facing a task much tougher than exposing electrified fire hydrants or lung cancer-causing airports: Ebenezer Noonoo.
As for the other Bulltron match-up, we'll take it as a compliment: Someone has named a fantasy sports team after No. 2 seed Courvoisier Winetavius Richardson.
Two votes below. Go for it.
No. 3 Joe Shortsleeve: Boston TV newsman.
No. 6 Ebenezer Noonoo: Former Chicago-area college hooper; current Bulls fan.
No. 10 Orion Blizzard: WWII vet.
No. 2 Courvoisier Winetavius Richardson: Armed robbery suspect.
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