Flying Tadpole wrote in
:



Scout wrote:

Taddy,
I assure you, my previous proposal was completely facetious! I would
be more than a little disappointed in you if the impotent one was
given more than a mention. I do feel, however, that it would be harsh
of you not to at least mention his name.

Nah. Bertie arrived long after the high drama. And they've
already milked him for what he was worth in that kid's show.

Ok, enough of that. Onward to the naming of the horde. I'll tell you
why I like Bunyippies, but I am of course, open to suggestions.
Bunyippies does conjure images of fun, (bunnies), or shouts of joy
(Yippeee!) etc., but I went for verbal irony, and sarcasm is best
served brief. They want to be evil, but achieve only ugliness, so I
gave them a cute name.

I think it was CS Lewis who commented that true evil is most
characterised by its uninventiveness and its sheer dreariness (or
was he quoting)? I take your point, but "maters (sic) of the
universe" or something equally portentous might serve better.
Bunyippie is just too frolicsome, lending itself more to visions
of a prepubescent children's party thatn to irony. (Yes I know,
those who have had children are aware of the special hell a
children's party creates...)

I chose a
harmless sounding name, because I see them as essentially innocuous
creatures, albeit misled. Kittens would be better, or perhaps
ducklings, since they have firmly imprinted to our 'hero', but for
that same reason, I wanted them to have his surname. Bunyippies does
this and still sounds benign, very close to puppies. And fittingly
so, as they are his bitches, his everything. I see them simply as
mangy curs.

I have nothing better to replace the word with. Nor do I plan to
spend time thinking about one. I've enjoyed this conversation a
great deal, though, the more so as I was searching in Google for
something else, and discovered both the BUnyip and his Bunyippies
have had their snouts pressed despairingly to the window
throughout, their cries for notice lost on the cyberwinds.

snort!


Yeh.

Bertei