A bad wound may heal, but a bad name will kill.
– Scottish Proverb
Bad Ship Names
Awhile back, I was working on a story mostly set on a ship, and so I went searching for unusual and amusing words to use as ship names. Just recently, I came across my list of possible ship names; I’d wanted something funny and obscure, but I really outdid myself with these. I’m not sure if any real ship has ever borne one of these names—but, then again, there was one named Titanic...
- The Agrestic
– characteristic of the country, rustic; also, unpolished or uncouth - The Anadromous
– of fish, migrating up rivers from the sea to spawn in fresh water - The Agelast
– one who never laughs - The Anserine
– goose-like; also, silly, foolish, or stupid - The Bezonian
– a scoundrel - The Boeotian
– stupid, dull, obtuse; also, such a person - The Brobdingnagian
– enormous, immense - The Brummagem
– cheap and showy but inferior and worthless - The Bugaboo
– something that causes baseless fear or worry; also, a false belief used to intimidate - The Caseifaction
– the act of turning into cheese - The Catawampus
– askew; awry - The Cerumen
– earwax - The Chthionic
– dwelling in the underworld - The Contumelious
– insolently abusive and humiliating - The Corrigendum
– a mistake to be corrected, especially an error in a printed book - The Corybantic
– frenzied or agitated - The Energymen
– one who is possessed by a demonic entity - The Epigone
– an undistinguished imitator or descendant of an illustrious person or family - The Esprit d’Escalier
– a remark that occurs to someone later, after it should have been said (often a witty retort that occurs after the moment to use it has passed) - The Fantod
– a state of nervous irritability; the fidgets; the willies - The Foudroyant
– dazzling, flashing; also, thunderous, noisy - The Friable
– easily crumbled; crumbly - The Hallux
– big toe - The Graustark
– an imaginary place of high romance - The Gowpen
– two hands placed together to form a bowl-shape; also, the amount that can be contained in a pair of cupped hands - The Jillick
– to skip a stone across water - The Hirple
– to hobble or walk lamely - The Kalopsia
– the delusion that things are more beautiful than they really are - The Katzenjammer
– a loud, discordant noise; also, a hangover; also, a state of depression or bewilderment - The Ludic
– characterized by playfulness - The Moonglade
– the bright reflection of the moon on a body of water - The Nidiustertian
– pertaining to the day before yesterday - The Opsimath
– one who begins to learn late in life - The Oxter
– armpit - The Panjandrum
– a pompous official or pretender; also, the mock title of a self-important person - The Peripatetic
– going from place to place; itinerant - The Picaro
– of fiction, dealing with the adventures of a rogue - The Puckeroo
– useless, broken - The Renitent
– useless, broken - The Serendipity
– the faculty of accidentally making happy, unexpected discoveries - The Snollygoster
– a shrewd, unprincipled person - The Sockdolager
– a conclusive blow or remark; also, something outstanding - The Spanghew
– to cause a frog or toad to fly up in the air - The Spartle
– to move the body or limbs in a sprawling or struggling manner - The Sycophant
– one who attempts to gain a personal advantage by servile flattery - The Termagant
– a shrewish, bullying woman
