Got feedback on the new design? We're Listening! Send us Feedback

Bad Baby Names - A Boy Named Sue, and a Theory of Names »

Posted by: Beau7890 5 months, 3 weeks ago

18 Comments Report this Story

8.4

Scale of 1 to 10

Read: 49

Propped: 100

Comments: 18

Click Prop It to Raise Score
Prop it

During his 1969 concert at San Quentin prison, Johnny Cash proposed a paradigm shift in the field of developmental psychology. He used "A Boy Named Sue" to present two hypotheses: 1. A child with an awful name might grow up to be a relatively normal adult. 2. The parent who inflicted the name does not deserve to be executed.

Read Full Story at nytimes.com

Join the Discussion

+ Add Comment
Comments So Far: 18
  • 0%
    Beau78905 months, 3 weeks ago

    From the article:

    " By scouring census records from 1790 to 1930, Mr. Sherrod and Mr. Rayback discovered Garage Empty, Hysteria Johnson, King Arthur, Infinity Hubbard, Please Cope, Major Slaughter, Helen Troy, several Satans and a host of colleagues to the famed Ima Hogg (including Ima Pigg, Ima Muskrat, Ima Nut and Ima Hooker).

    "The authors also interviewed adults today who had survived names like Candy Stohr, Cash Guy, Mary Christmas, River Jordan and Rasp Berry. All of them, even Happy Day, seemed untraumatized."

    Reply
    • 0%
      jmopinion5 months, 3 weeks ago

      Such as "Dick Nibbler".

      Reply

      1 Reply

      • 0%
        bruhaha5 months, 3 weeks ago

        A principal or superintendent at a school near where i grew up had the name Dick Small

        Reply
      • 0%
        BronxBomber5 months, 2 weeks ago

        Yeah you would know what sucks CAT7 considering the best source of it.

        Reply

        1 Reply

        • 0%
          Netwit5 months, 2 weeks ago

          Hey BB! I heard "Dick Nibbler" is CAT7's real name.

          Reply
        • 0%
          AmericanIdiot5 months, 3 weeks ago

          Yeah but a boy named Sue grew up to be tough, badass little guy...

          Reply
          • 0%
            djrevelky5 months, 3 weeks ago

            In my hometown we had some horrible names...good lil' ole' podunk town in Eastern Kentucky.

            I went to high school with the following:

            William Jackson Cox (but his parents called him Will Jack Cox)

            Anita Boner

            Penny Pincher

            Michael Hunt

            Amanda Kiss

            Reply
            • 0%
              Wolfie20075 months, 3 weeks ago

              The most unusual name I ever ran across was a lady named Halloween Took. No, she wasn't a hobbit. lol

              Reply

              1 Reply

              • 0%
                capn_caveman5 months, 3 weeks ago

                Mine would be a person by the name of Mercedes Hooker.

                Reply
              • 0%
                ghengisghan5 months, 3 weeks ago

                WE had a congressman named Dick Sweat and I know a cop named Dick TRacy :)

                Reply
                • 0%
                  Wolfie20075 months, 3 weeks ago

                  This one just popped into my head, I once saw a name tag on a young lady at a McDonalds. The tag read Latrina. I've always hoped she would never learn what her name meant in french.

                  Reply
                  • 0%
                    truthiness5 months, 3 weeks ago

                    my friend was telling me a story about a new girl at his job... He asked her his name and she said (phonetics) "ah-buh-kah-day" (a multi-generation American born girl) after making her repeat it he asked her to spell it....

                    ABCDE

                    that was her name, her lazy a... parents named her the first 5 letters of the alphabet.

                    poor girl

                    Reply
                    • 0%
                      boy4827995 months, 1 week ago

                      Someone think, with name like that, children'll be healthy

                      Reply
                      • 0%
                        evesy114 months, 3 weeks ago

                        It's really useful article. I'll try to do these tips. Thanks

                        Reply
                        • 0%
                          benitezzaa2 months, 1 week ago

                          Studies showed that children with odd names got worse grades and were less popular than other classmates in elementary school. In college they were more likely to flunk out or become "psychoneurotic." Prospective bosses spurned their résumés. They were overrepresented among emotionally disturbed children and psychiatric patients.

                          Reply
                          Next 25 comments

                          You must be signed in to post a comment. Sign in »

                          Submitted By:
                          Beau7890

                          I used to have a quote here from Andre Breton, author of several surrealist works.

                          I now think that if you're here on Propeller ...

                          Also submitted:

                          Related Articles:

                          Why not submit a story?

                          Also Propping This Article

                          view all »

                          Groups Watching This

                          No groups are watching this story. Why not share it with your group?

                          Advertisement