Aliens with obscene names

[jimcleave]

You know, you would think that inventing original nonsense words to name your alien characters in a story would not be that hard. However, recently I was poking through a mythology book and discovered that "Thrudd," which I had named a character in a story I've been planning, is actually the name of a minor goddess in Norse mythology (although her

Comments

[skurtchasor]

I've never heard the word "hontas" either.

[jimcleave]

Apparently, it derives from the expression, "to poke her hontas" a pun on Pocahontas, but the noun has now taken on an existence independent of the original pun. Even if the term is not widely used, my Hontas character is a pretty girl, and as such probably ought not be named "Hontas," "Axe-Wound," "Hoo-Hah," or "Minge." It seems inadvisable.

[skurtchasor]

I'm guessing Cooter is right out, especially since that was also the dirty mechanic from The Dukes of Hazard.

[ext_36327]

Apparently, hontas is also a kind of soil and a boot.

Whatever group considers "hontas" an obscenity is apparently not too widespread.

[jimcleave]

Apparently, it derives from the expression, "to poke her hontas" a pun on Pocahontas, but the noun has now taken on an existence independent of the original pun. Even if the term is not widely used, my Hontas character is a pretty girl, and as such probably ought not be named "Hontas," "Axe-Wound," "Hoo-Hah," or "Minge." It seems inadvisable.

[unrealfred]

I wish I could find it now, but I remember a quiz in Might Magazine years ago that was essentially "Science Fiction or Prescription Drug?" I think only the most widely read fanboy or experienced pharmacist would have guessed correctly on all of them.

It can be tough finding something that doesn't sound cliché, but that also hasn't been appropriated for common use elsewhere. Obscure mythology is actually a pretty good place to go looking for alien names; most people won't get the allusion, and those who do will probably appreciate it, especially if the name has some vague connection the characters. China Miéville, for instance, used little-known names from Baltic (vodyanoi), Egyptian (khepri), and Hindu (garuda) in his "New Crobuzon" books.