MetaChat - Name the nest...

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28 November 2006

Name the nest... A friend of mine just suggested I name the house I'm theoretically supposed to be buying on Friday. →[More:]
She says:

You know, it would make it easier if you'd "name" the house - like the English habit of having house names, not addresses. I looked up the collective noun for a group of swans and found options - "The Bevy", "The Wedge" (a group of swans in the air" OR (my favourite given the history of the purchase) "The Lamentation". And, did you know that the term for a female swan is "Pen" (males are cobs which I had before) which I thought was also apt given your literary interests.

I can't get away from the sense that it is beyond pretentious to name a semi-detached even if it does have bay windows, nine-foot ceilings and a rooftop terrace, but she has gotten me chewing away at the idea, just for fun.

I'd love a name that plays on the Orange Swan thing, but any other suggestions are welcome. "The Lamentation" is a TAD too negative. If I get the house, I want to leave the memory of this past year behind me, not burden the place with it.

post by: Orange Swan at: 14:06 | 35 comments

The SwanPond.

posted by jonmc 28 November | 14:12

Or the Swan Swamp.

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 14:12

If you were sciurus you'd name it "Drey."

posted by shane 28 November | 14:13

Swan's nests, however and as far as I know, I just called "swan's nests" in English.

posted by shane 28 November | 14:15

Not a suggestion, but the father of an ex of mine named their house Llamedos, telling his wife it was Welsh for "happy home". As far as I know, she still labours under this impression, not noticing that it's actually "Sod 'em all" backwards. Do Americans say 'sod'? If not, see here.

posted by jack_mo 28 November | 14:16

Call it The Dive.

posted by sciurus 28 November | 14:16

If you let it get real squalid, you can call it The Swan Dive.

posted by jonmc 28 November | 14:17

Dammit.

posted by jonmc 28 November | 14:18

Jack_mo, that's absolutely hysterical.

Swan Song would be lovely if it seemed at all appropriate for a house.

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 14:19

Not all that many people name their houses in England - those who do mainly live in villages, as far as I can tell. But yes, it does happen. And if the house officially has a number, you have to use the number as well as the name.

posted by altolinguistic 28 November | 14:19

You could be the Swan of Tuonela .

posted by Wolfdog 28 November | 14:29

In Ontario it isn't common to name your home unless it's an estate or something. I know that there's a regulation that farms in Ontario must be named, but usually people don't even use the names.

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 14:38

Many of the houses that the university students rent are named. When I started there was one house that had a name but now it seems that every second house is named.

posted by LunaticFringe 28 November | 14:42

I have a large framed poster of the Monopoly Boardwalk deed, so every place I live is named Boardwalk. Not that I ever have a chance to use it much in conversation, but that's the name, anyway.

posted by JanetLand 28 November | 14:56

those who do mainly live in villages, as far as I can tell.

Or the suburbs, as in the case of the best house name ever, Casa Bevron (possibly only considered the best house name ever by hardcore Brookside fans).

I also love the classic house name of lower middle class retirees and unimaginitive B&B owners, Dunroamin.

posted by jack_mo 28 November | 14:57

Cob's Grove.

Pen's Pond.

Swan's Grace.

(around the time of "Howard's End", my mother became enamored with naming her properties...actually became enamored with tasking her kids to name her properties...I love family)

posted by WolfDaddy 28 November | 15:10

We call ours the Cave. I guess Bat Guano's outta the question huh? I think you should call it Aunt Scurvy.

posted by chewatadistance 28 November | 15:15

I just went through about 430 hits on the Bartlett's quote site, looking for some kind of literary reference I could use and didn't come up with anything. I refuse to use the Leda thing. I think the best I can do is is use the formula:

Swan + [word that means house or place]

Swan's Nook? Swan Perch? Swan's End?

I actually kind of like Swan's End the best so far, but I'll just keep pondering and taking suggestions...

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 15:17

I keep coming up with some very rude sounding combinations. Swan's Lay, Swan Cranny, Swan Hole? Heh.

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 15:24

Swan Garden, Swan Terrace, Swan's Roost...

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 15:35

Nothern Cross, another name for the constellation Cygnus, the swan.
Or, if you want to get geeky, Alpha Cygni, the brightest star in the contellation.

posted by rocket88 28 November | 15:43

no Swan's Way?

Chez Squat?

posted by ethylene 28 November | 15:45

Swan Lake

posted by JanetLand 28 November | 15:54

That's definitely the coolest reference I've heard or am likely to find, rocket88!

Swan Patch, Swan's Down, Swan House, Swan Corner, Swan's Seat, Swanhaven...

posted by Orange Swan 28 November | 15:54

*I'm* going to call it Auny Scurvy. :D I slay me.

posted by chewatadistance 28 November | 15:55

I always name my cars after their first roadtrip, but as this is a house, that would be harder.

posted by terrapin 28 November | 16:07

also love the classic house name of lower middle class retirees and unimaginitive B&B owners, Dunroamin.

There is a local real estate company here in Vermont with that name.

posted by terrapin 28 November | 16:11

I agree w/eth's 'Swan's Way' recommendation.

It's too bad that 'Cygnet' sounds like a dotcom failure.

posted by box 28 November | 16:12

Houses in Seattle aren't named, but apartment buildings are. Some apartment buildings have really weird names, like The Iliad, or Mahabharata. There's even one called Rivendell. The one I lived in was called Hyatt House, which is much more prosaic.

posted by matildaben 28 November | 16:12

I vote for Swanhaven. I think it's what you are looking for. Then you can explain it any way you want, depending on who asks.

posted by danf 28 November | 16:30

Orange Swan, Jr.

You're welcome.

posted by joshuaconner 28 November | 17:36

Party poopers.

posted by chewatadistance 28 November | 17:52

Thanks everyone! I'm going to hand out the Swannie awards now:

Best Literary Allusion: Swan's Way

Most beautiful suggestion:
Swan's Grace

Coolest suggestion: Alpha Cygni

Rudest suggestion: Swan Hole

Cutest suggestion: Swan's Down

Funniest suggestion: Sod 'em all (backwards)

Name that would have won if I were naming a pub: The Swan Dive

Most intriguing suggestion: Aunt Scurvy (I have a feeling I just don't get this one)

Runners' up: Swanhaven, Swan's Keep, Swan House, Swan's Way

Winning entry:
Swan's End (with special thanks to WolfDaddy for mentioning Howard's End, which mention gave me the idea)