MetaChat - I suck at thinking up usernames and handles. Any ideas, stories, inspiration?

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21 April 2011

I suck at thinking up usernames and handles. Any ideas, stories, inspiration? The latest example... I was about to register an account at FICS, a free chess server. But you have to pick a handle, you may only ever have account, your handle will be for ever unchangeable and you'll be stuck with it for life.→[More:]

Never mind that the site is big enough and old enough that almost anything that comes to mind has already been taken. Even if it were not for that, it always seems to me that I can never think up a handle that does not suffer from one or more of...

- It sounded fun at the time, but later really stupid
- It felt true-to-myself at the time, but later sounded really pretentious
- It sounded dull at the time, and later still dull as ditchwater

How do you fine folks come up with username and handles?

post by: philipy at: 11:45 | 17 comments

I share dirty jokes with my inner child and pick whatever gets the most giggles.

posted by Hugh Janus 21 April | 11:48

I never would have guessed that...

posted by toastedbeagle 21 April | 11:51

danf. . .pretty obvious. . .my first name and last initial.

posted by danf 21 April | 11:52

I live in my own world . . . .

posted by JanetLand 21 April | 11:54

I hate my FICS name. What's yours?

posted by Obscure Reference 21 April | 11:56

I haven't registered yet Still trying to think of a name!

Maybe the trick is to reconcile oneself with having a name that is stupid, pretentious and dull...

posted by philipy 21 April | 12:50

Well, married to this man who is really, really like a grizzly bear . . . who I refer to as my Bear or the Bear or just Bear . . . there you are.

But if I had to invent a new one I'd probably aim to be a favorite fictional character (Strider, Jane, Catelyn, Smaug) or take off on the name of a favorite author (georgeeliot, dickensdevotee, takestotolkien, mannfan) or artist (hailhenrymoore, matisseismagnificent) etc.

posted by bearwife 21 April | 12:52

Just don't use the word baby in it, and you're off to a good start.

posted by rainbaby 21 April | 13:10

Mine is the email name I had in college: first three of my last name, first four of my first.

posted by sperose 21 April | 13:13

There are various phrases that come up in on the last comments page of MeCha that are horribly tempting now...

deservedly smug
vicarious joy
space and a slash
the final carat
Penguin tickling

Hmm...

posted by philipy 21 April | 13:22

See if anyone is using "The Whelk."

posted by Obscure Reference 21 April | 13:36

- It sounded fun at the time, but later really stupid

I don't know what you are talking about...

posted by DarkForest 21 April | 16:49

You may have to approach this like a carving or sculpture. Take away the things you don't want until you have what you do want.

Do you want it to reference chess or something else about you?

I think from what you've said already you don't want it to be topical, so farfeghnugen is out :)

Is it something you'd want to share with your folks?

Or you could leave it up to chance and algorithms.

posted by lysdexic 21 April | 19:57

I like punny nicknames. Here's my suggestion for your chess site nickname:

Chess Nut Roasting On An Open Fire

posted by amyms 22 April | 02:51

Orion's BLT

posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson 22 April | 11:13

I have some favorite names for chess btw:

BobbyFischerReturns

LessSpasskythanBoris

RookYou

CastleQueen

KnightnDay

TheBlackandtheWhite

I love pseudonyms . . .

posted by bearwife 23 April | 00:51

Combining a few of the themes people suggested I finally went for MoriaGambit.

Moria as a nod to Tolkien, and a slight pun as there's an opening called the Morra Gambit. Not that I play it, but I might have to try it now.

Hopefully that's a name that I won't come to regret... only time will tell for sure!

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

posted by philipy 25 April | 13:48

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