Monday, December 30, 2013

Stupid Reasons Why I Like Derby Names

Yeah yeah, everyone has an opinion on derby names.  Some of them are fantastically hilarious, like Jabba the Butt, and some of them are just gross, like Harry Coin Purse.  You never know what you're getting with derby names; sometimes it's a toss up, and sometimes it's the most cringe worthy discovery ever.  Sometimes derby names are so complicated, I can spend half of a bout trying to figure out if the player has a derby name, or just is using their government name. So confusing!
Don't hate the player...hate the name?

I am a big fan of derby names when they aren't super duper offensive and are clever.  Clever people with clever derby names really impress me.  I'm always super excited when I see a new skater with a really great name; I want to point him or her out to the derby world and say "See!  It can still be accomplished! Try harder derby world!" If you have a clever derby name, you're already pretty cool in my book, even if I've never met you in person.  Yes, I have a list of awesome derby-named skaters I'd love to talk to....some day.

I love it when a skater has a really descriptive derby name too; I am HORRIBLE when it comes to remembering "real" names.  I'm not exaggerating.  I have to really work at remembering someone's name, especially because their first and last names rarely have anything to do with each other.  Not so with derby names!  Usually the first and last names in derby have something to do with each other, so I can remember them as a string! Also, it's a lot easier to find you on Facebook if you have your derby name in your profile.  Without your derby name, I would never know if I had the right person, or a completely random stranger. I mean, is anyone in derby ever a stranger?  Maybe?

Sometimes knowing somebody's derby name can make yelling for them in public way more fun than yelling their "real" names. See someone cutting across the Target parking lot, and you yell "Hey Beth Row" you're going to get their attention, and also probably the attention of a lot of Target customers.  Let's face it, it's a lot of fun to drop some derby names in public.

It's funny, but I tend to use my derby name in public more and more.  I guess it's because  "Q" is unique and easy, but not TOO weird for the norms to understand. After practice, if I go to a stand and order restaurant and they ask for my name, I always say "Q." What are the chances there is another Q ordering food at that same time?  Probably close to zero, and I like those odds. My government name is a lot more common than Q, I can tell you that. Last night, I had dinner with my non derby friends; it was fantastic, but they kept calling me Renee.  Half of the time, I kept wanting to turn around and see who they were talking about. Oh yeah, my name is still Renee.  For now.

Do I think that derby should ditch derby names?  Hell no! Basketball is letting their players put their nicknames on their jerseys.  Seems like "established" sports are heading our way, and not the other way around. Also, their nicknames don't hold a candle to our derby names, but it is nice to have the other sports follow our lead for a change.

18 comments:

  1. Re: yelling skater names in public. We had a skater named Snatch-22 who no longer skates with us. We were skating in the Christmas parade when we spotted her in the crowd. A couple of people started yelling, "Snatch! Snatch!" to get her attention, not realizing how this must appear to start screaming this at the spectators, many of them small children. Hahaha!

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    1. Yeah, you have to be careful sometimes...but it's still funny. ;)

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  2. My derby name is Bomb-Diggity. I got the the airport first and was at the front of the line to go to Maui for Battle of the Islands. My derby sisters arrived at the back of a long line, and seeing me, tried to call to me like they always do "Bomb!" "Hey, Bomb!" I didn't hear them, and remarkably no one in line seemed to even notice. They realized the potential for confusion, and decided to yell "Lisa" instead :D

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  3. There is a skater named Jesus Fiest. Imagine the scenarios. Brilliant.

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  4. I love when it takes people a while to get a name. I've had fans come up to me months after an initial meeting and say, "Oh, I get your name now!"

    That's always fun.

    Thistle Hurt
    (And it will....) :)

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    1. Roxxy SLide....it took three years for me to get her name, and I'm ON HER TEAM!!!!

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  5. Another Thistle! Mine is Thistle Blow'Er. Which can be construed as Whistle blower as in an Official (which I am.) or This will blow her and it has a link to my scots ancestry too for the win.

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  6. I love it when I get /ER yelled to me across a shop. (slasher).
    I am used to it as I have been in the SCA medieval group for years and everyone has a 'medieval name'. It seems most of my friends have multiple names. THere are many (most) not close friends/acquaintances whose real names I know not but just know them by their derby SCA names.
    I am also a teacher and at school go by the name 'Miss'. he he he

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  7. I really enjoyed this article. I play for the Reno Roller Girls out of Reno, NV and my derby name is Lipstick n Bruises. I would never want to get rid of them, I think it's what makes it part of derby! Great article Q!

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  8. Great article. Side note: Jabbas tag line was "the most feared hemispheres on Tatooine"!

    It is hard to recall "real" names ....

    Showtime!

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  9. My derby name is JODE, which means FUCK in spanish. Its made of the first letter on each word of my real name. Follow www.facebook.com/ToxiclimaRD, the only peruvian RD team.

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  10. Great article! I work for the state (MN) so I had to do a play off that so I picked Minnie Assaultah! (tag line- I'm like Minnesota, but minus the NICE)
    I totally agree with loving yelling out a derby name in non-derby public, when i yelled out my teammates name at the childrens museum I got some pretty dirty looks from parents for yelling out "Bossy!" lol

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  11. I get confused sometimes as to what I am supposed to introduce myself as. Is it Ella? Christy?

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  12. I'm Bear everywhere I'm even Bear at Starbucks only my mother uses my real name.

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  13. I'm a Q too (short for QWERTY) and its what everyone calls me, I too use it at restaurants ;)

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