On the way back from a recent visit to the amazing Dzogchen Beara buddhist retreat centre in Castletownbere, I noticed “The Silver Dollar Bar” was now boarded up from disuse, although the original painted name board above the premises was still visible.

The person travelling with me suggested someone should use the name elsewhere. I agree with him; I’ve always loved the name and wondered what other graphically named public houses were out there.

Our e-book, Theory of Names, mentions some of our real-name favourities-
Anseo (meaning “here” in Gaelic)
The Hairy Lemon (in Dublin City Centre)
Smuggler’s Creek (in Rossnowlagh, County Donegal).

Alternatively, if given the challenge, what weird and wacky names for licquor bars could you compose?

We thought about the following-
The snake and the dog
The stripper’s refuge
The three blind men bar
Sandbox
Crystal balls, large and small
The riddle.

What lovely names for bars can you compose?

It’s amazing how a name can become a brand that inevitably associated with that person.

The story of how Norma Jeane Mortensen became Marilyn Monroe is an interesting example of wordplay and the intuitive adoption of principles now systematically embodied in The Theory of Names.

The name was created by 20th Century Fox executive Ben Lyons and his wife, Bebe Daniels.  Bebe’s mother’s surname was Monroe so they initially, they tried combinations of her christian names and Monroe, such as-

Norma Jeane Monroe

Norma Monroe

Jeane Monroe.

But the story goes that Lyons felt that Jeane Monroe could be improved, and Marilyn Monroe was “sexy and had a nice flow to it” and would be “lucky because of the double M”.

Now, it’s hard to imagine her being called anything else, but if you tried, could you?

Here’s our efforts-

May Monroe

Cat Delilah Monroe

Meg Mortensen

Zela Imelda Monroe

Paris Anastasia Monroe

What’s your favourite?  Could you do better?  Tell all…