Monday, December 14, 2015

Don't Spell Nottingham With an 'S'

I dislike when players choose to give their characters silly or asinine names.  I remember the first group I played with included the names 'Ex-Lax' and 'Fruit of the Tomb' . . . and I have always been a snob about it since.  I feel that names like this cheapen the game and spoils the experience for everyone.

That said, I have an argument to offer against my own position.  In researching towns and cities in Great Britain of late (I'm planning to do the British map soon), I came across this:

"During the Anglo-Saxon occupation the town [Nottingham] fell under the rule of a Saxon Chief called Snot, when it became known as Snotengaham - "the homestead of Snot's people."  In 867 the Danish Vikings occupied the town and then in 1086 the Normans took control, dropping the 's' from the town's name."

Clearly, the good people of Nottingham felt the 's' cheapened the city and spoiled the experience for everyone.

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