different take on vanity plates

[Bob Allen]

Sailors name their ships. Not too many pilots name their airplanes, and, it seems, fewer people name their cars. I can't recall any posts on this chatline where someone named their Prius. I've always had names for my cars. Cars are made by people and so exhibit quirks and "personality traits", just as their makers do. It was easy to name my VW Beetles because they were definitely personality cars.
I thought of a name for my Prius after reading Car and Driver's January issue, and I'm putting in a request for vanity plates with the name:
HUMU-NU
This is short for: "humuhumunukunukuapu'aa, the Hawaiian Triggerfish. Car and Driver drivers/reviewers really liked the Prius. They loved the "wedgie body, triggerfish shape" (their words). Rather than try to find some catchy environmentalis/fuel efficiency, seven letter word, I thought I'd be more subtle. Triggerfish live in coral reefs which are very much in danger of extinction and this seemed to be a way of making a connection between what we consume and the effects of that consumption.
It's tempting to be smug about buying Prii as if we were on some enlightened plane of existence, but that can alienate the people we'd most like to influence. The car is inherently loveable like the Beetle, and it should speak for itself.
Bob

[rflagg]

My current car, a 2000 Neon doesn't really have a name. However, when my prius arrives, it will be thusly dubbed "Computer".

Yes, my partner is a big Star Trek fan. Now if we can only find a mod to make the nav voice the same as the woman who did the ST voice.

-m.

[cybele]

I named my car Dyna.

My last car was named Holly Paynyo cuz it was jalepeno green.

The voice of the Star Trek computer (since ST:TNG) is Majel Barrett, widow of Gene Roddenberry. She was Nurse Chapel in the orginal series and then Counselor Deanna Troi's mother, Lwaxanna. It would be cool to see her in commercials for the Prius ...

[Dauth]

Bob Allen said

This is short for: \"humuhumunukunukuapu'aa, the Hawaiian Triggerfish

Just to get you the full etymology, this is from bartleby.com

Etymology: Hawaiian humuhumu-nukunuku--pua'a, trigger fish with a blunt snout like a pig's : humuhumu, small trigger fish (from reduplication of Proto-Polynesian *sumu, trigger fish) + nukunuku, small snout, reduplication of nuku, snout + , like + pua'a, pig

so, it looks like you did good by leaving off the "pua'a" part.

Just a thought but, you might want to add a triggerfish as your avatar now. (Not that I have an avatar either)

[starla30]

my car is dhalia. i was at work and mentioned trying to think of a name for my prius. a co-worker went to thesaurus.com and looked up "red." i was susrprised to see that dhalia came up as a synonym meaning a flower that can be red

[Danny]

How about that pic for you, Bob?

[john1701a]

> a big Star Trek fan

I think I qualify...

[rflagg]

Originally posted by john1701a
> a big Star Trek fan

I think I qualify...

Indeed you do, John! I need to find a place to upload the pics I took last weekend of the first Enterprise (the test space shuttle) over at the Dulles Air and Space Museum.

-m.

[rockluvr]

I named mine Carmen Electra.

[Cathy K]

Wow great triggerfish avatar! I hadn't realized how accurate that description was until I saw that nose profile.