Coolest usernames on MetaFilter

October 7, 2009 12:05 PM

This is a MetaTalk post devoted to finding the coolest, most inventive usernames on MetaFilter.

Here are some of my own personal favorites:

Burger-Eating Invasion Monkey
Totally Zanzibarin' Ya
YoBananaBoy
Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown

What are yours?

posted by jason's_planet to MetaFilter-related at 12:05 PM (278 comments total)

Christ, what an asshole.
posted by chrchr at 12:08 PM on October 7

I keep a list of my favorites on my profile. The current list is:

a womble is an active kind of sloth
The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal
It's Raining Florence Henderson
le morte de bea arthur
mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey
Hello, Revelers! I am Captain Lavender!
Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown
Marisa Stole the Precious Thing
Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America
Mummy of a Lady Named Jemutesonekh
A Long and Troublesome Lameness
thermonuclear.jive.turkey
Combustible Edison Lighthouse
joseph conrad is fully awesome
game warden to the events rhino
Faint of Butt
posted by ocherdraco at 12:08 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

mathowie.
posted by gman at 12:10 PM on October 7

..ooOOoo....ooOOoo..
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:13 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

jjjjjjjijjjjjjj
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 12:13 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

what about that kabbadi junior high champion dude? Or Marissa? ND¢? Or my top, top favorite...the bagel boy one!
posted by iamkimiam at 12:14 PM on October 7 [3 favorites]

I'm always been partial to huskerdont. Short, pithy, clever.

On the other hand, my favorite username to say is East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94. Just try it. You'll see. East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94. East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 . East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 .

(I recently learned that East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 had some prior usernames of which I was also fond, but in the interest of privacy and Brand New Day I'll refrain from mentioning them.)
posted by dersins at 12:14 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Oh, I see Marissa is already in ocherdraco's list.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:15 PM on October 7

I'm seeing a trend here.
posted by Apparently People Like Really Long Usernames at 12:16 PM on October 7 [40 favorites]

dersins - that's being a tease. I never know who used to be who!
posted by pinky at 12:16 PM on October 7

spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints - Seeing that username in a thread always makes me pause and say the whole thing out loud.
posted by amyms at 12:17 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

weretable and the undead chairs

Seconding game warden to the events rhino, le morte de bea arthur, and mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey.
posted by marxchivist at 12:18 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I'm seeing a trend here.
posted by Apparently People Like Really Long Usernames

Me too - and that's of people wasting $5 to make a funny.
posted by gman at 12:19 PM on October 7

Can I have $5? I promise I'll do something funny!
posted by iamkimiam at 12:20 PM on October 7

"You get a favorite for being dumb," who was sadly not long for this metaverse.
posted by piratebowling at 12:20 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

These Penises Are Alarmed was a great sockpuppet for an also-cool username.
posted by Riki tiki at 12:21 PM on October 7

Username infodump, if it helps.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 12:21 PM on October 7

people wasting $5 to make a funny

A large part of me suspects that, like, 90% of single-joke usernames are cortex, jessamyn, or mathowie. And 90% of those are probably cortex.
posted by dersins at 12:22 PM on October 7 [8 favorites]

you just lost the game
posted by lysdexic at 12:22 PM on October 7

Username infodump, if it helps.
posted by These Penises Are Alarmed at 12:23 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

Second Account for Making Jokey Comments
posted by lysdexic at 12:23 PM on October 7

kid ichorous: clever, nerdy, and a little bit gross. Incidentally, three words I would use to describe myself.
posted by harperpitt at 12:23 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

There's no question that It's Raining Florence Henderson is the pinnacle of usernamedom. I've spent hours thinking about that one. Hours!
posted by dirtdirt at 12:24 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

I also like these usernames:

Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam

and h00py (it's visually neat)
posted by amyms at 12:24 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

the ghost of Ken Lay. I also miss You Get a Favorite for Being Dumb.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:24 PM on October 7

Astro Zombie 3
NDcent (where cent is actually a cent sign that I don't know how to make)
kwantsar
Pot
Kettle
huskerdont
the baby jessamyn
dhoyt
jenleigh
posted by shmegegge at 12:25 PM on October 7

Apparently People Like Really Long Usernames: "I'm seeing a trend here."

The data to back that up.
posted by Riki tiki at 12:25 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

On a similar note... here are some things that I think should be words:

proversation
sarcurious
blech
comfuble

feel free to use/change/add to the list.

Also, I like spelling though as tho, through as thru, tough as tuff, taught as tought, and caught as cought. It gets me in trouble, but I can't help it.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:26 PM on October 7

drpartypoopercrankypantsesquire
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:26 PM on October 7

Also, there's a wireless network in my neighborhood called "Egon Venkman." I just love that.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:27 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Three of my favorites not yet mentioned:
ND¢
robocop is bleeding
spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints

I'm also a fan of huskerdont and game warden to the events rhino.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:28 PM on October 7

I always liked "A Terrible Llama".
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 12:28 PM on October 7

Ok, well, in the time I spent looking up their user pages, they were pretty much all already mentioned. Damn.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:29 PM on October 7

oh my, You Get A Favorite For Being Dumb has apparently spawned a copycat.

you're overprivilieged (and dumb)
posted by shmegegge at 12:29 PM on October 7

pb.
posted by GuyZero at 12:32 PM on October 7

I'd swear we did this not that long ago, but I can't find it and no one else seems to think so, so maybe I just prognosticated this day in my dreams.
posted by Caduceus at 12:32 PM on October 7

Once, when people were discussing how they couldn't tell the difference between PinkStainlessTail and ThePinkSuperhero, I spent five dollars on this jokey name.
posted by ColdChef at 12:33 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

EmpressCallipygos <>words
Help, I can't stop talking!
It's raining Florence Henderson
yggdrasil <> robocop is bleeding
cillit bang
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 12:34 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I spent five dollars on this jokey name.

Huh, I thought that one was about girly bits. I see everything as innuendo and double entendre, though.

Also, my name is my country, bitches.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:35 PM on October 7

Oh, flibbertigibbet! I always thought she was a he, named 'Flibbert I. Gibbet', but little did I know!

Additionally, A Terrible Llama, Masterchedder, Blazecock Pileon, BuddhaInABucket, mygothlaundry, croutonsupafreak (love the ambiguity), Pastabagel, Dormant Gorilla, Slarty Bartfast.

Apparently I like contrastive compounds.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:39 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I bought gaspode's husband his own Metafilter account. As you can see, that was a great investment.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:40 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

the baby jessamyn always kind of creeped me out, I think there was some mathowies' baby username that didn't last long.

I thought there was someone named Miss BitchyPants, but I guess I imagined that.
posted by marxchivist at 12:41 PM on October 7

you're overprivilieged (and dumb)

Who appears to have a sibling- you are a coward and you abuse the community.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:42 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

ThePinkSuperhero: "I bought gaspode's husband his own Metafilter account. As you can see, that was a great investment."

that is so awesome. props to mr. gaspode because that is now my favorite user.
posted by shmegegge at 12:43 PM on October 7

A fellow hex username: 09-F9-11-02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41-56-C5-63-56-88-C0
posted by 0xFCAF at 12:44 PM on October 7

PenguinBukkake
posted by Ndwright at 12:45 PM on October 7

oh, whoever has that username that's the chemical compound for alcohol. that one is also one of my favorites. C3NHOsomething something.
posted by shmegegge at 12:46 PM on October 7

in the interest of privacy and Brand New Day I'll refrain from mentioning them.

you fail at Brand New Day.

I like Twins named Lugubrious and Salubrious. Also Mom. Also Schmoopy.
posted by jessamyn at 12:47 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

shmegegge Alt 0162 = ¢
posted by Cranberry at 12:49 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I'd swear we did this not that long ago, but I can't find it and no one else seems to think so, so maybe I just prognosticated this day in my dreams.

Hi, I'm bored. What are some cool names around here?
posted by iconomy at 12:49 PM on October 7

Cranberry: "shmegegge Alt 0162 = ¢"

is that only on windows?
posted by shmegegge at 12:51 PM on October 7

I like ND¢'s simply because it lets me know who uses a Mac and who doesn't.
It's option - 4 on a Mac. Did you feel the amount of amazement and wonder on MeFi just die a little? I did. It made me stronger.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 12:51 PM on October 7 [5 favorites]

Is this something I'd have to be hip to a bunch of inane in-jokes to understand?

Also, I hate the name Blazecock Pileon, it's stupid and suggestive without meaning anything. Lame.
posted by The Bizzaro Whelk at 12:51 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I really liked mathovvie, which I think was a seanyboy creation.

Hey - I never noticed that first y in seanyboy's name until I just looked at his profile to check the spelling.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:53 PM on October 7

I like ND¢'s simply because it lets me know who uses a Mac and who doesn't.

Or which pc users know how to cut and paste.
posted by iconomy at 12:53 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I've always been partial to Grither. Man, I wish I knew how that guy came up with that fantastic name!
posted by Grither at 12:54 PM on October 7

Also, I only just figured out that ND(cent) is not North Dakota sense, but rather, indecent. Huh.
posted by Grither at 12:54 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I miss Pot and Kettle.

Much borderline fun with the sockpuppets.
posted by The Whelk at 12:56 PM on October 7

is that only on windows?

On a mac, do option-4.
posted by zarq at 12:57 PM on October 7

I like and hosted from Uranus. Makes me laugh every time.

Most of my other faves have been mentioned, but I like stumpyolegmcnoleg too.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:57 PM on October 7

flapjax at midnite - I just love the spelling. Very lolcat, but in a fun way.
klangklangston - Onomatopoetic!
uncleozzy - Only because for months I thought it was one word (pronounced "un-clee-OH-zee")
shmegegge - Because it reminds me of a line from an old episode of the Rugrats that made me giggle like a fiend when I was 7 ("Boris, are you alright? Did you hurt your shmegegge?")
posted by Rhaomi at 12:58 PM on October 7

The first time I saw CunningLinguist post I thought, "She certainly is."
posted by netbros at 1:00 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

The Bizarro Whelk: Is this something I'd have to be hip to a bunch of inane in-jokes to understand?

Also, I hate the name Blazecock Pileon, it's stupid and suggestive without meaning anything. Lame.

I can't tell if this is a joke or not but here's the origin of Blazecock Pileon: "Your blog got metafiltered and the bad boyfriends there are having their usual blazecock pileon over it."

I really like that username.
posted by Kattullus at 1:00 PM on October 7 [3 favorites]

For dumb yuks, I was trying to find the userpage for whoever's name is just an ASCII-style set of boobs. Because my life is singularly dumb, it led me to this astonishing fact:

Sorry, no matches for BOOBS across MetaFilter members.

Really, this sort of blows my mind.
posted by Skot at 1:00 PM on October 7

Yeah, much better is this result:

Sorry, no matches for GENITAL WARTS across MetaFilter members.
posted by Kattullus at 1:03 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

uosuaq
posted by interrobang at 1:04 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

Kattullus: I learn something new everyday.

Looks like the clock scheme was just a big joke afterall.
posted by The Whelk at 1:05 PM on October 7

Sorry, no matches for RAGING BILE across MetaFilter members.
posted by The Whelk at 1:06 PM on October 7

For some reason COBRA! has always cracked me up.
posted by tristeza at 1:07 PM on October 7

ford and the prefects
onceabearalwaysabear
jay.eye.elle.elle.
twins named Lugubrious and Salubrious
evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight
stavrosthewonderchicken
Evil Chicken of Doom
Tin Foil Hat Squad Captain
Ye Olde Socke Puppete
Pirate Princess Pickle Bunny
underpantsgnomette
WhoLetTheBlogsOut?
dances_with_sneetches
kittensofthenight
antipastaexplosion
goodnewsfortheinsane
Smoosh Faced Lion
Hello, Revelers! I am Captain Lavender!
weretable and the undead chairs
not the fingers, not the fingers
posted by zarq at 1:11 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Sorry, no matches for RAGING BILE across MetaFilter members. (The Whelk)

Wrong! That's Optimus Chyme. (Seriously. Look up chyme in the dictionary.)
posted by ocherdraco at 1:12 PM on October 7

( . )( . ) is what you were looking for, I think.
posted by jessamyn at 1:16 PM on October 7

c:\awesome
posted by c:\awesome at 1:17 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

For some reason COBRA! has always cracked me up.
posted by tristeza

Really? I kind of hate mine, because I've kind of developed A Thing about pop-culture-reference humor, but then feel like a hypocritical bastard when I rail against it while posting from a pop-culture-reference username.

Now you know, and knowing's half the battle!
posted by COBRA! at 1:18 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

tawny, cause it makes me remember Dave Secretary and then I laugh, oh how I laugh.
posted by The Whelk at 1:20 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

goodnewsfortheinsane

It took me FOREVER to figure out what gnfti meant. I keep pronouncing it g'nifty in my head.
posted by lysdexic at 1:20 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I can't tell if this is a joke or not but here's the origin of Blazecock Pileon: "Your blog got metafiltered and the bad boyfriends there are having their usual blazecock pileon over it."

Also.
posted by zarq at 1:20 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I've always liked The Secret Life of Gravy.

And if I only had an anus or whatever it was amuses me too.
posted by Miss Otis' Egrets at 1:21 PM on October 7 [3 favorites]

Huh, mathow!e & mathowle are available.

... and also bad ideas.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:21 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

what about that kabbadi junior high champion dude? Or Marissa?

Those are both my least favorites. In part because "East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion" is a mouthful without being amusing and "Marisa Stole the Precious Thing" is actually a man when the abbreviated form of address would logically be "Marisa." I'd give that last one more credit if the user were actually named "Marisa."

Most everyone else is mentioning some real username gems, but those two (sorry guys) sound like usernames that were trying to be "Coolest usernames."
posted by deanc at 1:22 PM on October 7

I'm not sure it's my favorite, but the one most ingrained in my head is klangklangston. With many critters about the house, someone/thing is always bashing into someotherone/thing. Plus I'm clumsy. So whenever I drop a pan or there's an audible impact, I exclaim, "Claaaang! . . . . . . . . klangston!"

Also, you gotta love monkey! knife! fight!
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:22 PM on October 7

I keep pronouncing it g'nifty in my head.

That's because that is the way you're supposed to pronounce it.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:24 PM on October 7

Also, you gotta love monkey! knife! fight!

I knew there was one I had forgotten! Thanks, FelliniBlank.
posted by jason's_planet at 1:25 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

( . )( . ) is what you were looking for, I think.

There's about nine million jokes that spring to mind, but yes, that is the user I had in mind.
posted by Skot at 1:25 PM on October 7

So, what you're all telling me is, if I had just gone ahead and used "Your Humble and Beloved Commissioner", I would have had a lot more favorites by now.
posted by yhbc at 1:28 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

DA_BLACK_DICK_CHENEY_666
MomyLovesPeterPon
shitman-toilet
Stink Hitler With A Bug Bogy
f.o.r.t.h.e.w.i.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n.n
Slugs Mugs
THE-MOTHER-FUCKING-SHIT-MAN
"Leave Nixon Alone!"
shitman2
Dr. Ass
posted by Damn That Television at 1:39 PM on October 7 [4 favorites]

I also like HovercraftEel, for the reference and the name.
posted by misha at 1:39 PM on October 7

If I were into the puns, I'd have taken Roll In The Breadless Stomp Sin Punner.

But I'm not.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:41 PM on October 7

*searches for "rtha"*

*cries*
posted by rtha at 1:46 PM on October 7

Just yesterday I had a good chuckle at the username "These Premises are Alarmed"

I can also remember chuckling the first time I said "Joe Beese" outloud.
posted by EatTheWeak at 1:48 PM on October 7

If I had it to do all over again, I would have called myself Women Take Flight

All things being equal, though, the origin of my user name is pretty amazing
posted by orville sash at 1:48 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Too many good ones to even list. Iamkimiam sounds like a sea chantey waiting to happen; CLAVDIVS should have been in all caps (maybe even I, CLAVDIVS) but was pretty good. I thought (.)(.) was eyeballs when I first saw it. When I see Scody, I think "Drinkin' wine, scody-odee."

I will say that ILX beats MeFi on the user names, mostly because you can have one name (username) that's only visible to folks who are logged in, and another name (display name) that's visible to everyone, logged in or not, which you can change as much as you like. Which means that the lulzonyms are plentiful.

But I'd cosign on most of the above names. Lugubrious and Salubrious cracked my ass up the first time I saw it. And I learned that a Whelk isn't just a snail by looking up that name.
posted by klangklangston at 1:48 PM on October 7

weapons-grade pandemonium
posted by blaneyphoto at 1:50 PM on October 7

Without question 'Jiff_and_the_Choosy_Muthers.' I just about died when I saw that one.
posted by Rewind at 1:51 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

oh, I forgot. ThePinkSuperhero is one of my favorite usernames, too. At this risk of being too literal, it is literally too cool for school.
posted by shmegegge at 1:52 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I always liked LobsterMitten because her description of the mental image she gets about it makes me giggle.
posted by lilac girl at 1:53 PM on October 7

Protocols of the Elders of Awesome

(do disabled accounts count?)
posted by brundlefly at 2:03 PM on October 7

Intellectually, I've always liked asavage, not for the obvious reason of the fact that it's... well you know who it is. But the fact that out of context, the generally polite and well written commentary from someone who self identifies as a savage is kind of amusing.
posted by quin at 2:04 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

rtha : *cries*

Don't take it personally, they don't know how to appreciate a four letter lowercase username.

Because they are all stupidheads.
posted by quin at 2:07 PM on October 7

every time I see rtha, I think "Read The Hucking Annual?"
posted by shmegegge at 2:09 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Caduceus, perhaps you were thinking of this thread.
posted by heyho at 2:12 PM on October 7

rtha : *cries*

If it makes you feel better*, I'm always a little jarred when I see your username, as it is one letter shy of my wife's name.

*Will probably not make you feel better.
posted by Skot at 2:13 PM on October 7

I'm a fan of names that both (1) make me laugh and (2) can be easily shortened in conversation. Some of those that approach sentences tend to fail on (2).
posted by craven_morhead at 2:16 PM on October 7

Brandon Blatcher

Sounds like a real name, but it's actually fake.
posted by desjardins at 2:18 PM on October 7

stupidsexyFlanders It always comes out in a Homer Simpson voice in my head.
posted by futureisunwritten at 2:21 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

the duck by the oboe is a nice username, I think.

But I've also got a soft spot for jason's_planet, it must be said. To me, that username evokes the internet circa 1997, a more friendly internet, a "welcome to my homepage, it's always under construction" and a couple of animated gifs type internet.

I mean, I can totally see "Welcome to jason's_planet" written in a red 6 pt font (Times, hopefully) over a spinning globe and on top of a black backround. Then beneath this greeting you'd find a message like "Here you can find out more about me or you can look at the CDs I own or you can see some pictures of my cat or you can visit som of my favorite links". Nad then you'd click on "links" because dammit you like links and then you'd be transported like magic to a new page and it'd be all like "Funny stuff

• Watch coffee being brewed
• Frog in a blender

..." and so on and so forth and then you'd click the "Frog in a blender" one and then you forgot all about the homepage of jason - jason's_planet - but it was there and that's all that mattered cos it was all so very very beautiful
posted by soundofsuburbia at 2:23 PM on October 7 [36 favorites]

Personally, I like IRFH, Kabbadi, Marisa, Steve Elvis America and the like, but I find them very difficult to tell apart sometimes. Pot/kettle (heh) perhaps: I wonder if people feel the same way about longer lowercase names without spacing.

Cultural references sometimes rub me the wrong way, they can come across as trying a bit hard. You know the old cultural shibboleth, "are you cool enough to get this" thing. Beanplating though, probably. And then here again I'm completely inconsistent, because I love dirtynumbangelboy, Doublewhiskeycokenoice, grapefruitmoon *and* swordfishtrombones...

Often I like the simple ones best: "languagehat" is pithy, to the point but imaginative nonetheless. I like "creasy boy" because it's a cool story.

Oh, and then there's If You Ain't Dutch, You Ain't Much. :)

Burhanistan: "I keep pronouncing it g'nifty in my head.

That's because that is the way you're supposed to pronounce it."

Sorry, Witty suggested "nifty" when I first came here and the silent "g" stuck ever since. He wasn't alone, it turns out.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 2:23 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

Julia F***ing Sugarbaker!
posted by stefanie at 2:24 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

Oh, and "madamjujujive"!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 2:25 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Kattullus: I can't tell if this is a joke or not but here's the origin of Blazecock Pileon: "Your blog got metafiltered and the bad boyfriends there are having their usual blazecock pileon over it."

And here's the post where she coined the phrase by misspelling blasé.
posted by team lowkey at 2:26 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I really like mygothlaundry (and her username).
posted by small_ruminant at 2:31 PM on October 7

CitrusFreak12 is the best user with the worst name.
posted by ColdChef at 2:50 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

hoppita! moppita! hoppitamoppita!
posted by hoppitamoppita at 3:00 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I'm not all knife fights and sweat sailor armpits. I have a soft side.
posted by Schmoopy at 3:07 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Or which pc users know how to cut and paste.

And here I always thought it was which MeFites know their HTML entities.
posted by Zed at 3:09 PM on October 7

I wish I could change my name. I would be Honeybun Bazoom. At least one other user would get it.
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:14 PM on October 7

Drama Penguin.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:14 PM on October 7

I've always been admired Secret Life of Gravy as a username.
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:15 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Awwwwww! Somebody lurved me! Of all the threads where I expect to get name-checked, this wasn't it. My username is actually embarrassingly lame to me now in that "Oh geez. It's the name of the LJ I had five years ago because I couldn't be bothered to think of a better name."

Shibboleth would be a pretty badass username. Not for me, but for someone.

My favorite that no one has mentioned would have to be The Great Big Mulp, who is also a pretty awesome guy, though not very big.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:20 PM on October 7

I like Game Warden To The Events Rhino. Yes, I know it's a Chris Morris reference.
posted by WPW at 3:27 PM on October 7

evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight

Get out! That's awesome.

n'thing: weretable and the undead chairs
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 3:32 PM on October 7 [3 favorites]

I just hate it when people can't think up something original, especially those sci-fi geeks. Yeesh.
posted by Atreides at 3:34 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

""Oh geez. It's the name of the LJ I had five years ago because I couldn't be bothered to think of a better name.""

Heh. I've got mine because I screwed up registration on, like, the first three names I tried (PayPal troubles), so I'm stuck with this one that I made up for a Monster Rancher game years ago. Only later did I realize the Kraftwerk connection, and it was just a year or two ago that someone told me there was BDSM equipment called called klangs. It's apparently also a city in Malaysia and an album by both The Rakes and Stockhausen. THANKS WIKIPEDIA
posted by klangklangston at 3:35 PM on October 7

Yeah, people who can't be bothered to think of anything original are the worst.
posted by WPW at 3:35 PM on October 7

This isn't over!
posted by Passillododorconquail Buttonquivorybidododorbacon at 3:40 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I like eyeballkid because I think of the description of the eyeball kid from Tom Waits. And anything that makes me think of Tom Waits makes me happy.

*searches for "rtha"*

Neighborhood Link - River Trails Homeowners Association, Fort ...? No. Siddh?rtha Gautama? Nope, something broke there. Geeta:rtha Sangrah? Again, no. Ma rtha Ada line ( G ILLESPIE ) DUCKWORTH Fam ily Reunion ab out 1920? Oh, weird PDF conversion - nope.

*searches for RTHA GOEA RLHA*

Ah, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, and rough-legged hawk.

Crazy birders and their abbreviations that are longer to say than the bird name (though probably handy for short-hand note-taking).

Me? I like the idea that cameras steal light, or souls. The former from a /. post that I remembered incorrectly (ErWenn found the post for me, thanks!); the latter from an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark
posted by filthy light thief at 3:42 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Maybe not so much "coolest" or "most inventive," but I'd like to give shoutouts to Cool Papa Bell and Mayor Curley, because knowing their usernames led me to correctly answer trivia questions I would otherwise have missed.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:45 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I think when you turn 18, everyone should be required to change their legal name to their message board handle, and have to use it for the rest of their life.
posted by empath at 3:49 PM on October 7

I hate the name Game Warden to the Events Rhino. I hate it because it's just so fantastic it makes me sad that it's not my username.

I keep daydreaming about shelling out $5 to get a new, cooler username. It'd be so nice for something fresh. I even have one in mind, and it's not even a long one, either! One short, little word, and it'd be awesome.... But, of course, I know as soon as I got the new account, I'd start thinking it sucked.
posted by Ms. Saint at 3:50 PM on October 7

I always liked "a robot made out of meat".
posted by idiomatika at 3:50 PM on October 7

no matches for BOOBS across MetaFilter members

But there is B(oYo)BIES.
posted by DarkForest at 3:51 PM on October 7

Julia F***ing Sugarbaker!

Agreed. Love, love, love.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 4:03 PM on October 7

I like oozy rat in a sanitary zoo. I knew there was something cool about it but it took me a moment to figure out what it was and when I did I was so pleased with myself. Plus it shortens nicely to "oozy" OR "rat".
posted by The Bellman at 4:04 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I think when you turn 18, everyone should be required to change their legal name to their message board handle, and have to use it for the rest of their life.

You have one message board handle? I have four "themes" for handles, and this nick doesn't fall into those categories. I like making up nicknames, especially when my preferential options are often taken.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:08 PM on October 7

I don't understand.

Enough already?
posted by Nick Verstayne at 4:09 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I'm really happy that Metafilter lets you have a space in your username, and I like all the other names with two words, a space and normal capitalization.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 4:16 PM on October 7

the littlest brussels sprout

Only cause it does what it says on the tin, makes me think of a charming kindergarten book, so all their comments sound to me like some steady narrator in a BBC children's show.
posted by The Whelk at 4:24 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

klangklangston, what you should have gotten from Google was this
posted by The Whelk at 4:26 PM on October 7

makes me think of a charming kindergarten book

Yes!
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 4:29 PM on October 7

ColdChef, you have good taste in users, and names.
posted by The Whelk at 4:34 PM on October 7

My S.O. and I were brainstorming titles for the children's books that we will write someday. One was "The Littlest Brussels Sprout." The main character will have a heart of gold and a sunny disposition, and will manage to overcome adversity despite being one of the world's most hated vegetables. The End.

Ahahah! I had no idea. See, it is perfect.
posted by The Whelk at 4:34 PM on October 7

My favourite was cunt, but they didn't get away with it for very long before the banhammer fell.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:39 PM on October 7

My favorite that no one has mentioned would have to be The Great Big Mulp, who is also a pretty awesome guy, though not very big.

Well, yeah, but he's big for a mulp.
posted by Caduceus at 4:41 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

oh! And my name came from the fact that I lurked for YEARS until last year. I was thinking about joining for a long time, but I didn't want to commit to a username cause I don't like permanent things and I was stressing and havering about it (cause I had other Big Internet Names, not on this site, that I couldn't use and where...uh a little ashamed by), and then the DFW thread appeared and I got good and sad and drunk and an old episode of Monty Python was on and I said "fuck it, The Whelk". And I feel pretty good about it.

The added FF3/6 reference is sheer bonus.
posted by The Whelk at 4:42 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I like that my username is so clever that people don't realize how clever it is.
posted by Eideteker at 4:52 PM on October 7

I like that my username is so clever that people don't realize how clever it is.

I can summon you with the right Materia, right?
posted by The Whelk at 4:54 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

After a cursory scan of the username infodump...

Like:

Uppity Pigeon #2
everybody polka
hot little pancake
ThwartBot2000
coconaut
downing street memo
Man With Lantern
evil, goateed spock
terry nutkins

WTF:

jagged glass dildo
Wreath Ass
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 5:03 PM on October 7

"klangklangston, what you should have gotten from Google was this"

i use the dictionary not the google tube lol what are you illiterate
posted by klangklangston at 5:03 PM on October 7

The stirfry
posted by stirfry at 5:03 PM on October 7

overanxious ducksqueezer
posted by contrariwise at 5:04 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Also, I hate the name Blazecock Pileon, it's stupid and suggestive without meaning anything. Lame.

Yeah, well, your face.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:06 PM on October 7 [25 favorites]

i use the dictionary not the google tube lol what are you illiterate


lol butts
posted by The Whelk at 5:11 PM on October 7

I always loved HENRY ROLLINS. The creativity is not so much in the name as in the capitalization, with CAPS LOCK being the purest personification of the being that is HENRY ROLLINS. I almost felt like the man himself was screamtalking or yellchatting on Metafilter, whenever he commented.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:11 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

there are lots of great usernames on mefi, many acknowledged here, but I'd like to take a moment to share with you all my fave monkeyfilter user name of all time: Felonius Drunk. it's pretty awesome....now back to your regularly scheduled 'filter.
posted by supermedusa at 5:17 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Sounds like a real name, but it's actually fake.

This is why I don't come to your meet ups.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:17 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Rhaomi i writes "shmegegge - Because it reminds me of a line from an old episode of the Rugrats that made me giggle like a fiend when I was 7 ('Boris, are you alright? Did you hurt your shmegegge?')"

shmegegge is responsible for far and away the biggest, longest, handle related laugh I've ever had.
posted by Mitheral at 5:40 PM on October 7

I just thought of two more usernames that I like:

JuiceBoxHero

deern the headlice
posted by amyms at 5:48 PM on October 7

"lol butts"

For a long time prior to signing up, Klang Klangston was my fake name for stuff where I thought I was likely to get sent junk mail, e.g. Kroger Cards.

But lately, I've been using Lowell Buttz.
posted by klangklangston at 5:53 PM on October 7 [5 favorites]

Can anyone see the name kittens for breakfast without singing it? And getting the song lyrics permanently changed in the mental playback? And is that a good thing or a bad thing?
posted by dilettante at 6:12 PM on October 7

The bizarre and hilarious usernames were what first attracted me to MetaFilter.

But it was the Cabal that implored me to stay.

[SFX: DOOR KNOCKING]

N_O_D: Hold on, I'm coming! . . .

[SFX: FOOTSHTEPS, DOOR OPENING]

N_O_D: Yes, can I-- waaagh!

[SFX: SOMETHING SQUISHY]
posted by not_on_display at 6:13 PM on October 7

every time I see rtha, I think "Read The Hucking Annual?"

Really? I think "Wu-Thang Clan."
posted by Jon-o at 6:16 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

kittens for breakfast, and seconding weapons-grade pandemonium. :D
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 6:26 PM on October 7

Ive always liked "gyres and gimbles in the wabe."
posted by vronsky at 6:32 PM on October 7

yoink is excellent. And how can you not love potsmokinghippieoverlord?
posted by rtha at 6:34 PM on October 7

Let me just say my name is terrible. It was my Yahoo mail when I first got online circa* '96 and for some reason just kept typing it into signup forms.

Let is count the ways it is terrible:
1) It refers to a song by The Who. Only jonmc and probably like 8 other people get this reference.
2) It has the number eleven after it for no reason at all, except that "drjimmy, drjimmy1" et al were taken on Yahoo in 1996.
3) It implies I am a doctor. I am not.
4) It implies I am named Jimmy. I am not.
5) It vaguely sounds like I am bragging about having an 11 inch penis, which I am not and do not.


*I had been on Commodore BBSs in the 80s but dropped out for a while.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:41 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

No one has mentioned Mountain Goatse?
posted by procrastination at 6:41 PM on October 7

My favourite was cunt...
posted by PeterMcDermott

surprise, surprise!
posted by vronsky at 6:45 PM on October 7

Oh man, if I were signing up all over again I'd pick "Four Out of Five Dentists" as my username, and every time I had a good answer in AskMe people would be all like "yeah, listen to Four Out of Five Dentists!" and it would be CLEV-AR.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:46 PM on October 7 [5 favorites]

If it's any consolation, drjimmy11, you're my favorite awesome-user-with-terrible-username.
posted by Kwine at 6:56 PM on October 7

New quiz: Metafilter username or Tweet?
posted by qvantamon at 7:15 PM on October 7

I'm rather fond of asciident. Also, the name Frobenius Twist rolls off the tongue quite nicely.
posted by velvet winter at 7:20 PM on October 7

I also really like Boone and his Magical Flying Bearskin Rug and also EMOTI-KHANS.
posted by vronsky at 7:25 PM on October 7

I must be one of the other 8, drjimmy11, because I can't read your username without hearing the song. Which means that your name, quite literally, rocks.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:32 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

I'm happy with my username (enough that I use it everywhere else as well), but I have a such a backlog of awesome alternatives, most of them using the "long absurdist phrase" naming convention. When I signed up, I didn't realize I could use caps or spaces. If only...

*adds "Long Absurdist Phrase Naming Convention" to list*
posted by brundlefly at 7:37 PM on October 7

I've always liked the name Fluffy Battle Kitten.
posted by octothorpe at 7:42 PM on October 7

Born With Googly Eyes? The dreaded Captain Lint Roller?
posted by vronsky at 7:48 PM on October 7

Who's the man? I'm the man. I'm a bad man. How bad? Real bad. I got mentioned twice after only making 3 comments in MetaTalk! Just think what I'll do with more activity here! I'll be making gravy without the lumps, donuts without the holes, Big Macs with my own secret sauce, baby. And don't tell me I owe everything to Ben Edlund and Richard Liebmann-Smith, because I know who owes who, who's got the biggest IOU and it's I. M. Me, baby. It's a shame I can't type fast as I can talk, or you'd see some major messaging with an explosive aftertaste because I am The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight, Pacific Lights-Out Time!!
posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 7:50 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

*sob*

I don't have the faintest idea WHY I picked the user name I did. I've never used it before or since for any reason. I blame it on the fact I signed up on a very hectic day.
posted by Windigo at 7:55 PM on October 7

Oh, flibbertigibbet! I always thought she was a he, named 'Flibbert I. Gibbet', but little did I know!

Why I say, it's Flibbert the Third to my friends, not that you'd know that.

;)
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:56 PM on October 7

My favourite has always been Faint of Butt.
posted by czechmate at 8:00 PM on October 7

Thanks to sambosambo and dirtdirt, I started noticing and feeling kinship towards fellow repeated-word-usernamed-MeFites.

Oh, but anitanita really confuses me because I think it's me if I read the name quickly, then freak out over not remembering a comment/post I made.
posted by NikitaNikita at 8:12 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

My three faves, which I enjoyed getting mixed up from time to time, are:

fucker, fishfucker and fivefreshfish.
posted by Lynsey at 8:18 PM on October 7

I'm happy with my username (enough that I use it everywhere else as well)...

posted by brundlefly

I don't know how you can stand always being reminded of that movie.
posted by Jaltcoh at 8:20 PM on October 7

So what is the Favoriting etiqutte when someone mentions your name? On the one hand it seems slightly egotistical but then again it seems like bad manners not to acknowledge the shout out. Hmmmm

Going with a stout Favoriting! Cause a favorite never hurts.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:24 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I like saying flabdablet.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:25 PM on October 7

No one's mentioned Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese or Enron Hubbard?
posted by oaf at 8:25 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

Oh, and a shout-out to my homies:
insertobscureculturalreferencehere
Obscure Injoke
obscure_shells
Obscure Reference
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:28 PM on October 7

Oh, and I also like freshwater_pr0n because it makes me think of a verrrrry verrrrry naughty shrimp.

And verrrrry verrrrry naughty shrimp are funny to think about, no?
posted by NikitaNikita at 8:36 PM on October 7

Mentioning AsYouKnow Bob and Slap*Happy cause thier names make me grin whenever I see them pop up.
posted by The Whelk at 8:42 PM on October 7

schmucko!!
posted by not_on_display at 8:56 PM on October 7

And verrrrry verrrrry naughty shrimp are funny to think about, no?

What's very sad is, I don't think I ever got "pr0n" = "prawn" until RIGHT NOW. Oh, man.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:11 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

And that, Marjorie --- just so you will know --- and your children will someday know --- is the night the lights went out in Georgia!
posted by Julia F***ing Sugarbaker at 9:15 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I'm biased since she's a friend but I really do like the username SheMulp AKA Plus 1.

It's just fun to say.
posted by Kattullus at 9:24 PM on October 7

When I joined, I had a few people send me PMs saying they liked my name. I felt loved.
posted by hellojed at 9:51 PM on October 7

I like mattdidthat... it's snappy. "Oh, that post and/or comment? Yeah, mattdidthat did that."
posted by malapropist at 9:51 PM on October 7

I like silky green belly. Oh, and Fiasco da Gama. And a lot of the ones that have been mentioned already.
posted by Neofelis at 10:21 PM on October 7

Apparently I should post more often.
posted by The same thing we do every night, Pinky at 11:39 PM on October 7

Like NikitaNikita, Sambosambo introduced to the wonderful confusion of double-name kinship. I was first bewildered to be listed by Sambosambo as kin, and then positively tickled.

And I wouldn't mind being mistaken for NikitaNikita - it's like earning doublepoints for thoughtful and witty contributions without even trying!

*Double-waves at NikitaNikita, SamboSambo and DirtDirt*
posted by anitanita at 11:49 PM on October 7 [1 favorite]

It only occurred to me on my walk home today that iamkimiam's username may--nay, must, now--be sung as alternate lyrics to the chorus from REM's "Superman." (I know, I know, it's an obscure cover.)

I am
I am
I am Kim, I am
And I know what's happening.

(Hey! Hey!)
posted by Skot at 11:53 PM on October 7 [2 favorites]

I don't know if it necessarily counts as inventive, but I've always liked Science! because I hear it in my head in this enthusiastic voice.
posted by Nattie at 12:57 AM on October 8 [1 favorite]

*bloop*

/Initiate BOARDING.exe
/ IF ain'tneverknownanightlikeit = true THEN echo "thems as dies'll be the lucky 'uns"

Yaaaar!
posted by dreadpiraterobots at 1:03 AM on October 8

You should probably hear it in your head in a pompous, didactic and totally batshitinsane voice. (Although I can't seem to find the relevant thread.)
posted by dersins at 1:04 AM on October 8

I think all my others have been mentioned here, but you all failed to tag the lovely and delightful The corpse in the library (who also happens to haz a faahbulous web site).
posted by taz at 1:40 AM on October 8

Going with a stout Favoriting! Cause a favorite never hurts.

Secret Life of Gravy, I'm with you. I'm stoked I was mentioned. hoopy has been my user name on just about everything internet that I've been on since 1994 but it wasn't available here so I had to go the number thing. The thing about hoopy as a nick is that the word looks good written down but sounds ridiculous when you say 'oh yeah hi, I'm hoopy'. You may as well be saying 'hi, my name is plinkyplonk'. It sounds silly said out loud.

My favourite user names are rottytooth (which I sometimes use in conversation now) and robocop is bleeding.
posted by h00py at 3:54 AM on October 8

I always thought backseatpilot was a really funny name.
posted by not_on_display at 4:03 AM on October 8

- the duck by the oboe
- da-da-da-Dave
- BitterOldPunk
- humannaire
- stavrosthewonderchicken
- shmegegge

And a couple more brilliant ones but they aren't coming to mind right now.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:15 AM on October 8

I'm trying to remember which username showed me the light regarding longer names back when I signed up. I had thought it was Turtles all the way down, but cursory investigation shows that not only did we sign up on the same day, but I beat him by 90 signups.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:35 AM on October 8

The thing about hoopy as a nick is that the word looks good written down but sounds ridiculous when you say 'oh yeah hi, I'm hoopy'. You may as well be saying 'hi, my name is plinkyplonk'. It sounds silly said out loud.

Heeee. "Hooopy." Yes, when you say it out loud it is hard to sound dignified. And that opens up a whole new can 'O worms: how does your username sound when you introduce yourself in meatspace?

Fiasco da Gama

I am sooo swiping that.

We have a cat named Vasco da Gama who chose to go over and live with the neighbors because he likes their food better. He shows up occasionally to see what treats we are handing out. Last night, for example, I was just putting the meatloaf away when he strolled in. I was so excited by his visit, I pinched off a corner to reward him. Then our two resident cats protested that they never get meatloaf so I had to toss them each a mouthful. Which made the bulldog very indignant. etc, etc. So he is pretty much a Fiasco da Gama in the same way that Eustace, the Black Monk, is such a bizarre cat he is more like a Foostace.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:19 AM on October 8

I don't know if it necessarily counts as inventive, but I've always liked Science! because I hear it in my head in this enthusiastic voice.

I always hear that guy from the song "She Blinded Me With Science."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:30 AM on October 8 [1 favorite]

dong_resin
light_speedos
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 6:33 AM on October 8

As far as Spanish explorers go, I've always had a soft spot for Alfredo Nuñez Cabeza da Vaca, though I don't believe that's a username yet.
posted by klangklangston at 8:10 AM on October 8

So his name is Alfredo Nuñez "Head of Cow"? Do I have that right?
posted by ocherdraco at 8:16 AM on October 8

Si, claro. Claro que si.
posted by klangklangston at 8:22 AM on October 8

"Cow's Head."

c.1490–c.1557, Spanish explorer. Cabeza de Vaca [cow's head] was not actually a surname but a hereditary title in his mother's family; he is frequently called simply Álvar Núñez.
posted by zarq at 8:24 AM on October 8 [1 favorite]

You COULD call him simply Álvar Núñez (which I apparently misremembered as Alfredo), but that leaves out the cool-ass "Cow's Head" part.
posted by klangklangston at 8:27 AM on October 8 [1 favorite]

I always hear that guy from the song "She Blinded Me With Science."

Dr. Magnus Pyke.

I must admit I think Empress Callipygos is a pretty cool user name, along with many others already mentioned.
posted by immlass at 8:32 AM on October 8

A lot of my favorites have been mentioned, but here a few more:

goodnewsfortheinsane
kingfisher, his musclebound cat
interrobang
posted by trip and a half at 8:46 AM on October 8

oh, and the quidnunc kid
posted by trip and a half at 8:52 AM on October 8

kingfisher, his musclebound cat is my favorite MetaFilter username
posted by Kattullus at 8:58 AM on October 8

*searches for "rtha"*

I feel your pain. Where's the love for acronymic abbreviations?
posted by 1f2frfbf at 10:09 AM on October 8

I feel your pain. Where's the love for acronymic abbreviations?

For the longest time I pronounced your username in my head as something like "luff to furf burf," until I got the Dr. Seuss reference.
posted by dersins at 10:25 AM on October 8

For the longest time I pronounced your username in my head as something like "luff to furf burf," until I got the Dr. Seuss reference. (dersins)

This is basically correct for me also, only replace "until I got the Dr. Seuss reference" to "until dersins posted that comment just now." ocherdraco fun! fact!:One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish was the very first book I ever read.
posted by ocherdraco at 11:02 AM on October 8 [2 favorites]

The first time I saw 1f2frfbf's username my brain immediately went to Dr. Seuss. Brains are weird.
posted by rtha at 11:03 AM on October 8

I always like saying pinksoftsoap out loud, and my favorite user with my favorite user name has to be stavros the wonderchicken.
posted by msali at 11:09 AM on October 8

stavrosthewonderchicken. I joined MeFightclub partially because something run/started by a guy who calls himself stavrosthewonderchicken couldn't be that bad. It was a great decision.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 11:26 AM on October 8

Brains are weird.

But tasty...


I kinda miss Astro Zombie 2 & Astro Zombie 3.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:32 AM on October 8

Oh, having just seen some of his comments today—Kid Ichorous makes me smile every time I see his name.
posted by klangklangston at 11:47 AM on October 8

This one time, I found an idle user whose name was an image. (It's since been squashed by an admin.) When I added the user as a contact, it blowed up the sidebar.
posted by Plutor at 11:50 AM on October 8

I kinda miss Astro Zombie 2

Haven't you been getting my postcards?
posted by Astro Zombie 2 at 12:31 PM on October 8

Funny story: Part of the reason I waited so long to make an account here (after I realized I spent more time on MeFi at work than on work at work) was to come up with a username that was clever enough.

But then I forgot what it was and used this instead.
posted by The Lurkers Support Me in Email at 12:39 PM on October 8 [1 favorite]

I think that I would have been mentioned by now if industrial valves were interesting, funny or popular.

But they're not.
posted by double block and bleed at 1:04 PM on October 8 [1 favorite]

luff to furf burf

FURF BURF MEFI READER
posted by Zed at 1:13 PM on October 8 [1 favorite]

What always surprises me is seeing a username like The Lurkers Support Me in Email and wondering which of the usual suspects ponied up $5 for yet another sock puppet account only to find that it's a whole new user. Neato. We should make a wiki page with some username groups

- acronym usernames
- plays off of other usernames
- one-off joke usernames
- multiple usernames, same user [the Astro Zombies, the crash davises]
- "it's just my damned name" [i.e. me]
- the oranges and the pinks and the other color usernames

what else?
posted by jessamyn at 3:56 PM on October 8

- usernames that are cultural references which could be subdivided into movies, music, literature, pop culture, internet memes etc.
- usernames that seem like real names but aren't (Nick Verstayne, Brandon Blatcher etc.)
posted by Kattullus at 4:01 PM on October 8 [1 favorite]

What always surprises me is seeing a username like The Lurkers Support Me in Email and wondering which of the usual suspects ponied up $5 for yet another sock puppet account only to find that it's a whole new user.

It wasn't me.
posted by The Usual Suspect at 4:03 PM on October 8 [4 favorites]

That is Brandon's real name. Isn't it? Is this some sort of weird joke that I am not getting?
posted by jessamyn at 4:14 PM on October 8 [1 favorite]

I don't know how you can stand always being reminded of that movie.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.
posted by brundlefly at 4:19 PM on October 8

That is Brandon's real name. Isn't it? Is this some sort of weird joke that I am not getting?

Indeed.
posted by dersins at 4:25 PM on October 8

(Followup here.)
posted by dersins at 4:26 PM on October 8

-usernames that are sentences, punctuated or otherwise (my favourites)
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 4:30 PM on October 8

- those with no particular etymology at all (mine)
posted by Plutor at 6:27 PM on October 8

those that belong to the Emperor,
embalmed ones,
those that are trained,
suckling pigs,
mermaids,
fabulous ones,
stray dogs,
those included in the present classification,
those that tremble as if they were mad,
innumerable ones,
those drawn with a very fine camelhair brush,
others,
those that have just broken a flower vase,
those that from a long way off look like flies.
posted by empath at 6:42 PM on October 8 [3 favorites]

- usernames that are cultural references which could be subdivided into movies, music, literature, pop culture, internet memes etc.

I really like this category of usernames because of the serendipitous nature of stumbling across their meaning eg the duck by the oboe.

Also, a special mention must go to hatifattener, the name I am most jealous not to have.
posted by Miss Otis' Egrets at 7:27 PM on October 8

Part of the reason I waited so long to make an account here (after I realized I spent more time on MeFi at work than on work at work) was to come up with a username that was clever enough.

Me too, sort of. There were several occasions when I thought of a good user name, but I had nothing in particular to say at that moment. Then when I did have something to say, and wanted to create an account, I couldn't remember any of the good names I'd previously thought up.

So one morning I was walking to work, and thinking of a song that includes that quote about how a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. It struck me that 'fishbike' would be a good user name for someone who is ultimately of no actual use whatsoever.

Learning from past experience, I signed up the same day, before I forgot again.

(and then forgot I had wanted to enter it as all lower-case, like the cool kids do)
posted by FishBike at 7:10 AM on October 9

cortex
languagehat
MiguelCardoso
ColdChef
caddis
vacapinta
konolia

I have absolutely no idea why, but these usernames ... and therefore, in my mind, these mefites ... bring sexy back! Weird.
posted by thinkpiece at 7:39 AM on October 9 [1 favorite]

If I had it to do over again I would have called myself fornix. Simply because the neurons I study are found near the fornix, which is funny to me because a friend in high school used to call me "Fornix", because he liked the idiocy of saying "Fornix... the fornicator..." as a Saturday Night Live copy-guy skit-type play on my last name.

Years later I learned that the fornix is so named because it arches through the brain like ceiling vaults. Which led me to the fact that fornices (vaulted ceilings) were often found in the small rooms in which people had sex with prostitutes, hence the term "fornication". And thus my clever name would have come full circle.

But no, I had to go and use the phrase written on the top of the frog bucket. Oh well.
posted by caution live frogs at 10:01 AM on October 9 [6 favorites]

Most everyone else is mentioning some real username gems, but those two (sorry guys) sound like usernames that were trying to be "Coolest usernames."

Actually, it's the title of a song. Just to clarify that I wasn't gunning for Coolest Username.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:16 AM on October 9

But no, I had to go and use the phrase written on the top of the frog bucket. Oh well.

Personally, I think 'caution live frogs' is cooler anyway. I know what it's really supposed to mean, but I love how it can be interpreted to mean that there's some incredible hazard involved. What manner of frogs are these to merit a warning label normally reserved for explosives, radioactive materials, and explicit song lyrics?

Also +1 cool point for working somewhere that a frog bucket is an actual thing.
posted by FishBike at 11:24 AM on October 9 [1 favorite]

deanc: "In part because "East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion" is a mouthful without being amusing"

Actually, East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 was a member of the Pinawa Bay High School Okkadu, who in 1994 won East Manitoba's Regional Junior championship. They were upset in the semi-finals the following year, and then he was injured in the very first match in 1996. He's since retired from Kabaddi competition.

So have some respect.
posted by Plutor at 12:40 PM on October 9

BarnyFifesBullet
xyzzy
y2karl

perhaps I am just stuck in my ways
posted by caddis at 12:58 PM on October 9

For NikitaNikita:

A list of all the duplicated-word names from TPAA's username dump:

rramrram, mm, cc, mimi, napsternapster, meme, betobeto, aa, jj, rjsjrjsj, vivi, pppp, BB, joraijorai, lulu, vava, leelee, bbbb, aaaaaa, jezjez, blahblah, ponpon, karlkarl, uuuuuu, hhhh, gkgk, vbvb, fourfour, popepope, pikapika, yesyes, mobmob, bwbw, beepbeep, tintin, zazazaza, tata, blabla, toto, kaikai, bubu, JohnnyJohnny, elenitsaelenitsa, kiki, yoyo, keke, jennyjenny, shosho, dfgdfgdfgdfg, nannan, zuzu, dodo, LAYLAY, SS, finselfinsel, qq, jferjfer, yy, mmmm, rara, jojo, kookoo, millamilla, TskTsk, zsazsa, mbd1mbd1, humuhumu, BaMBaM, bendybendy, murmur, AAAA, sksk, kk, huzzahhuzzah, m0nm0n, maremare, atlatl, chrchr, gatsugatsu, juju, sambosambo, maggiemaggie, dirtdirt, MjrMjr, dindin, inging, viiviiviivii, chaschas, bouncebounce, asdfasdfasdfasdf, LisaLisa, mingusmingus, rongorongo, bpbp, macmac, prettypretty, godotgodot, mejmej, froufrou, jamjam, gg, baklavabaklava, ww, fydfyd, diplomacydiplomacy, jtajta, parmanparman, tingting, tdtd, powpow, elkelk, domdom, muymuy, deirdeir, cvcvcvcv, junjun, shwshw, tk421tk421, nkknkk, NikitaNikita, wenwen, odayoday, wylgwylg, NowNow, ThomThomThomThom, picapica, ChaCha, weoweo, jakejake, JoeyJoey, lulululu, winwin, la3la3, torietorie, rr, shinyshiny, ginagina, stanleystanley, adamadam, rabbitrabbit, secretsecret, meremere, patientpatient, daisydaisy, harnharn, betsybetsy, roro, mishmish, bonbon, wawawawa, ChuraChura, choochoo, gallusgallus, dd, rolandroland, xexe, quoquo

This is ignoring those with varying capitalization or a space/dash/underscore/etc. separating the two halves.

I also left out all the names consisting entirely of punctuation or other symbols probably not meant to be read as "words", but here they are anyway:

( . )( . ), ( · )( · ), ( • )( • ), ||||||, º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º, ??????????, __, ''

Aren't regular expressions fun?
posted by ErWenn at 2:34 PM on October 9 [6 favorites]

What about the ones that repeat themselves more than twice, like my friend cristinacristinacristina?
posted by ocherdraco at 2:47 PM on October 9

but I love how it can be interpreted to mean that there's some incredible hazard involved.

Which, of course, leads me to want someone to replace the caution: frogs with something more... significant:

"CAUTION LIVE FROGS; LEVEL A/ TYPE 1 HAZMAT REQUIRED/ RELEASE ONLY ON CONSECRATED GROUND/ DO NOT EAT"
posted by quin at 3:26 PM on October 9

/!\ ☢ CAUTION! LIVE FROGS! CAUTION! ☢ /!\
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:39 PM on October 9

Faint of Butt is the only one I want to steal.

Not a fan of the long names which are trying too hard, but some of the users behind them are real flash coves.
posted by fleacircus at 3:40 PM on October 9

What's a flash cove?

I have been thinking about this and I think Marisa Stole the Precious Thing is my all time fave, because while some of the jokier names get old the 100th time you've seen them, Marisa's still sounds cool.
posted by vronsky at 4:48 PM on October 9

What's a flash cove?

Victorian slang for 'swell dude'
posted by empath at 7:21 PM on October 9

i'm sometimes surprised by the completely random and useless information like that, that i know for no apparent reason and can immediately recall, while I can't remember to take out the trash or go to the bank or buy milk from the store.
posted by empath at 7:26 PM on October 9

ocherdraco: What about the ones that repeat themselves more than twice, like my friend cristinacristinacristina?

I guess I'm doing requests now.

Triples:
y6y6y6, aaaaaa, jpbjpbjpb, borkborkbork, uuuuuu, qqq, jjj, ggg, hhh, UUU, ppp, mememe, vvv, mtmtmt, xxx, tototo, mmm, ktktkt, ||||||, blahblahblah, ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜, marciamarciamarcia, cancancan, okokok, BusyBusyBusy, nicnicnic, cmcmcm, musicmusicmusic, nomnomnom, bellbellbell, djdjdj, calcalcal, cristinacristinacristina, exxexxexx

Quadruples:
pppp, bbbb, hhhh, zazazaza, dfgdfgdfgdfg, mmmm, AAAA, viiviiviivii, asdfasdfasdfasdf, cvcvcvcv, ThomThomThomThom, lulululu, wawawawa

Quintuples:
aaaaa, ppppp, mmmmm, ggggg, kkkkk, ?????, ??????????, dotdotdotdotdot

Sextuples:
aaaaaa, uuuuuu, ||||||

Septuples:
ppppppp

Nonuples:
˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜

Decuples:
??????????

I checked for 11s and 13s too, which means there's nothing else under 17, and if there's something higher, it's got only largish prime factors, so that seems unlikely.

Any other simple searches?

Maybe I'll go looking for palindromes...I think that might be beyond the capability of regular expressions, however.
posted by ErWenn at 7:26 PM on October 9

Maybe I'll go looking for palindromes...I think that might be beyond the capability of regular expressions, however.

It's pretty easy using the reverse() function in T-SQL. There are quite a few palindromic names. Here are just those that are 8 characters or longer:

xxx--xxx
Neilalien
..ooOOoo....ooOOoo..
¦ñ°,++,°ñ¦¦ñ°,++,°ñ¦
DrAwkward
aoxomoxoa
o0ll0o.o0ll0o
redivider
YoBananaBoy
jjjjjjjijjjjjjj
eralclare
abbazabba
AndiIdna
wowbobwow
0000000000
??????????
annapanna
jpnggnpj
nattittan
evilolive
Detartrated
droomoord

posted by FishBike at 7:52 PM on October 9 [2 favorites]

Well, who's gonna need to beware of dead frogs? Besides Glen Beck?

Anyway, I would like to form a SuperVillain Alliance with Marisa Stole the Precious Thing, Astro Zombie (and AZ2 & 3), Blazecock Pileon, filthy light thief, and kittens for breakfast.

Also potential members of the MetaFilter SuperVillain Alliance (MeFiSuViAl): ColdChef, brundlefly, COBRA! (I don't care if it's a GIJoe reference or health insurance reference, they're both evil), BitterOldPunk, angry modem, robocop is bleeding (if he takes the credit), DevilsAdvocate, Devils Rancher, weretable and the undead chairs, weapons grade pandemonium, fiercecupcake, the ghost of Ken Lay, Burger-Eating Invasion Monkey, potsmokinghippieoverlord, Enron Hubbard, The Usual Suspect, The same thing we do every night, Pinky , supermedusa, dreadpiraterobots, and evil, goateed spock and the umpteen other mefites with 'evil' in their usernames.

Not sure if fishfucker, CitrusFreak12 and ND¢ would qualify as evil or just kinky. Or if klangklangston is just noisy.

If you're interested, MeFiMail me for secret passwords and Virtual Lair location.

But watch out for the MeFi SuperHeroes, stavrosthewonderchicken, EmpressCallipygos, Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America, stupidsexyFlanders, JuiceBoxHero, ms. saint and the always underrated the littlest brussels sprout.
posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 8:05 PM on October 9 [1 favorite]

evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight, eh?

You misspelled midnite. Twice.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:09 PM on October 9

I can't believe I didn't realize that DrAwkward and YoBananaBoy were palindromes until just now.
posted by ErWenn at 8:19 PM on October 9 [4 favorites]

Just searching through the longer user names turns up some interesting ones.

I suspect jhjhgjkjjhgfhgfhgfhhgfhgfhgfhghghgfhgfh probably had some trouble logging in after creating his or her account.

weapons-grade pandemonium has always been one of my favorite names here, as has You Should See the Other Guy.

Some are pretty clearly references to other user names, like Totally Not Dr. Elvis Steve Whatever, and sChmegegge are you happy now fuckers?.

Astoundingly, there is not only MeTa post #18304's own evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight, but there's also a mad bomber what bombs at midnight. But there's also guy called bicyclefish so what am I laughing about?
posted by FishBike at 8:29 PM on October 9

Long usernames just seemed cool.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:37 PM on October 9

But watch out for the MeFi SuperHeroes...

People. Do you know how hard it is to stitch a superhero cape for a tiny sprout?
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 3:58 AM on October 10

From the username dump:

13150 2001-12-26 03:46:26.513 49%
13151 2001-12-26 03:48:14.990 49.9%
13152 2001-12-26 03:48:55.573 51%
13153 2001-12-26 03:49:36.940 50.1%
13154 2001-12-26 03:50:39.817 49 %
13155 2001-12-26 03:51:31.217 49.9 %
13156 2001-12-26 03:56:32.433 51 %
13157 2001-12-26 03:57:12.833 50.1 %
13158 2001-12-26 03:58:20.930 Where
13160 2001-12-26 03:58:48.790 Where?
13161 2001-12-26 03:59:17.090 When
13162 2001-12-26 04:00:02.433 When?
13163 2001-12-26 04:00:37.070 What
13164 2001-12-26 04:01:02.370 What?
13165 2001-12-26 04:04:07.007 Pourquoi
13166 2001-12-26 04:04:52.627 Pourquoi?
13175 2001-12-26 09:58:25.337 How
13176 2001-12-26 09:59:01.013 How?

Someone must have been having fun with their Christmas money.
posted by DarkForest at 4:23 AM on October 10

Also potential members of the MetaFilter SuperVillain Alliance


Hey! What I don't get to be in the club? Dick. I'm gonna be the Supervillian's Supervillian, just you see.
posted by The Bizzaro Whelk at 6:40 AM on October 10

DarkForest: Someone must have been having fun with their Christmas money.

That's pre-$5-signup.
posted by Kattullus at 7:37 AM on October 10

I like using my real name, but man, it's boring. I wanna be a SuperHero too!
posted by deborah at 7:10 PM on October 10

There's nothing boring about Deborah. It's a name that can express both sophistication and playfulness, and is one of my favorites.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:31 PM on October 10

deborah writes "I wanna be a SuperHero too!"

deborah is obviously your secret identity.
posted by Mitheral at 7:49 PM on October 10 [1 favorite]

I just want to call Forktine out for having an awesome username. I think they would be on the supervillain side.
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 1:02 PM on October 11

I listened to The Red Tape way too much in my formative years.
posted by Lou Stuells at 3:30 PM on October 11

deborah writes I wanna be a SuperHero too!

Mitheral writes deborah is obviously your secret identity.

Well, it was her secret identity. Thanks for telling everybody.
posted by ErWenn at 6:27 PM on October 11

I just want to call Forktine out for having an awesome username.

This makes me wonder: do things other than forks* have tines?

* When I say "fork" here, I'm including not just the salad, dinner, oyster, etc. kinds, but also the tuning and pitch varieties.
posted by ErWenn at 6:32 PM on October 11

This makes me wonder: do things other than forks* have tines? (ErWenn)

Rakes.
posted by ocherdraco at 7:58 PM on October 11 [1 favorite]

Turpens, valens, clemens, phillis, and frankens.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:10 PM on October 11 [5 favorites]