Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Jul 01 - 04:40 PM

Shields Folk, who wrote, "shouldn't the name reflect the people and the area it is in?" For one thing, I'll bet Tallahassee already has many bars that do that, and the owners want something distinctive. For another thing, it's traditional in America to be fake!

I was made aware of this when we had some visitors from the Netherlands. We took them to our Viennese Sommerfest (which happened to be the only outdoor festival going on at the time) which is held annually on the plaza outside Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. They sell Viennese-style sausages, Austrian beer, Austrian wine, etc. Our guests remarked, "Why do they try to make everything look foreign?"

Well, we do it because (a) most of us have European roots, (b) we're so far away from anything genuinely foreign, and (c) we haven't been around long enough to develop many traditions of our own.

Now, I recommend to foreign visitors that they go to the State Fair. You can't get more indigenous than that. Corn dogs! Miller Lite! Fried cheese curds! See the crop art! The butter sculptures!

But that's only if you come during the last week of August. The rest of the time, you might need to settle for Sommerfest.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Jul 01 - 05:01 PM

On principle I'm against changing the name of any pub (apart from the one called after General Haig in Hertford a few miles from me - and there's a few more like that I suppose - most "principles" need to be broken on occasion).

Still, if it's only been going a year it's not a settled name, I suppose.

The Four Provinces is a good name; or the Fifth Province, meaning the diaspora.

The Hanging Chad or the Gerrymander would perhaps be divisive, and dated as well in time. But they sound quite Irish, as well as being indisputably Floridan, and they trip off the tongue well.

The Pogues wouldn't be bad - after all it just means the kisses.

Or The Irish Rover - since that's one song people might have heard of.

The Wild Rover, since most people are (mistakenly) under the impression it is an Irish song, and it's got a good rowdy sound to it might appeal to a management trying to get in a young mob. (Of course it's strictly speaking a Temperance Song, but they might not realise that, since most people singing it certainly don't seem to.)

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Jul 01 - 10:17 PM

A thought on method. Most of the suggestions here appear to be looking for a "cute" name. While almost any of the examples will attract some, almost any of them will turn others off.
The suggestion would be to use an "ordinary" name that can be associated with something "cute."
I don't kow that it would be a particularly good choice, but an example would be the name "The Old Dun Cow." Inocuous for the public visitor, but when the regulars learn the song - it's mildly rowdy, parodies "commercial" Irish stereotypes - fairly gently, and would be an "inside" joke for the regulars.
The problem is that you have to get at least a few of the regulars to sing it fairly often - at least at first.
Then if the joke runs itself out, you just quit singing it.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Jul 01 - 10:27 PM

As it sounds like it's pretending to be what it's not, how about The Contradiction? It is a reel.

Jon

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Jul 01 - 12:47 PM

Planxty Irwin

Jock

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jul 01 - 01:47 PM

Nothing Irish about The Old Dun Cow that I've ever heard. I'd see it as quintessentially English. The kind of thing that makes people love them in spite of everything.

Just because it's a good song doesn't automatically have to mean it's Irish, it just means that sooner or later it'll find a place in the Irish canon.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Jul 01 - 05:09 PM

McGrath of Harlow
Appreciate your comment on the etiology of the Old Dun Cow. I guess I hadn't thought much about where it came from, but a guy I heard once had it mixed in with a bunch of sorta Irish stuff. Hope no one thought I was trying to offend.
Note that I wasn't trying to suggest it as a name for the pub. I was only looking for something that most everyone might know, to illustrate the "approach to how you name it."
Maybe I should have said "Out in cow country, you might name it 'Sue's' and teach everyone to sing "Boy Named Sue."
The suggestion is that the pub name should be something broadly acceptable, and the "hook" is established by associating an 'inside' joke. You can quit telling the joke if it wears out, much more easily than you can change the name of an established business - i.e. you can write a new commercial if you observe 'audience drift' and want to appeal to a new clientel, or modify the "association" for your existing customers.
It's a way to get the hook in - but keep your options open if you later find out you're not catching the "keepers."
A local place in my area (to be left anonymous) went to some lengths to attract a "special" clientel (anonymous, but think euro football teams). They were somewhat successful, but have observed recently that maybe they didn't really want that group as much as they thought. They accurately picked the "association" that would attract a specific customer base, then found that the thing they had associated meant a little more to the customers than they originally thought.
To greatly over-dramatize, one of the "rules" used by a famous (US) frontier leader was "never engage the enemy unless you have a clear line of retreat." Flexibility is good.
John

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 04:15 AM

Big Tim mentioned the Slug and Lettuce. This is now a chain pub name. The one in Winkfield has now reverted to being The Winkfield. UK comedy show I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again had a pub called Ferret and Terrapin but Ferret and .... is now also a chain.There are a lot of pubs based on old jobs: "Blacksmith's Arms" etc. perhaps we ought to go for new ones: "Web Developer's Arms"? (Nah!). To really draw the punters: Banjo and Bodhran or Kazoo and Washboard?
I understand many Irish pubs are named after present or previous owners so folk pub could be Seeger's or Ledbelly's or Guthrie's . Ramblin' Jack's would be a good one.
But I must get down to work...
RtS

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 06:45 AM

I agree that naming after a real person, with a suitable musical connection or background is a good idea. It might be wise to avoid somebody who might just be a current short term hero. In my home town of Bradford we have a sports centre named after Richard Dunn, who used to be a boxer. He put up a good fight against Mohammed Ali, knocking him down in one round. At the time the centre was built this was a recent event, so it was named after him as a local hero. Twenty years down the line, very few of the users know who he was, or why the centre has its name. Sad but true!
At the end of the day (23.59 ?) it is what happens regularly at the bar which keeps people there, not what the bar is called.
Quack!
GtD

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 08:05 AM

But who'd ever have heard about the Marquis of Granby if he hadn't got all those pubs called after him? (He was a military fella in the 18th century who pensioned off lots of his soldiers with pubs.)

God save us from jokey pub names, like the Ferret and Faggot and so forth. (But I think the trend for that might be dying off - near us a Tap and Spile on Stortford went back to being called The Half Moon, and the Firkin and Forest (or whatever) in Epping has gone back to the George and Dragon; and in Harlow they've reverted to the old name for what they tried to call he Pavilion, and it's the Willow Beauty again.

(On the other hand regulars change the name of pubs too - so The Rising Sun in High Wych - a lovely pub with sessions on most Sundays - is always referred to as Sid's, even though the former landlord Sid is long retired and he died a couple of years ago.)

(JohninKansas - it's just that I always feel the English traditions tend to get undervalued - especially by the English, so you could say it serves them right.)

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: gnu
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 08:28 AM

The reason I wanted to know the location was to attempt to tie the Irish theme with the location or it's history. Unfortunately, I know little of the history of the city, or even the state, for that matter. All I can think of off hand is aligators.... The Green Gator or The Gator's Garter, repleat with mascot. Pretty lame, but it was worth a shot.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: GUEST,Guest - Jim McDonald
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 09:11 AM

Not an Irish name but there was a wonderful boozer in Exchange Square, Glasgow which changed it's name from the Exchange Tavern to become the Muscular Arms my favourite is from cartoonist Bill Tidy's Cloggies book they danced at a pub called the Kings Thighs Glug Jim

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 01:32 PM

The Lakes of Pontchartrain is not that far off is it? - then it'd be called the Lakes, which is a good ame for a pub (especially a Dive) (And there's another of those songs that didn't start off as Irish, but has been naturalised now.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: Susie
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 02:20 PM

How about "Finnegan's Wake"?

We have a pub close by of that name and all the verses from the song which are posted around are good "mood" stuff. The walls are plastered with posters and old newspapers - makes for good reading if there's no live music. Susie

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: Hillheader
Date: 17 Jul 01 - 03:21 PM

What about "For Folk's Sake"?

After all is that not what the pub is for?

Any Irish ex pat's would surely be able to pronounce it beteer than I can!

Davebhoy

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: paddymac
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:23 AM

Gnu - the "gator" thing definately would not work in Tallahassee. Tally is the home of Florida State University, whose american footbal team has had quite a good run of success over the last 25 years or so. Their arch rival is the University of Florida, in Gainesville, about 140 miles down the road. Their mascot is one of those slithering reptiles, and their nickname is "The Gators".

Anybody who ever thought about opening a pub would be hard pressed to find better advice about naming than 'Catters have posted here. Thanks to all of you.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: BobP
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 10:58 AM

Call it "Molly's Place" & include a shamrock in the logo.

Molly? There's no Molly!

Because It's Irish, that's why. Just like the name . . . sounds kinda friendly.

Makes no sense?

Does to me . . . I'm Irish and I like it.

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: GUEST,shona
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 01:23 PM

the ducks bum. well you get ducks in ireland!

o'donahues?

hope you find one everyone likes!! :)

Subject: RE: Name suggestions for a fairly new pub.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 05:51 PM

"Finnegan's Wake"

That'd be a great one if you had a combined pub and undertakers the way that is still customary in Ireland. (Tourists seem to find it strange, but surely it seems the most obvious thing in the world to me. Is it normal practice in any other countries?

The Cats is a good name for a pub, and I know of at least one with that name.. Kilkenny Cats or Mudcats according to choice.