New Editor-in-Chief for Names: A Journal of Onomastics
I am pleased to announce that effective 1 January 2019, Dr. Iman Nick, current President of the American Name Society will begin her term as Editor-in-Chief of Names. I would like to welcome her as she undertakes her new duties. She has already served as Guest Editor of three special issues of Names: (1) ‘Names and War’ (58:4 [2010]), (2) ‘Names and the Internet’ (60:4 [2012]), and (3) ‘Names in Science Fiction and Horror’ (64:2 [2016]), so many of you are already familiar with her editorial work. Moreover, she has contributed several articles, notes, and reviews to our journal. She also serves as a member of the editorial advisory board of Names. Let’s welcome Dr. Nick to her new position. Her email is [email protected]. You may begin sending your manuscripts to her immediately.
Appreciation
I would like to thank the members of the Names Editorial Board for their dedication and hard work in making Names: A Journal of Onomastics the excellent journal that it is. They are:
John Algeo (Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia)
Edward Callary (Professor Emeritus, Northern Illinois University)
Christine De Vinne (Ursuline College, Ohio)
Thomas J. Gasque (Professor Emeritus, University of South Dakota)
Margaret Lee (Hampton University)
Michael F. McGoff (Binghamton University, SUNY)
Lisa McNary (North Carolina State University)
Jan Tent (National University of Australia, Canberra, Australia)
Iman L. Nick (Germany)
Peter E. Raper (University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa)
I also wish to thank Chris De Vinne, whose work as Review Editor for the journal is exceptional. She continues to carry out her duties while serving as President of Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. We all appreciate her hard work. Moreover, American Name Society President Iman Nick deserves credit for her tireless and continuous work in improving every aspect of the American Name Society.
It is hard to believe that 11 years have passed since I became editor of Names: A Journal of Onomastics. I have been fortunate to have a great deal of help from many people over the years. I could not have done this job without them. I truly appreciate everyone’s support and help. The job of editor of a journal requires the help and good will of many people at all levels during the publication process: Authors, manuscript reviewers, and many others. It is, indeed, a collaborative and collective process. I wish Names a very successful future under the able leadership and guidance of Dr. Iman Nick.
Name Games
A colleague recently asked if I knew of any name games. I had to think for a moment. A few came to mind immediately. Palindromes are names that are spelled the same backward and foreword, e.g., Ana, Anna, Bob, Eve, and Hannah. Howard W. Bergerson’s book Palindromes and Anagrams (New York: Dover Publications, 1973) contains numerous examples. That same book contains examples of anagrams, which involve the rearrangement of the letters of a name to create a word or phrase related to the person, e.g., “Madam Curie” > “Radium came”, “Eddie Cantor” > “actor indeed”. Finally, James Lipton’s An Exaltation of Larks (New York: Penguin, 1991) contains lists of collective names of animals, e.g., “A swarm of bees”, “a gam/pod of whales”, “a school of fish”, and so forth. Subsequently, Lipton offers amusing collective names for people, e.g., “a complex of psychoanalysts”, “a brace of orthodontists”, and “a crouch of catchers”. Space does not allow for more examples.