Magic trick names are weird
- Thread starter Ben Long
- Start date
In my opinion, the name of a creation should be left ENTIRELY down to it's creator.
We have as much right to suggest alternative titles for magic effects as we do songs... Would we tell Robert Smith (of the cure, not the magician) to rename 'Lullaby', 'That spiderman song' just because it more closely relates to the matter? Nope, afraid not.
By the way, just as an aside, 'Over Easy Scrambled' is named so because the effect it was based on was called 'Over Easy' (which relates to the ease of handling, I believe, but also to, erm, eggs) and Josh 'Scrambled' it a little... hence... Y'know!
Haha.
VL
We have as much right to suggest alternative titles for magic effects as we do songs... Would we tell Robert Smith (of the cure, not the magician) to rename 'Lullaby', 'That spiderman song' just because it more closely relates to the matter? Nope, afraid not.
By the way, just as an aside, 'Over Easy Scrambled' is named so because the effect it was based on was called 'Over Easy' (which relates to the ease of handling, I believe, but also to, erm, eggs) and Josh 'Scrambled' it a little... hence... Y'know!
Haha.
VL
Some names might sound stupid but is anyother name better? It maybe doesn't give any information about the trick but thats fine. Should "Angle zero" be "Corner vanishes and reappears somewhere" 
Ho-hoh! Bad puns ahoy.
Love 'em.I'd compare naming tricks to the same way the new Batman film was called epicly "THE DARK KNIGHT" and not just "Batman: Another one".
It also separates it from any other variations already out there, so like... Shifty, would be easily differentiated from Shigeo Futagawa's Elevator. Y'dig?
- Sean
Jordan, regarding Dirty Stinkin' Ape in the Middle - a favourite routine of mine. From the book Dominatricks in which this sandwich effect is found:
"The name comes from the fact that this routine bears aesthetic resemblance to Bill Goldman’s excellent marketed routine Monkey In The Middle. It’s gaffed but ooooooooh so clean! Other attempts at ungaffed variations of Goldman’s routine include David Regal’s Primate from Up Close and Personal (1999), Jack Avis’ No Rough Monkey from Ahead of the Pack (2002) and James Swain’s Gorilla in the Middle from Miracles With Cards (1996). They’re tasty."
Some people don't seem to understand. It's not that the names are just "kewl", it's the fact that they do not make sense. A good name should at least reference the subject in some form, not make some obscure peek into the creator's thoughts. Like "Sinful"... nobody in their right mind would automatically make the correct assumption as to where that name came from.
Think about it guys. If tricks were named for what they are then well everything would be boring and inartistic. Like Panic could be name "deck vanish" or King and Deck Transpo, or Witness could be like "Joker inside bag turns to your card". How boring is that. Just think of that. Oh well. There's my two cents.
Forane
Forane
The funky names should at least make sense in relationship to the effect!
Deuce-Bag, the original "Witness" was a much better name because it made sense!
Deuce-Bag, the original "Witness" was a much better name because it made sense!
Again though, surely the title of an effect or sleight, should be entirely down to the creator...
CL
CL
Yes, I agree with that. I don't mind cool but random names, I like the thesaurus. Do not run. Thesaurus is your friend.
Homebean on the Scene!
When it comes to names like Sinful, Witness, Deviance These names don't necessarily reference the effect it's self, but hold relevance to the trick in it's entirety - the method, etc.
Sinful is so devious it's almost a sin to deceive people like that
Witness references the new patter Lee uses, "you are all witnesses" - it's a nice hook.
Deviance deviates from what people think when they think card thru window.
I imagine that there are names out there that have nothing to do with the trick, however, I can see a correlation!
D.
When it comes to names like Sinful, Witness, Deviance
These names don't necessarily reference the effect it's self, but hold relevance to the trick in it's entirety - the method, etc.Sinful is so devious it's almost a sin to deceive people like that
Witness references the new patter Lee uses, "you are all witnesses" - it's a nice hook.
Deviance deviates from what people think when they think card thru window.
I imagine that there are names out there that have nothing to do with the trick, however, I can see a correlation!
D.
What's in a Name?
We have every right to suggest, cajole, demand, or refuse name changes of anything; just as those who create, market, or distribute said items have the right to disregard our suggestions.
Peter Gabriel released several albums with no titles at all. That was his prerogative. Fans adopted a naming convention of their own (by referencing the image on the album covers). That was their prerogative. I'm sure Mr. Gabriel didn't intend for one of his album's to be known as "Melting Face", but there you go.
(Likewise, the Beatles' White Album, etc., etc.)
And the Artist Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, well, he sorta asked for what happened with his stage name, didn't he?
It happens all of the time; a title established by the creator of a particular work gets replaced, in common usage, by the consumers of that work. Robert Frost's "Stopping by a Wood on a Snowy Evening" is often referred to as "Miles to Go Before I Sleep" or "Whose Woods These Are", even though the original title makes more sense. Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart" becomes "The Eff You Song". The Beatles' "Revolution 9" becomes "Number 9". Etc. I'm sure you can think of other, better examples of pop songs that are known by colloquial names in place of their original titles.
I must confess, I like the name "Deuce Bag" better than "Witness", but for marketing purposes, I can understand why Lee Asher changed the name. Likewise, George Lucas renaming "Star Wars" to "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" and Steven Spielberg renaming "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" were marketing decisions. Alas, these last two examples feel less-than-clever to me, and I'm not so sure that the creator's intentions have persuaded the movie-going public to change how they refer to these particular movies. (Although, to be fair, I have noticed that some people now refer to "Star Wars" as "A New Hope". FWIW.)
I like how the creators of the TV show Friends anticipated how people refer to their favorite episodes, and gave them names like "The One Where Rachel Does Something Dumb" or "The One Where Ross Eats His Own Head."
Theodore Roosevelt's parents named him, well, Theodore, but he was known to his intimates as TR and to the rest of the world as "Teddy" (even though he hated that nickname).
My point being that it's ok for Tom and Katie to name their first child "Suri", but it's also okay for us common folk to say, "That's not the name I would have chosen."
What's in a name? It's just a reference point. A handle by which we can discuss things and ideas and be clear on that to which we are referring. On those occasions when a name fails in that capacity, new reference points will be adopted that are better suited to the job. If I say, "The White Album", and you know I'm referencing the self-titled release by the Beatles, then the name I used has served its purpose, even if it's not the name originally assigned to that product by its creators.
Likewise, if I say "Card through Window", you know what I mean. If I say, "KAOS", and you know what I mean, then "KAOS" serves its purpose as a name. If not, then... not.
My name is Allan Rousselle. And I approve this message.
We have every right to suggest, cajole, demand, or refuse name changes of anything; just as those who create, market, or distribute said items have the right to disregard our suggestions.
Peter Gabriel released several albums with no titles at all. That was his prerogative. Fans adopted a naming convention of their own (by referencing the image on the album covers). That was their prerogative. I'm sure Mr. Gabriel didn't intend for one of his album's to be known as "Melting Face", but there you go.
(Likewise, the Beatles' White Album, etc., etc.)
And the Artist Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, well, he sorta asked for what happened with his stage name, didn't he?
It happens all of the time; a title established by the creator of a particular work gets replaced, in common usage, by the consumers of that work. Robert Frost's "Stopping by a Wood on a Snowy Evening" is often referred to as "Miles to Go Before I Sleep" or "Whose Woods These Are", even though the original title makes more sense. Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart" becomes "The Eff You Song". The Beatles' "Revolution 9" becomes "Number 9". Etc. I'm sure you can think of other, better examples of pop songs that are known by colloquial names in place of their original titles.
I must confess, I like the name "Deuce Bag" better than "Witness", but for marketing purposes, I can understand why Lee Asher changed the name. Likewise, George Lucas renaming "Star Wars" to "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" and Steven Spielberg renaming "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" were marketing decisions. Alas, these last two examples feel less-than-clever to me, and I'm not so sure that the creator's intentions have persuaded the movie-going public to change how they refer to these particular movies. (Although, to be fair, I have noticed that some people now refer to "Star Wars" as "A New Hope". FWIW.)
I like how the creators of the TV show Friends anticipated how people refer to their favorite episodes, and gave them names like "The One Where Rachel Does Something Dumb" or "The One Where Ross Eats His Own Head."
Theodore Roosevelt's parents named him, well, Theodore, but he was known to his intimates as TR and to the rest of the world as "Teddy" (even though he hated that nickname).
My point being that it's ok for Tom and Katie to name their first child "Suri", but it's also okay for us common folk to say, "That's not the name I would have chosen."
What's in a name? It's just a reference point. A handle by which we can discuss things and ideas and be clear on that to which we are referring. On those occasions when a name fails in that capacity, new reference points will be adopted that are better suited to the job. If I say, "The White Album", and you know I'm referencing the self-titled release by the Beatles, then the name I used has served its purpose, even if it's not the name originally assigned to that product by its creators.
Likewise, if I say "Card through Window", you know what I mean. If I say, "KAOS", and you know what I mean, then "KAOS" serves its purpose as a name. If not, then... not.
My name is Allan Rousselle. And I approve this message.