The Name Game: taking a step back

Based on yesterday afternoon's polls (please weigh in if you haven't yet), contigo is quite popular! I think most of us agree that the meaning congers up the kind of images of connection, community, and sharing that I've been seeking. There's one thing that's preventing me from embracing it enthusiastically. I'm not crazy about the sound of the word. Contigo doesn't quite tickle my eardrums the way olallie does.

So I've decided to put up one more poll. In hindsight, I probably should have done this before making my list of finalists on Wednesday. Live and learn. Between climbing Mt. Whitney, taking peyote, and my tarot and I-Ching readings, I guess I got too busy. So let's take a step back and let you weigh in on the runners up, those that narrowly missed qualifying for the final list.

The result is quite a laundry list!

Here's a synopsis of the meanings of the words (I've sprinkled in some new crushes to see if you're paying attention):

Barcino - ancient Roman name for Barcelona
besos de sal - "salty kisses" in Spanish
bona vida - "good life" in Catalan
casolana - "home cooked" in Catalan
contigo - "with you" in Spanish
conviva - "live together" in Spanish, "guest at banquet" in Latin
Corcovado - name of a Brazilian love song
cuchara - "spoon" in Spanish, ode to La Cuchara de San Telmo
cuttlefish - similar to squid (but cuter name), popular in tapas bars
del barri - "local" in Catalan (decided I prefer this to plain barri)
Emerson - yo
greengrocer - seller of fruits and vegetables, green=eco-friendly
lovage - an herb with a celery-like flavor
Persephone - goddess of underworld, daughter of harvest goddess
pulpito - "little octopus" in Spanish
sardine dream - little fish dreams of opening restaurant
sonrisa - "smile" in Spanish
swoon - overwhelmed by joy, excitement; fainting
Tibidabo - famous hill overlooking Barcelona
tilde - squiggle (~) over the n in Spanish
Triana - area of Seville famous for tapas
vinya - "vineyard" in Spanish
viridian - dark spring green

Like yesterday's poll, I'm leaving olallie out of the mix for now. It's on a paid leave of absence until tomorrow. Mark all those you like in the first poll.

Pick your fave in the second poll. I hope you have better luck making a decision than I have!! Oh, and bad news. I'm keeping the results of this poll secret until tomorrow. [Saturday edit: results now visible]

Thanks for hanging in there and continuing to play along! The end is nigh. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!! Either that or I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Comments

[PN]

Another poll? Can't do it anymore. I feel like I'm taking on all your angst and I just don't have the energy for that.

I look forward to the opening, but this blog is starting to give me a headache. Gotta run!

[Melissa]

I think I'm in a minority here, but I *adore* casolana. It's feminine, lyrical, and just Iberian-sounding enough (while still being dead easy to spell/pronounce) - and it means home-style, which seems to conjure up quite a lot of the qualities you want your restaurant to emphasize.

[Chubby]

Barcino not only has an alphabetical placement advantage, but it also is a name that would roll off the tongue of a business person suggesting a dinner venue to a colleague.

[Jeanne]

Contigo is harsh on the ears, and yes, the sentiment is nice, but it's been commercialized ad nauseum by a variety of companies that make commuter cups, mobile monitoring systems, web developers, etc....

[NS]

I've been a Contigo supporter since it first appeared on the list, and I continue to like the sentiment behind it the best. Yet, I have to admit that I like the sound of Barcino much more, as it's definitely less cold and harsh, and more sleek and sultry.

For whatever it's worth, I don't like "Bona Vida" because there's already a Bistro Vida in Menlo Park. And "Vinya" -- though spelled and pronounced differently -- keeps bringing to my mind, at least, the well-known wine country restaurant Tra Vigne. "Cuttlefish," "Sardine Dream," and any other candidate that refers to such a specific ingredient seem vulnerable to the "Tartare problem," in which diners may assume that you specialize predominantly in that one ingredient. "Lovage" is too similar -- in spelling and pronunciation -- to lavage, a medical term that refers to a process of washing out an organ (often a stomach!) with water. "Persephone" sounds too ancient and mythological, and "Greengrocer" sounds like, well, a grocer. Finally, "Olallie" -- though a sentimental favorite for obvious reasons -- strikes me as posing significant spelling and pronunciation challenges that are best just avoided entirely. I'd go with Barcino first, Contigo second.

[Jennifer Jeffrey]

Oh my heavens, Brett, there is so much differing opinion here that I think you're going to have to pull out the i-Ching again just to make sense of it all!

You might want to consult a spiritual interpreter, too, to help you analyze the energetic value of each of the contenders. Some would suggest that you investigate the numeric value associated with each name, calculated by totaling up the value of each letter based on its alphabetical position, but I think that might be going just a teensy bit too far.

;-)

Or you could just choose Emerson.

[brett]

PN, I knew I was jumping the shark with this laundry list of names this late in the process, but it had to be done. I look forward to meeting you (and everyone who has played along in this wacky Name Game) at my restaurant some day soon!

Casolana. Barcino. Emerson. So many good names! Thanks everyone for your great input. I think I need to open more than one restaurant!!

NS, thanks for sharing about lavage. Who knew? Eww.

[Melissa]

I'm still an Olallie supporter, but I also really love Emerson. Besos de Sal is my other fave.

[Judith]

Lovage is considered an invasive plant in some areas and much hated by environmentalists who ar trying to restore native habitat. Not the best choice. The nice thing about Contigo is that almost everyone will interpret the "con" as "with", and with no knowledge of Spanish, you get "go with" out of the name. Nice.
I like Emerson. Consider the quotes: http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson/
Olallie is ok because it was your first choice, but times have changed for you, and even though I knew what Olallie berries were before this, I don't think it rolls off the tongue or actually has much charm beyond what you've instilled in it yourself. Sorry to be blunt, but it's a hybrid from a hybrid - and it's still a blackberry, thorns, seeds and all. Tasty, but but still that single ingredient problem that NS identifies. Barcino - well, is it a bar? Does "cino" mean a little bar? A casino? I don't love it, and the pronunciation isn't intuitive as some people think. All the rest? You're trying too hard and cerebralizing too much. If contigo is overused, as Jeanne thinks, I'm not aware of it, but I'm not much of a fashion follower. That leaves Emerson. It's a defunct TV brand. Have we nitpicked enough? I think I'm tired of this game, just call it "Fonzie's Shark" and be done with it. ;)