Rachel Smachel

We've fallen victim to one of the classic blunders of child-naming. The first is never name your child after a vegetable. The second, and only slightly less well known is this: never name your child something that rhymes with a swear word.

At least we're clear on that front.

Nothing rhymes with Rachel. I suppose that can be the third blunder.

I was trying to sing her a silly song the other day...I think it might have been The Quartermaster's Store, or something like that. Try it:

There was Rachel, Rachel
hmmmmmm...

There are a lot of near rhymes: able...cable...satchel...but nothing really works.

After a bit of Google searching, we found the word Anglachel, a word that Tolkien made up. I suppose Rachel will be stuck trying to find Anglachel in the store, in the store.

She'll have to live with that.

She does have a few folks with whom to commiserate though. I think the only rhyme we ever came up for Patrick was "hat-trick:"

There was Patrick, Patrick
Trying to score a hat-trick

(Upon further analysis we could have also said he was being spastic).

I, on the other hand, was usually being fancy or dancy.

Andrew's name is kind of difficult, too, but at least he has a good nickname for rhyming: Andy. Dandy. Sandy. Candy. Need I go on?

There was Rach, Rach, trying to get a date...

I'll have to work on this.