Novelists sometimes chose character names to reflect their character's character or interests.* There's probably a term for that practice.
On this basis, Britain currently seems more like a novel:
* the decision to have compulsory sex education (as noted in the previous post) was made by Secretary Balls;
* Professor Nutt has been in the news because of his disputing whether cannabis really does send that many people nuts;
* Professor Nutt has been attacked by Professor Parrott, with some accusing him of parroting conservatism;
* Gordon Brown seems about as convivial and happy as a brown painted room.
Perhaps Evelyn Waugh has taken over authorship of the country.
* (Help, I'm sure someone can improve that sentence!)
2 comments:
'Reflect their character's personality'?
In real life when this happens it's called an aptonym. For instance, there's a gambling expert somewhere in the world called Chris Moneymaker. Also there's a chap in Australia called Chris Watters who is an expert in alcohol regulation. It happens, a lot.
I've heard it called nominative determinism. For example Dr Winkle and Dr Pisko were both predestined to be urologists.
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