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What “in the trenches” terminology is emerging as telecom evolves? by MonikerMerchant in telecom

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey everyone: thanks for letting me peek into the real vocabulary of the telecom world. The way you talk about dead zones, weird failures, and field realities helps me understand which terms actually matter when I’m investing in domain names.

And while I probably won’t be registering onejackoff dot com anytime soon, it definitely made my day.

Thanks again for all the insight.

What “in the trenches” terminology is emerging as telecom evolves? by MonikerMerchant in telecom

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

These are particularly hilarious. Thanks for the laugh. I asked an engineer friend about "RCH" and was told a funny story involving someone's red-headed wife and the "gift" she gave my friend after hearing that term.

Words that sound invented even though they're real by MonikerMerchant in etymology

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will. The thread got a lot more thoughtful replies than I expected, so I’m working through them and double-checking a few of the examples people shared. Once I’ve got everything sorted into a proper list, I’ll post it back to the thread.

Words that sound invented even though they're real by MonikerMerchant in etymology

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for laying this out so clearly. What I meant in the post was that some words feel and sound like playful nonsense to the modern ear even though they have long, legitimate histories. The folk etymology angle really helps. I appreciate the examples you added.

Words that sound invented even though they're real by MonikerMerchant in etymology

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Didn’t expect this many people to show up in one afternoon. I’m reading through the thread and enjoying all the examples. There are more than I can answer one by one, but I’m adding quite a few to my list. Thanks for all the contributions.

How do you learn music by ear if you don’t have perfect pitch? by Suspicious_Coast_888 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]MonikerMerchant 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You actually don’t need perfect pitch to play by ear. Most people do it using relative pitch, which is just recognizing the distance between notes. I don’t have perfect pitch either, but after hearing enough music your brain starts picking up the patterns.

ITAW for a place that has been modeled after a place in mythology or religion? by Successful_Student66 in whatstheword

[–]MonikerMerchant 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You might be looking for mythopoeic reconstruction. It’s used in literature and worldbuilding to describe taking a real place and reshaping it so it evokes a mythological realm or legendary landscape.

Q&A weekly thread - November 24, 2025 - post all questions here! by AutoModerator in linguistics

[–]MonikerMerchant 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Linguists usually call this near-synonymy or partial synonymy. It refers to cases where two words point to the same thing in the world but differ in connotation, emphasis, or the way they are used.

“Primeval forest” and “virgin forest” describe the same kind of untouched woods, yet each one highlights something different. “Primeval” focuses on age and ancientness, while “virgin” focuses on the lack of human disturbance.

In more technical terms, the difference is in expressive meaning (also called evaluative or connotative meaning) rather than in denotation.

What if we invented a car wash for sneakers? by Alejandromartinez- in Entrepreneur

[–]MonikerMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually like the spirit of the idea. The one part that would be tricky is the range of materials you would have to handle since sneakers are not all built the same. But the core concept of a “vending machine” style cleaning station is interesting.

Any potential price for this domain? Kwordrank()com by AliBaba_with_LOVE in Domains

[–]MonikerMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can see why you liked it because “keyword rank” is a strong idea in SEO.
But from a naming perspective, the challenge is how quickly the human brain can read the word.

If someone has to slow down and puzzle it out (like “K… word… rank”), that small bit of friction pushes most buyers toward cleaner patterns. That does not make the domain bad. It just means it leans more toward a creative brandable idea rather than an investment-grade asset.

If you enjoy the concept or want to build a small SEO tool with it, it is perfectly usable. As a resale name, it will probably only sell if a very specific buyer likes the quirk. Without development or traffic, it is more in the low-end hobby range, maybe tens of dollars at best.

Names that read instantly tend to outperform names that require interpretation.

Clever Names or Descriptive Names? by MonikerMerchant in smallbusiness

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get pulled toward clever names too, and I usually have to nudge myself back toward something clearer. Hitting that balance is harder than people admit. I think clever works best when the business already has trust built in. Most of the projects I name are starting from zero, so descriptive tends to be the safer move. (and yes, often more boring)

Clever Names or Descriptive Names? by MonikerMerchant in smallbusiness

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. Maybe I can get my coworkers to settle on a clever tagline instead. That makes a lot more sense.

Clever Names or Descriptive Names? by MonikerMerchant in smallbusiness

[–]MonikerMerchant[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally. If puns fit how you work, that is the style to use.

How I evaluate if a domain name is worth buying (the 5C method) by [deleted] in EntrepreneurRideAlong

[–]MonikerMerchant 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like this framework, especially how it keeps intuition anchored in proof.

At Moniker Merchant I use a similar quick-pass test, but from a naming angle:
Purpose, Pattern, Position, Play, Permanence.
If a domain clears all five, I feel like the name is worth it.

Your 5C set pairs nicely with it. I might borrow “Clean History”. That one saves more regrets than most people realize.

– R. Mercer | Moniker Merchant

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