N00B NAME CHALLENGE: the reveal!

[qatarperegrine]

Before we reveal the answer to all these riddles, Justin and I thought we'd share some of the name hints that didn't quite make the cut (most of which were rejected when we decided to allow Googling):

• The first historically notable bearer of this name was an empress.
  
• Were proper names allowed, playing it would be worth 12 points in Scrabble.
  
• It is paired with Logos to form one of the emanations of God in Valentinian Gnosticism.
  
• It only has one more letter than syllable.
  
• According to Wikipedia, a small tribe of this name lives in the Amazon; one of its unusual cultural practices is that men celebrate the birth of their offspring by cutting their legs with rodent teeth. Justin does not intend to follow this tradition.
  
• It has been in the top 1000 girls' names in the US 71 of the last 100 years -- though not in either of the years we were born.
  
• The top Google hit of this name is of an actress. (However, making universal statements about top Google hits seems dangerous in this age of personalized search results!)
  
• It is the name of this cat.
  
• It is the name of one of President Bartlet's daughters.

The n00b's name is actually Zoë. :-)

Comments

[n00bettenana.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you decided to keep up the tradition of having us solve the name-that-n00b riddle/puzzle. Since I'm so into language, I found it fascinating how the different ones of us chose to approach the "pasta spears" clue. It was terribly logical how Derek did it, and Steve was on the same track, just using a bit more complicated approach. He used "lancia" for spears which apparently is Italian for spears and Lancia is also a company that makes pasta. That's why he was SO sure he had it with Rosalia. I, on the other hand, was focussing first on pastas shaped like spears and when that didn't work, I carefully researched words for pasta that might translate into something like spears. My plan was to find said word or words and then focus on ways to prepare said pasta that had enough of the CARLSON letters in it. I was so far down the wrong track, I might have been lost there until doomsday. ;] Anyway, we are going to adore calling our little granddaughter Zoe, even if she was named after a robot!

[y-pestis.livejournal.com]

How are you doing with the idea of a girl, Lorraine? I've already told Marjorie that I don't know girls - she's on her own in that department and I'm absolutely not changing her nappies... So much for hand-me-down clothes, too... on the other hand, you'll be the envy of all the other Carlsons, having a granddaughter! :-)