Dispatches from SillyNameLand

I swear I didn't know it was loaded!

So I was introducing a class to The Sound and the Fury and a student didn't know how to interpret Damuddy.

"That's how the Compson kids say grandmother," I said.

"Huh," she said. "That's dumb."

Well yeah, but what name for grandmother doesn't sound dumb? I'm acquainted with a handful of intelligent and highly accomplished professional women who regularly have to answer to Mamaw, Meemaw, Mimi, and Nana.

And that's not all. The American Grandparents' Association suggests that some of us want to be called Mumsy or Momette, Neema or Soosa or Womba, Doodu or Moogy or PittyPat, Pebbles or Twinkles or Uddermudder. With those options, I'm happy to answer to plain old Grandma.

But whatever you call her, don't ever ask Grandma to hold your squirt gun unless you're itching to get wet.