Odd O'blography

Even More Books I'd Like to See

I enjoy making up book titles and author names that are amusingly similar and appropriate. My goal is to find titles and names that seem plausible when taken by themselves but generate a laugh when put together. For example, Queen of the Limbo is a real book title and Lois Barr is a real name. Both can be found with a Google search. It's only when they're put together, Queen of the Limbo by Lois Barr, that a smile results.

Of course, these have been around for generations. I remember some from my childhood, titles such as Yellow River by I. P. Freely or Guide to Breathing by Justin Hale. You can find more if you google 'Books Never Written'. So far, I've resisted reading them online because I want to make my own. I'm sure there are similar variations that are created independently, and I can't guarantee that all of mine are unique, but I hope that at least a few are original with me.

I've done a cursory internet search and haven't found a specific term for this kind of wordplay. Perhaps it's up to me to create it? After deep analysis and serious reflection, I'm proposing the term synaptonym to describe these literary gems. It's a combination of syn (similar), apt (appropriate), and the Greek suffix -onym which is used to designate a particular class of words or names. Google doesn't bring up any current usage of the term, so it's available for this purpose. However, I am open to other suggestions if anyone has a better idea.

Now, if I could only figure a way to monetize this odd pursuit . . .


Building an Off Grid Privy by John Carpenter

Making Pounds Disappear by Penny Weiss

My Left Feet by Robert Kent Waltz

Understanding Longitude by Easton West

The Power of Millions by Megan Watts

Salty Lips & Icy Sips by Margarita Glass

A Savage Ordeal by Ellen Bach

Beginning Leatherwork by Tandy Hyde

Conservative Bias by Eileen Wright

In Defense of Heaven by Pearl E. Gates

Foodborne Pathogens by Sam N. Ellis

Hops and Lagers by Amber Brewster

Sneaks and Cheats by Upton O. Goode

Elements of Traffic Management by Carson Rhodes


See also:   "More Books I'd Like to See" 

See also:   "Still More Books I'd Like to See"