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Swedish Rail Firm Approves Trainy McTrainface As Name Following Online Poll (theguardian.com)
Those disappointed when Britain rejected the name Boaty McBoatface for a polar research ship should find joy in the name of a new train in Sweden. After a public vote, a Swedish rail operator has vowed to name one of its trains Trainy McTrainface. The Guardian reports: Trainy McTrainface won 49% of the votes in the naming competition, conducted online by train operator MTR Express and Swedish newspaper Metro, beating choices such as Hakan, Miriam and Poseidon. The train will run between the Swedish capital Stockholm and Gothenburg, the country's second-biggest city. MTR said another train had been voted to be named "Glenn," an apparent tribute to an IFK Gothenburg soccer team of the 1980s that featured four players of that name -- uncommon in Sweden -- including Glenn Hysen, who later captained Liverpool.
I think they mean "locomotive", rather than train. A bad translation.
We have been naming locomotives ever since Rocket .
It follows the precedent of naming ships.
Glenn is more likely also a gag name, since it's a stereotypical name of men from Gothenburg.
Planes, trains, automobiles.
Titanic, Enola Gay, Hindenburg, Atlantis, General Lee.........
I thought Boaty McBoatface was a really good name actually. It really does look like a scaled up children's toy.
He was an engine, not a train, as in "Thomas the Tank Engine".
where did this whole "Xy McXface" meme begin?
This rich tradition goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks, who commonly called one of their mathematicians Archimedey McArchimedesface. Ever since then, it's been applied to all kinds of things, including the well known Augustus Ceasary McCeasarface, and Alexander Graham Belly McBellface.
And who could forget the much talked about European Uniony McUnionface? Then to lead into your question, the subject of our story Trainy McTrainface is a humorous take-off on the beloved John Coltraney McColtraneface.
Sweden will soon be renamed into Swedy McSwedface, and so on...
Posted on Slashdottyy McSlashdotface
How can you name a train? A train is an ephemeral object - they come and go as carriages are added and removed.
There appears to be a more limited use of the word "train" for US readers. In British English, you can use train to refer either to the whole locomotive-plus-carriages, or just the locomotive.
Here in the UK, most people would say that (for instance) the "Flying Scotsman" was a train.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Probably From Blackadder. "Madder than Mad Jack McMad, the winner of last year's Mr. Madman competition"