Ding-dong the Witch is Dead

[DjKyRo]

The Fightin' Eukaryotes!

[Bison_Pride]

Since I actually don't feel like bashing UND much since those smirky jerks Kupchella, Thomas, et al aren't running the show anymore, I'll try to be serious (to a point). The perfect college nickname is short (one or two syllables), starts with a consonant, is unique, evokes powerful imagery and has ties to the college's area. Few, if any, nicknames can embody all of those things. For example, I was trying to think of which dinosaur once found in North Dakota would make a good mascot but, for example, take Triceratops: Great imagery, too many syllables. That same problem rules out my joke suggestion: The <insert present participle of your choice> pachycephalosaurids (for the "humor" in that you'll have to find out what pachycephalosaurus means in Greek).

I do have one serious suggestion for a new nickname: Honyockers (pronounced "hun-yahkers). This is what they called farmers in ranch country. It's a word that fits the pattern of Sooners, Hoosiers, etc as one of those really obscure terms that an institution like UND can put whatever meaning they want into. In addition, "honyockers" is one of the only words that came into English usage in North Dakota. While it pretty much means the same thing as "sod buster" or "homesteader", it had a definite negative connotation back in the day; however, it has all but vanished from use and therefore its meaning is malleable. The only reason I know about it is that my great-great-grandma homesteaded with her boys down in SW North Dakota / NW South Dakota. My great grandpa later wrote that the ranchers called him "honyocker" as a good-natured insult (I mean, the ranchers out there helped the family pick out a good homestead site so they weren't exactly hostile).

Edit: Despite the fact that this idea will never go anywhere, I've wasted some time finding some background links:

http://lynnwrite.blogspot.com/2007/0...cker-jehu.html
http://www.wordwizard.com/phpbb3/vie...php?f=7&t=1747

If nothing else, I bet the folks without western North Dakota roots (and aren't as old as dirt) might have learned something from this post, albeit a pretty useless something - that might be a first for me!

Of course, if UND is true to form, they'll use NDSU as their lodestar yet again and pick a nickname that has Thunder or Lightning in it.

My older brothers high school football coach used to always refer to the players as honyocks. He's the only one I ever heard use it regularly.

[siouxdgj]

I'm with Shawn-O. We might just go without an official nickname for a year or two if it becomes necessary to change. In all likelihood sports writers and sportscasters would likely refer to us on occasion simply as the Nodaks. I really seriously doubt that we would revert to being the Flickertails, but stranger things have happened

[Shawn-O]

I'm with Shawn-O. We might just go without an official nickname for a year or two if it becomes necessary to change. In all likelihood sports writers and sportscasters would likely refer to us on occasion simply as the Nodaks. I really seriously doubt that we would revert to being the Flickertails, but stranger things have happened

Flickertails = ZERO chance.

[coldspot]

they typically let the student body vote on a new nickname, correct?


growing trend ive noticed amongst the who fans:

when theyre getting their way="sioux ya ya. we are honoring them by using their name. ya sioux sioux."
when they dont get their way= "f'ing _________(derogatory statement towards natives). its their fault we're losing the nickname. cut all native american programs. we cant use their name, they dont get anything from us. ralph just rolled over in his grave."


stay classy und.

[Shawn-O]

I vote for the gargoyles. That bust from TAB's scam thread will be new travelling trophy.

[Tatanka]

I vote for the gargoyles. That bust from TAB's scam thread will be new travelling trophy.

That's pretty close to the St. Louis University Billikens... quite possibly the ugliest (and most obscure) mascot in sports.

[NorthernBison]

Flickertails = ZERO chance.

That would be too confusing. Basically two types of Gophers in the WCHA? Flickertails are Richardson's Ground Squirrels. Many people call them Gophers. Actually Gophers is a name usually reserved for "pocket gophers" (Family Geomyidae) and not Ground Squirrels.

I'm not sure what "Goldy" Gopher is. That mascot looks more like a Flickertail than a Gopher.

It would be kind of fun to see the University of North Dakota "Gophers" play the Minnesota Gophers. Hmmmm....

[Ferd]

That's pretty close to the St. Louis University Billikens... quite possibly the ugliest (and most obscure) mascot in sports.

The banana slugs gets my vote.

http://www.ucsc.edu/about/campus_mascot.asp

[bisonaudit]

That would be too confusing. Basically two types of Gophers in the WCHA? Flickertails are Richardson's Ground Squirrels. Many people call them Gophers. Actually Gophers is a name usually reserved for "pocket gophers" (Family Geomyidae) and not Ground Squirrels.

I'm not sure what "Goldy" Gopher is. That mascot looks more like a Flickertail than a Gopher.

It would be kind of fun to see the University of North Dakota "Gophers" play the Minnesota Gophers. Hmmmm....

Capital One seems to think that "Goldy" is a beaver. They had him chewing down a tree on a golf course in one of their mascot themed commercials.