Business names, like book titles, matter a great deal. I confess that I’m often intrigued and horrified by the names people give their enterprises.

Do we really need another beauty salon named A Cut Above?

Nevertheless, I realize that finding the perfect name can be a challenge and sometimes we are so eager to get going that we opt for an okay moniker knowing we can always change it if a more inspired choice comes along.

You might adopt my hobby and start paying closer attention to business names that you find attention-getting—and those that repel.

When I picked up the crossword puzzle in last Sunday’s LA Times, I was amused to see that the theme of the puzzle was Funny Business. The puzzle’s creator explained that all the names used had been found via an Internet search.

Most of them are puns and some of them are especially clever. Here are the clues followed by the answers (all of which I managed to figure out).

Fromage shop’s name? C’est Cheese

Antique store’s name? Junk and Disorderly

Coffee shop’s name? Brewed Awakening

Ambulatory equipment store’s name? Cane and Able

Bouquet shop’s name? Florist Gump

Swimwear shop’s name? Beach Yourself Up

Vintage record store’s name? Vinyl Resting Place (a personal favorite of mine)

Tailor shop’s name? Sew It Seams

Maternity shop’s name? Womb to Grow

Okay. It’s your turn. What clever, funny, weird business names have you come across?

2 Responses to “What’s in a Name?”

  1. Judy Heminsley

    I never tire of the rubbish clearance service called Abracadabra, and the driving school El Paso (in the English Midlands) – which I realise may fall flat if your area doesn’t have a law about learner drivers displaying L plates!

  2. Karen Kessin

    One of my favorite company names: Death Wish Piano Movers. Bonus points for their slogan “We Undertake Anything!”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *