You know about Boatie McBoatface, so I won't bother telling you about it.
Did you know, though, that the guy who originally suggested, on Twitter, this name for the polar research vessel actually voted for the RRS David Attenborough?
I love the name Boatie McBoatface, as does everyone, but I also voted for a different name. I voted for the RSS Science.
And you should do. Here.
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I liked, "Clifford, the Big Red Boat." How about RRS Big Red?
If the ship was part of the USA fleet I would vote, but I am not a UK citizen. RRS David Attenborough is a fine name. What was the name of the ship Huxley served in.... Rattlesnake? WHAT ICEBERG? is also good.
RED DWARF also. They can get a big black cat.
Loved Captain Haddock and Red Rum ...
I think Boatie McBoatface is a fine name. Must we always be so po-faced about everything? Why *not* have a bit of fun with the name?
SLUTTY BUTTSLUT
Well, technically it's a ship anyway.
Honoring Red Dwarf :
"RRS Back to Reality"
(In your face denialist smeg heads.)
Something like "RSS Despair Squid" probably doesn't set the proper tone. However instead of a pretentious Latin motto, you could have something like, "I'm Going to Eat You Little Fishies."
Any bets on which is more likely: the folks who started this contest believed everyone would take it seriously, or they made a guess that something humorous would happen and bring them a good bit of attention?
I agree with Brian at 5: why not have a bit of fun with it?
...and um, #6. Whut?
No. Sounds to me like one wee deoch an doris too many...or twa...
"RRS Slartibartfast?"
"So Long and Thanks for All the Fish"
I didn't know who David Attenborough is, but looking him up on Wikipedia (yeah, I know) shows that his commitment to publicizing science via the world's gold standard of broadcasting (the BBC), his strong views about ecological stewardship, and the British people's deep appreciation of him, make him a fitting person to whom to dedicate this ship.
In the end the choice will be made by a committee of experts who take this task seriously. We can save the silly names for toy and model versions of the ship, but the actual ship itself should reflect the strength of British contributions to science and to the understanding of science by the public.
This topic sent me plunging back half a century when the National Oceanographic Data Center (U.S.) published several volumes in a directory, Oceanographic Vessels of the World. I was a co-author on vol. 3. So naturally I took an interest in the issue. And I guess I've become an old fuddy duddy because I was annoyed instead of amused by many of the suggested names. I was pleased to have the opportunity of voting for David Attenborough.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/04/17/boaty_mcboatface_wins…