Zinzin
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zinzin.bsky.social
Zinzin
@zinzin.bsky.social
We are a naming agency that creates names with deep poetic and emotional resonance. Posting and blogging about things that inspire us.

http://www.Zinzin.com
Pour one out for the penny. This is a namer's ode to the coin that makes a lot of sense as a cultural marker through lasting brands and idioms. #naming #money

www.zinzin.com/observations...
Penny: The One-Cent Coin on a Two-Century Naming Streak | Zinzin
The U.S. Mint pressed its final one-cent coin — we dive into the 232-year legacy of the penny as inspiration for countless names and idioms.
www.zinzin.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:08 PM
#EdwardGorey was a famous writer, illustrator, & costume designer, but the invented names throughout his body of work are imaginative beyond compare, like Gorey himself. As Halloween approaches it's a perfect time to read up on this legend of creativity (and #naming)! www.zinzin.com/observations...
A Naming Ode to Edward Gorey | Zinzin
Edward Gorey is known as a writer, illustrator, designer, and enigma, but here we consider his imaginative and memorable work as a namer.
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October 16, 2025 at 6:37 PM
This blog post is for all you namers out there. With due respect to The Bard, the line "What's in a name?" needs a well deserved rest in the media. So, good night, good night! Parting is needed; its overuse is bizarro. #naming
www.zinzin.com/observations...
“What’s in a name?” The Line Namers Love to Hate | Zinzin
Shakespeare coined the phrase, "What's in a name?", but it has become the most overused naming-related cliche, which we demonstrate.
www.zinzin.com
October 2, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Great, invented brand names are rare and hard to pull off, but Shinola is one of our favorites. Check out its polished past and shiny present in our latest blog post. #naming
www.zinzin.com/observations...
Shinola: An Invented American Brand Name We Love | Zinzin
Zinzin explores the name of the American watch brand Shinola in all its storied history and renewed glory.
www.zinzin.com
September 19, 2025 at 6:41 PM
A lighthearted blog post about dark-hearted villains – in this case, fictional baddies known by a one-word name. #naming #inventednames #namingvillians

www.zinzin.com/observations...
Naming Villains: 10 Great One-Word Names for Fiction's Biggest Baddies | Zinzin
Zinzin journeys into the dark and demented world of naming villains to see how ten fictional villains got their names.
www.zinzin.com
August 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
How much does a brand name influence fierce brand loyalty? (Quick: Red Vines or Twizzlers?) Zinzin explores a few big American brands with passionate fans and how a name might contribute to the ongoing (and sometimes heated) brand divide. #naming #brandloyalty

www.zinzin.com/observations...
Brand Names: Familiar Rivals and Fierce Loyalty | Zinzin
Here we explore some familiar American brand rivalries and the name origins of the respective, competing brands.
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August 7, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Before the Year of the Snake slithers away, we think it's time to discusss snake-inspired brand names that evoke the symbolic serpentine sensibility. #naming #brandnames #yearofthesnake

www.zinzin.com/observations...
More Snake-Inspired Brand Names, Pleassse | Zinzin
Zinzin considers snake-inspired brand names, from established brands to growing ones, brands that evoke the symbolic serpentine sensibility.
www.zinzin.com
July 21, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Sunday has all the feels, and brands have tapped into that through naming. This particular day connects with a wide range of experiences and emotions (in a way the best brand names always do).

#naming #Sunday #brandnames

www.zinzin.com/observations...
Why Sunday Brand Names Shine Brightest | Zinzin
"Sunday" brand names – they're origin, some examples, and whether Sunday will continue to shine or inspire brands to seize other days.
www.zinzin.com
July 11, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The SF Bay Area is home to some great coffee roasters with fantastic names. In this Zinzin post we highlight the names and naming origins of 15 great local coffee brands, including Wrecking Ball Coffee‬. @wreckingballcoffee.bsky.social #coffee #naming

www.zinzin.com/observations...
The Power of Story in Naming: SF Bay Area Coffee Roasters Get It | Zinzin
We explore the interesting and diverse backstories brewing behind the evocative names of 15 SF Bay Area coffee roasters.
www.zinzin.com
June 16, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Four new pro softball team names in the brand new AUSL – did Athletes Unlimited hit a grand slam or strike out? We weigh in on what must've been a complex naming process for teams not rooted in a city yet.

#naming #SportsBranding #AUSL

www.zinzin.com/observations...
Naming Pro Softball Teams with No Base to Call Home | Zinzin
A look into the new AUSL professional softball league team names, naming softball teams, and the challenges of sports team naming in general.
www.zinzin.com
May 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
The brand naming world has a favorite superlative. Check out our "max take" on this familiar 3-letter word: does it still pack the same punch? #max #naming #branding www.zinzin.com/observations...
Maxed Out Brand Names | Zinzin
We explore the crowded space of brand names using "Max" as an Ultra/Mega superlative modifier to connote the utmost or greatest.
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May 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Reposted by Zinzin
March links: Banned words, dead names, restored vowels, @newyorker.com style, and a close reading of a 1958 issue of “Male” magazine. Feat. @operativewords.com @bcdreyer.social @zinzin.bsky.social @grammargirl.bsky.social @emckean.bsky.social & more. open.substack.com/pub/fritinan...
March linkstack
A good read, some banned words, Covid nostalgia, New Yorker style, and more.
open.substack.com
March 27, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Our founder @jayjurisich.bsky.social takes a deep dive into the naming process and examines what is possible when naming companies, products, services, and technologies. www.zinzin.com/observations...

#Naming #BrandNaming #NamingProcess
Naming Companies, Products, and More: A Deep Dive | Zinzin
We take a deep dive into the naming process and examine what is possible when naming companies, products, services, and technologies.
www.zinzin.com
May 12, 2025 at 10:28 PM
American celebrities pour their personal brands into #tequila. Explore the names of 24 tequila brands backed by big names in acting, music, and sports.

www.zinzin.com/observations...
High-spirited Naming: American Celebrities and their Tequila Brands | Zinzin
We take a look at the current landscape of celebrity-backed tequila brands, and ask, does the celebrity name help or hinder the brand?
www.zinzin.com
April 25, 2025 at 8:01 PM
In this new blog post, Zinzin finds itself at the peak of naming. 🗻 The origin of these 12 unique mountain names in Northern California surprise, delight, and do what every name should do – tell a great story. www.zinzin.com/observations...
Naming Ascent: Memorable Northern California Mountain Names | Zinzin
We explore twelve unique Northern California mountain names that have an interesting look, sound, and/or origin story that sets them apart.
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April 15, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Zinzin explores four fascinating names taking on new meaning thanks to women-owned brands. www.zinzin.com/observations...
Fishwife, Harpy, Harridan, Shrew: Brand Names Leaning into the Lore  | Zinzin
We explore four names critical of women—fishwife, harpy, harridan, and shrew—that have found new meaning thanks to women-owned brands.
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March 13, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Where do y'all come down on the questions of pun intention? We, no surprise, have some opinions on the matter... www.zinzin.com/observations...
No Pun Intended (Pun Always Intended) | Zinzin
We take a deep dive into the use of the phrase "no pun intended" and ask if that's always -- or even ever -- true.
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January 28, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Zinzin
Tim Buckley ~ Venice Beach (Music Boats in the Bay)
(KCET Broadcast, 1970)
#TimBuckley

Live, otherworldly performance of this remarkable unrecorded song at Boboquivari with the Starsailor band.
A prime testament of magic being conjured.

youtu.be/PwWcGSB8wWI via
@YouTube
Tim Buckley - Venice Beach [rare live]
A stunning performance from the late great Tim Buckley.
youtu.be
January 25, 2024 at 12:51 AM
Rainwalk…
December 7, 2023 at 1:26 AM
New blog post — easily our most authentic to date! www.zinzin.com/observations...
Zinzin | Authentic, Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2023
"Authentic" is Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2023, and we get real about its cultural significance and brand implications.
www.zinzin.com
November 30, 2023 at 7:42 PM
Cool. He beat Bruce Conner to the full-body photogram by about 7 or so years it seems:
November 30, 2023 at 4:20 PM
The cautionary tale of Chevy Nova is legendary in naming circles. But it's pure myth, and we explain why. www.zinzin.com/observations...
Zinzin | Chevy Nova: the legendary naming fail that wasn't
Legend says the Chevy Nova was an epic naming fail in Latin America, where "no va" in Spanish means "doesn't go;" not true, as we explain.
www.zinzin.com
November 22, 2023 at 10:37 PM
Just read this long, in-depth Altman/AI article in the Atlantic, from July. And, basically, I'm pretty freaked out by it. Am I being irrational? www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Does Sam Altman Know What He’s Creating?
The OpenAI CEO’s ambitious, ingenious, terrifying quest to create a new form of intelligence
www.theatlantic.com
November 22, 2023 at 4:21 AM
Two poems side by side: L) "1463. UPENDING BEARS" by Jay Jurisich; R) "Deergrass, Hourgrass" by Velimir Khlebnikov #poetry #smallpoemsunday
November 6, 2023 at 8:14 AM