Back in 2016, the British National Environmental Research Council invited the public to propose the name of their new research ship. The result was hilarious, with “Boaty McBoatFace” winning the popular poll by a large margin. It wasn’t used, in the end, but one of the ship’s autonomous underwater vehicles was honored (?) with that name.
Australian reader Snoggeramus tells us that a year later, the same sense of humor came out on top in another naming contest.
Thousands of people made sure Doncaster council’s new gritter will have the best start to life.
That’s because they just named it Gritsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Slip Machiney.
More than 40,000 people voted in the local authority’s poll, which was thrown open to the public on Twitter.Voters decided the other new gritter would be called David Plowie. Thanks democracy.
. . .
The two finals saw David Plowie beat Basil Salty with 58% of the vote, while Gritsy Bitsy won a tighter contest with 53% of the vote against Spready Mercury.
They join a line-up of gritters with puntastic names, including Brad Grit, Gritney Spears, The Subzero Hero, Mr Plow, and Usain Salt.
Names knocked out in earlier rounds of the Doncaster Gritting World Cup included Grit Van Dyke, True Grit, Rule Grittania and Salt Disney.
There’s more at the link.
Got to love the British sense of the ridiculous! Kudos to Doncaster council for going with the flow, instead of getting all politically correct and insisting on a less humorous name.
Peter
I was wondering what a 'gritter' was. It's what we call a sander or sand truck. Around here they are usually large orange dump trucks with a blade or snow blower on the front and a sand spreader on the back, sometimes they are pulling a plow trailer as well if on the interstate.
Adolph Gritler? (for those who watch The Grand Tour)
I'm shocked that you've only now discovered this. I am however very happy that you have! 😀
-m4