The Nightstar Zoo

I'm too lazy to dig up the thread where it started happening. Allow me to lay down a couple of rules, though.

1) You may address me as "Howard."
2) You may address me as "Mister Tayler."
3) You may refer to me as "Howard Tayler" or "Howard V. Tayler" when required by formality or disambiguity.
4) The scrawl I use on my comics is my "extended initials," and is not meant to be used as a form of address, a pronoun, or in any other way a method for you to refer to me orally or in writing. I don't call you by your initials, and you don't call me by mine.

My reasoning is simple. I'm building a business around my good name. Allowing you to alter that name damages my market presence. Also, I don't like the way it sounds.

I'm not mad at anybody. I'm just putting my foot down early.

--Howard

Seeing as I'm not a fangirl, and that HoTay looks like it would be pronounced "hottie", I wasn't planning on calling you that.

well if you think about it it can turn out rather bad, but most things do

edit: i allways use howard anyway

Since Howard was too lazy, and I'm busy waiting for my compile to finish, I figured I'd look up some stats. This thread is where the term was first used, though it really didn't surface again until a year later. The year 2004 saw the term misused only four more times.

I expect that Howard was talking about this thread, however, which is the first one on the forum to actually bring up usage of the term. The forum's search page is a wonderful tool.

Oh, and in case anybody is really curious about the score for misuse of the term, Fanglock takes an impressive first with nine instances. Second goes to puretext with four, third to WickedWolfie with three. ChowGuy, MajorTeroh, and DCR each have two, and honorable mention (one post each) goes to Jart, Arctyc, Duskrider Moogle, Ishidan, Mirth, Thok, MorganHudson, Torgen, KirbyMonster, Albert, MineFelinePossesseth, Gonzo37, chiphead, TheNimaj, rbliss, and CyrusB. An instance was counted as a post which referred to Howard using that term, and did not count quoted replies or correct usages referring to Howard's initials in his art.

And oh, look, my compile is done.

From now on, I say we start using HoTay to refer to Pi.

WHOO!! First place!!

May we call you "The honorable and infinitely benevolent creator of that which brings light into our otherwise dreary and purposeless lives Howard Tayler"?

Since I beleive I'm the one referred to by the appelation CyrusB, I have a defense to offer the court- I quoted the title of a thread!

And I was just responding to a wish by Fanglock in the "Spoil a wish" thread.

He's an enabler, I tell you, corrupting young minds.

I suppose that "Qui HoTay" would be right out, then?

(Ducks and runs)

I am a young mind.

Nope. He is (at least in his capacity as Lord of the Schlockiverse) most assuredly malevolent.

So, if you don't want to be called HoTay, I'm guessing you really don't want Sandra to be called SaTay?

Following the same convention, the VW Beetle would be TuSch, no?

Howard "V" Taylor?

Victor? Vincent? Vance?

... Vagabond? Victoria? Van Lederhøsen?

Curious minds want to know!

I thought I had, but I couldn't remember for sure.

Thank you Pi, for having too much time on your hands.

Oh, and I second the movement to know what Howard's middle name is.

I, too, wish to know the middle name of DOOM.

Looks to me like it would be pronounced more like a redneck way of saying okay.

"Son, go put your clothes away."
"hokay (or hotay), i go do that now."

You're thinking of Buh-Weet.

I'd also like to offer a defense to the court. . . I don't really have one, but that doesn't change the fact that I'd like to.

oops, got an honorable mention... sorry, wont happen again. inceidentaly, what does V stand for Mr.Taylor?

It's just V. Howard V Tayler.

The V is for Victory, of course.

The V is for the reptilian alien race he secretly belongs to. Hide your mice and scientists, folks.

I suppose this means that "The H. Man" and "Mr. T" are out as well?

I understand completely. He's just looking ahead to when he takes over the world. The real question is, "Who was Howard IV?"

...

And why do people keep calling Mr Tayler, 'Taylor?'

absolutely right. man, i suck wiht names. sorry mr. taylEr.

no no no... you're all wrong.

Its Howard V. Tayler

as in, Howard, version Tayler

Howard versus Tayler.