What’s in a name?
Welcome to Being Bon Mot! I’m very excited to begin this web logging journey, and I’m so grateful that you’ve taken the time to visit. Regardless of how you came upon this blog, you’re probably wondering about the genesis of the bon mot (pronounced “bahn mo”) part of Being Bon Mot. In this post, we’ll explore my blog naming journey and seek to justify its relative obscurity.
I’m so glad you asked!
Before dipping my toe into this icy lifestyle blogging water, I did a lot of research. A lot of research – I even read some real, tactile, non-digital books. I scoured Pinterest and other blog sites for tips, tricks, and pitfalls (I’ve listed some of my favorites at the end of this post.). All of these sites were unanimous on one thing – your blog name matters. Sure, lots of other things matter almost as much, but your identity is forever. “Don’t be too specific,” they say. “Don’t be too obscure,” they warned. “Your URL is key,” they insisted. So how did I end up at Being Bon Mot?
Truth be told, most all of the good blog and web addresses are taken (or at least the most obvious ones I dreamed up). It is 2018 after all. I’m not the proverbial canary in the blogging coal mine here. Many have flown fearlessly into these dark and treacherous conditions before me and swiped all of the clever monikers in their tiny beaks. They’re certainly well-deserved after helping pave the way for the likes of me. While the blog-naming voyage was much less suffocating, the challenge did seem perilous at times – conjure a brand, business, and blog name fit to survive uncertain conditions.
Pardon my French – Arriving at the Nom De Guerre
Bon Mot is clearly a French term. Quite literally it translates to “right or good word.” But let’s get one thing clear right now – I don’t speak French. Not even a little bit. I can’t even ask where the bathroom is in Paris or how to get to the train station in Lyon. The longest French phrase I know comes from “Lady Marmalade” and shouldn’t be uttered in mixed company. And I’m not a Francophile. Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against French people, French speakers, or France writ large, but my enthusiasm for all things French is passive at best.
So, what about Being Bon Mot? Why start this journey in the taxonomy of relative obscurity? The answer lies somewhere between my idiosyncratic interests and intellectual pursuits. So, what do Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Bill Bryson, and the Cheshire Cat have in common? They’re all bon mot. As a matter of fact, most of my favorite historical figures, authors, and even on-screen characters are often described as being bon mot. My near-fangirl interest in Ben Franklin first exposed me to the term as he’s quintesentially bon mot. And while I wouldn’t dare compare my work ethic to that of Hamilton, my turn of phrase to Bill Bryson, or my cleverness to the Cheshire Cat, that’s what I aspire to. That’s what this blog seeks to accomplish – to explore clever observations about my adventures (nay mis-adventures) in travel, parenting, teaching, volunteering, and life in general. Being Bon Mot is meeting our most amazing experiences and unexpected challenges with an intelligent retort and witty riposte. Or as Mr. Franklin quipped more aptly: “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for here, and if you don’t, please email me or comment with questions and post ideas.
So exciting! I love your blog and it is aptly and cleverly named. You are quintessentially bon mot and I look forward to reading all that you have to share with the world! And I realize I also have a few faves in the favorite historical bon mot category – Martin Luther and C.S. Lewis. 🙂
Dr. S:
I took French as my 2 year requirement for my BA. The result that I can order one meal in French. “Steak de boeuf, haricots vert et pommes de
terre”.
What I want to see is your annotated bibliography of your research on “bon mot”. 😎
I really like your blog. Good job, Professor. I learned something the few times I read it. I subscribed so I will remember to read it.
Sounds like you are have a great summer with your family. You need to write a blog about juggling all of you roles. I am reading Michelle Obama’s book and she writes about her struggle for balance before FLOTUS and while she was in the White House. She also writes bought finding how to maintain her self identity in the public spotlight and having a partner who wanted a different path than she prepared for. Interesting for anyone. Not much politics.
Til next time.
Kathy-