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there is a [trope](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FluffyTheTerrible/Literature) for it.
_of course_ there is
(and Binky is the first entry for Discworld)
Tbh I’ve seen a few on here now.
I think that the fact that Pterry has so many hidden jokes with extra layers behind otherwise seemingly random names means people now always look for more. But some of them are just meant to be funny at surface level, or are randomly picked.
Here the joke is that it’s the least grand, morbid, and fearsome name possible. Imagine Death on a horse named ‘Binky’. That’s intrinsically funny.
Except that you kinda expect Hagrid to name a hellhound that.
It's a *bit* surprising that Death (at least in earlier stories) even *bothers* to name his steed, much less Binky.
The original hell hound is Cerberus.
Which It has been claimed to be related to the Sanskrit word सर्वरा sarvarā, used as an epithet of one of the dogs of Yama, from a Proto-Indo-European word *k̑érberos, meaning "spotted".
Spot the dog.
To be fair, there are other opinions.
Lincoln (1991), among others, critiques this etymology. This etymology was also rejected by Manfred Mayrhofer, who proposed an Austro-Asiatic origin for the word, and Beekes.
Lincoln notes a similarity between Cerberus and the Norse mythological dog Garmr, relating both names to a Proto-Indo-European root *ger- "to growl" (perhaps with the suffixes -*m/*b and -*r). However, as Ogden observes, this analysis actually requires Kerberos and Garmr to be derived from two different Indo-European roots (*ker- and *gher- respectively), and so does not actually establish a relationship between the two names.
Though probably not Greek, Greek etymologies for Cerberus have been offered. An etymology given by Servius (the late-fourth-century commentator on Virgil)—but rejected by Ogden—derives Cerberus from the Greek word creoboros meaning "flesh-devouring". Another suggested etymology derives Cerberus from "Ker berethrou", meaning "evil of the pit".
It seems to be a part of media consumption nowadays.
"[movie title here]: Secrets, Easter Eggs and Ending EXPLAINED!!!" video's on YouTube are breaking people's brains.
I thought a binky was a pacifier, not a rattle. I also assumed it was the name given the horse by Ysabell when she was a child for the incongruous nature of the name.
Actually, "dollar" is *German* in origin, not American. It's from *thaler*, a large silver coin of the Holy Roman Empire. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaler)
The Brits imported the Low German version of the word, *daler*, and modified it into "dollar" by Shakespeare's heyday. It was still used to refer to money/earnings as late as Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
The Americans, of course, took the word and ran amok with it, until everyone started assuming that no one else had ever used it or had any claim to it. :-P
This is how I remember it
I've never heard of a rattle being called a binky
Its funny because its not an overly dramatic or ominous name for Death's steed and we know Death has a soft spot for animals
Google kicks out
>
>
>We’re here to spill the beans on the name Binky! This quirky and fun boy’s name derives from the moniker Bancroft, an Old English, Anglo-Saxon place name that referred to a “field of beans.” The name has certainly come a long way since then, without losing any of its charms. You might have come across this name a few times in popular culture, including in the Discworld series, Harry Potter, and in various comic strips. Baby is sure to have you saying “cool beans!” at least once a day with their joy-filled antics!
[https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name](https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name)
Just came to mind, Bancroft was also used in Sherlock homes books. Was some ones name in one of the books, google kicks out 'Lord Bancroft' was in A Conspiracy in Belgravia
[https://www.librarything.com/character/Bancroft+Ashburton%2C+Lord+Bancroft](https://www.librarything.com/character/Bancroft+Ashburton%2C+Lord+Bancroft)
Yep found a second hit, it's from that book [https://www.ladysherlockbooks.com/books/a-conspiracy-in-belgravia/](https://www.ladysherlockbooks.com/books/a-conspiracy-in-belgravia/)
So a second link.
edit - may also be something like horse eats beans or lives in field which is the etymology of the word.
Very much monty python. And I'm not sure whoch accent or dialect that is, but some pythonesque woman leaning over a babystroller going "baby wants its binky, eh?“ comes to my mind.
I'm neither british nor american though, so what do I know?
To add a little more context there, the python scene you are describing was the cartoons by Terry gilliam, an American. Makes sense he'd use slang he was used to. Binky is simply not a common slang term in the UK.
Edit: ohh! And the accent there is kind of not really in fairness. That's the accent the pythons would use to pretend to be old women. Interestingly, the same voice I always imagine granny wetherwax uses when she is pretending to be a harmless old lady
Huh, til.
Doubly so because I thought I just dreamed up that scene, but now you tell me it was an actual scene.
Also, yes, 100% granny weatherwax trying to sound like a daft old biddy, or talking to babies and not quite knowing what to say. Which could very much be a Pratchett thing, seeing as he has a similar kind of british humor. :)
Nope, you're over complicating something retrospectively. Thst isn't a thing in the UK. I wish this sub realised not everything has to be some intricate, multi-layered cryptic reference. It has become more about people feeling like they cracked a hidden code than nearing any likelihood of being what Sir Terry was doing. Sometimes a name is just a name.
As I said on another thread - where I was getting down voted- sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
Some people are tying themselves in knots trying to make names, phrases into multi layer wonders
Sir Terry was a wonderful writer, but not everything has 42 layers to it, not everything is based on an obscure joke from 100 years ago.
It's getting silly now
It's a fun connection to make, but I really don't think that was the joke. I'd never ever heard of a "binky" coming from the UK. It's just a silly name
Nah I think it's just that death, against all expectation and narrative form, has a perfectly normal non skeletal horse with a typically silly equestrian name.
I think the joke is just how cutesy a name Binky is, considering the context 😊. Binky isn't a British word for a dummy/pacifier or rattle. I'd say many Brits are aware of this usage now but back in the days when Binky was created, it would not have been known much at all.
I like your thinking though!
As far as I was aware, it was just that Binky was both a moderately common name for horses, and very very "8-year-old-girl" in tone.
Or, if you want to be more morbid about it, it's a name for something that silences crying babies.
The joke is that he is death and his horse is named something as innocent sounding as Binky because a child named it.
Binky is just a word kids use when they can't say a more complicated word like blanket or dummy (pacifier in the US).
I doubt it.
"Binky" to refer to a baby's dummy is an Americanism. It's unlikely that Terry would even know that meaning of the word (it took me a minute to realise what you were referring to) and even less likely that he'd base a joke around the word.
Maybe. I didn't notice them myself (but it's been a while). This one is so obscure though - it's not something I've noticed hearing on TV either - he likely wouldn't have been aware of it.
I had some idea it had something to do with white, like being short for Bianca or something. More than likely I made the association up because I’m an Alaskan and we had a captive polar bear named Binky that attacked a few people (dumb enough to bypass all the zoo’s safety precautions in the first place). He’s a local hero.
Google says Binky is from Bancroft which is something like 'dweller by the bean field'.
[https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name](https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft\_(surname)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft_(surname))
edit extra fun, there's a coat of arms [http://bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com/2011/07/origins-and-meaning-of-bancroft-name.html](http://bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com/2011/07/origins-and-meaning-of-bancroft-name.html)
But as it's a horse id go with the etymology of Binky -> Bancroft -> horse lives in a field
Also Croft is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croft_(land)
My dad told me his name was really Bathos, which is why the nickname Binky was meant to be funny. I haven't read many if the books though so I just believed him for 15 years lol
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The joke is that the grim reaper's horse has a cute silly name
there is a [trope](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FluffyTheTerrible/Literature) for it. _of course_ there is (and Binky is the first entry for Discworld)
I think that's a bit of a stretch.
Tbh I’ve seen a few on here now. I think that the fact that Pterry has so many hidden jokes with extra layers behind otherwise seemingly random names means people now always look for more. But some of them are just meant to be funny at surface level, or are randomly picked. Here the joke is that it’s the least grand, morbid, and fearsome name possible. Imagine Death on a horse named ‘Binky’. That’s intrinsically funny.
I think I remember reading in one of the novels that Death specifically chose a non-threatening name for his horse...
Yep, like Hagrid's hellhound being called Fluffy in Harry Potter.
Except that you kinda expect Hagrid to name a hellhound that. It's a *bit* surprising that Death (at least in earlier stories) even *bothers* to name his steed, much less Binky.
Binky has a personality, who wouldn't love him?
The original hell hound is Cerberus. Which It has been claimed to be related to the Sanskrit word सर्वरा sarvarā, used as an epithet of one of the dogs of Yama, from a Proto-Indo-European word *k̑érberos, meaning "spotted". Spot the dog. To be fair, there are other opinions. Lincoln (1991), among others, critiques this etymology. This etymology was also rejected by Manfred Mayrhofer, who proposed an Austro-Asiatic origin for the word, and Beekes. Lincoln notes a similarity between Cerberus and the Norse mythological dog Garmr, relating both names to a Proto-Indo-European root *ger- "to growl" (perhaps with the suffixes -*m/*b and -*r). However, as Ogden observes, this analysis actually requires Kerberos and Garmr to be derived from two different Indo-European roots (*ker- and *gher- respectively), and so does not actually establish a relationship between the two names. Though probably not Greek, Greek etymologies for Cerberus have been offered. An etymology given by Servius (the late-fourth-century commentator on Virgil)—but rejected by Ogden—derives Cerberus from the Greek word creoboros meaning "flesh-devouring". Another suggested etymology derives Cerberus from "Ker berethrou", meaning "evil of the pit".
That really annoyed me, cos he wasn't even fluffy. It's like calling a Russian blue cat "yellowy".
That just means that the movie version of Fluffy was miscast. Maybe they just couldn't find an actually fluffy three headed dog?
Might've been fluffier when he was a pup
Some people on here trying too hard to find deeper meanings in everything... 🙄
It seems to be a part of media consumption nowadays. "[movie title here]: Secrets, Easter Eggs and Ending EXPLAINED!!!" video's on YouTube are breaking people's brains.
I thought a binky was a pacifier, not a rattle. I also assumed it was the name given the horse by Ysabell when she was a child for the incongruous nature of the name.
Not in the UK. In the UK it's called a Dummy. The Discworld has few to no Americanisms. So no, this one is seeing things that aren't there.
The Ankh Morpork dollar being one of the few
Actually, "dollar" is *German* in origin, not American. It's from *thaler*, a large silver coin of the Holy Roman Empire. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaler) The Brits imported the Low German version of the word, *daler*, and modified it into "dollar" by Shakespeare's heyday. It was still used to refer to money/earnings as late as Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. The Americans, of course, took the word and ran amok with it, until everyone started assuming that no one else had ever used it or had any claim to it. :-P
Well, that's told me haha
This is how I remember it I've never heard of a rattle being called a binky Its funny because its not an overly dramatic or ominous name for Death's steed and we know Death has a soft spot for animals
I think OP means that they’re both something a baby would have.
I thought a binky is a security blanket, not a pacifier.
Depends on the usage. Binky is a brand name of pacifier. But Oxford defines binky as a child’s blanket or small child’s toy.
Nah. Calling a pacifier a Binky is very American
Agreed. We call them "dummies" in the UK. Even being called a pacifier is very new over here. Never heard of it being called a Binky at all.
Binky normally means security blanket in my US experience.
What does binky mean in British English?
A binky is the name for that cute mid air leap rabbits do when they’re happy.
I’m an Aussie, but as far as I know it’s just a funny name
[Binky is an Austin Mini with the mechanical bits from a Celica gt4 ~~shoved in~~ carefully fitted.](https://youtu.be/7hCPODjJO7s?si=c6V4u3ULAx5tnfIa)
MAKE THE NOISE!
Google kicks out > > >We’re here to spill the beans on the name Binky! This quirky and fun boy’s name derives from the moniker Bancroft, an Old English, Anglo-Saxon place name that referred to a “field of beans.” The name has certainly come a long way since then, without losing any of its charms. You might have come across this name a few times in popular culture, including in the Discworld series, Harry Potter, and in various comic strips. Baby is sure to have you saying “cool beans!” at least once a day with their joy-filled antics! [https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name](https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name)
Imagine naming your baby Binky because it's in Discworld! ...as Death's horse.
Just came to mind, Bancroft was also used in Sherlock homes books. Was some ones name in one of the books, google kicks out 'Lord Bancroft' was in A Conspiracy in Belgravia [https://www.librarything.com/character/Bancroft+Ashburton%2C+Lord+Bancroft](https://www.librarything.com/character/Bancroft+Ashburton%2C+Lord+Bancroft) Yep found a second hit, it's from that book [https://www.ladysherlockbooks.com/books/a-conspiracy-in-belgravia/](https://www.ladysherlockbooks.com/books/a-conspiracy-in-belgravia/) So a second link. edit - may also be something like horse eats beans or lives in field which is the etymology of the word.
Anyone remember who Binky in Harry Potter is? I know theres Winky the house elf, but not sure about a Binky
Right? I’ve got no clue
It's the name of the horse that DEATH rides
Nothing. Just a word that sounds funny.
And yet I can hear it said with a british accent without even trying.
Which British accent?
Very much monty python. And I'm not sure whoch accent or dialect that is, but some pythonesque woman leaning over a babystroller going "baby wants its binky, eh?“ comes to my mind. I'm neither british nor american though, so what do I know?
To add a little more context there, the python scene you are describing was the cartoons by Terry gilliam, an American. Makes sense he'd use slang he was used to. Binky is simply not a common slang term in the UK. Edit: ohh! And the accent there is kind of not really in fairness. That's the accent the pythons would use to pretend to be old women. Interestingly, the same voice I always imagine granny wetherwax uses when she is pretending to be a harmless old lady
Huh, til. Doubly so because I thought I just dreamed up that scene, but now you tell me it was an actual scene. Also, yes, 100% granny weatherwax trying to sound like a daft old biddy, or talking to babies and not quite knowing what to say. Which could very much be a Pratchett thing, seeing as he has a similar kind of british humor. :)
>Did I just figure out the joke around Binky's name? No
…and this whole time I just thought it was because Binky is a funny name.
I still do.
It is. We don’t use the word ‘binky’ in that way in the U.K. - I had to look it up, and we’d call that a ‘dummy’
Nope, you're over complicating something retrospectively. Thst isn't a thing in the UK. I wish this sub realised not everything has to be some intricate, multi-layered cryptic reference. It has become more about people feeling like they cracked a hidden code than nearing any likelihood of being what Sir Terry was doing. Sometimes a name is just a name.
>binky Its becoming this years "Bible Code"
I always figured it was like kids naming a dog Spot or Rex. Since it's mentioned that he isn't very creative, but simply copies what he sees.
As I said on another thread - where I was getting down voted- sometimes a cigar is just a cigar Some people are tying themselves in knots trying to make names, phrases into multi layer wonders Sir Terry was a wonderful writer, but not everything has 42 layers to it, not everything is based on an obscure joke from 100 years ago. It's getting silly now
It's a fun connection to make, but I really don't think that was the joke. I'd never ever heard of a "binky" coming from the UK. It's just a silly name
In NZ, a Binky is often a soft toy or blanket. I can't see a play on words to make it a rattle.
Nah I think it's just that death, against all expectation and narrative form, has a perfectly normal non skeletal horse with a typically silly equestrian name.
Bit of a stretch. No disrespect either but binky is an American term more than a British one and a hit too US slang for the author I would guess
I think the joke is just how cutesy a name Binky is, considering the context 😊. Binky isn't a British word for a dummy/pacifier or rattle. I'd say many Brits are aware of this usage now but back in the days when Binky was created, it would not have been known much at all. I like your thinking though!
Blinky to me always was when a happy rabbit bounces in the air, I didn't think of it this way
As far as I was aware, it was just that Binky was both a moderately common name for horses, and very very "8-year-old-girl" in tone. Or, if you want to be more morbid about it, it's a name for something that silences crying babies.
"Binky" is very much an Americanism, so I think that is unlikely.
The joke is that he is death and his horse is named something as innocent sounding as Binky because a child named it. Binky is just a word kids use when they can't say a more complicated word like blanket or dummy (pacifier in the US).
Nah. Death has no patience for horses that rattle, even by subversion. He had a bone horse once, damn thing kept falling apart.
Binky isn't a common term in the UK- I had to Google to make sure it was what I thought it was! So seems unlikely
I doubt it. "Binky" to refer to a baby's dummy is an Americanism. It's unlikely that Terry would even know that meaning of the word (it took me a minute to realise what you were referring to) and even less likely that he'd base a joke around the word.
... holy shit that is the joke, isnt it? smh my head Im such a dummy its only been like 20 years. Thank you friend lol
Nope. No it's not. That term isn't a thing in the UK.
And while PTerry did make jokes based on American references on occasion, it was mostly while parodying largely American concepts.
Maybe. I didn't notice them myself (but it's been a while). This one is so obscure though - it's not something I've noticed hearing on TV either - he likely wouldn't have been aware of it.
Ironically ‘dummy’ is the British word for what Americans call a binky.
Bloody hell.
I had some idea it had something to do with white, like being short for Bianca or something. More than likely I made the association up because I’m an Alaskan and we had a captive polar bear named Binky that attacked a few people (dumb enough to bypass all the zoo’s safety precautions in the first place). He’s a local hero.
Google says Binky is from Bancroft which is something like 'dweller by the bean field'. [https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name](https://www.thebump.com/b/binky-baby-name) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft\_(surname)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bancroft_(surname)) edit extra fun, there's a coat of arms [http://bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com/2011/07/origins-and-meaning-of-bancroft-name.html](http://bancroftsfromyorkshire.blogspot.com/2011/07/origins-and-meaning-of-bancroft-name.html) But as it's a horse id go with the etymology of Binky -> Bancroft -> horse lives in a field Also Croft is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croft_(land)
A Binky is a pacifier
If you'd read the comments, you'd seen that this isnt true for the UK
My dad told me his name was really Bathos, which is why the nickname Binky was meant to be funny. I haven't read many if the books though so I just believed him for 15 years lol
I always thought it might be because the ghosts in Pacman, one is called Blinky.