When a Nimrod's not a nimrod

Locals ponder effect of street monikers on neighborhoods

By Neil Hughes

Staff Writer

Charlotte Sun, Oct. 14, 2007

Elma Hilt does not know the meaning of the word nimrod.

That's ironic, because she has lived on Nimrod Street in Port Charlotte for 25 years.

"I thought it was a kind of tree," she said.

The word nimrod typically carries a negative connotation, meaning dimwit or moron. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, you can thank Bugs Bunny for that — the cartoon character popularized the term when he called his nemesis Elmer Fudd a nimrod.

Bugs' insult wasn't far off from the original meaning of nimrod: hunter. The bumbling Fudd just so happened to be one.

But now, in most cases, nimrod has come to be used as slang, meaning idiot or jerk.

On Nimrod Street in Port Charlotte, the residents have heard the jokes before.

"Everybody I tell about where I live, they all laugh," Michael Lenart said. "They think it's funny. It's no funnier than any other name, like Fitzpatrick."

But there may be something to the name, said Brad Busbee, assistant professor of English at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Busbee teaches classes about the history of the English language. He said certain sounds and spellings can influence how people perceive words. For example, he said, names ending in 'ing' imply a diminutive size.

"It might have just the right kind of sound to fit in there to be kind of an insult," Busbee said of the word nimrod.

Even the little things can rub residents the wrong way. Public Works Director Tom O'Kane said whenever the county has to replace a "Dead End" road sign, they usually change it to "No Outlet." People, he said, just don't like the word "dead" on a sign.

So, what's in a name? Could street names with negative connotations have an impact on the residents' lives, such as making homes more difficult to sell?

It's hard to tell, said Jim Fallin, office manager of Parks Place Estates, a retirement community next to Old Landfill Road in Port Charlotte.

Fallin said prospective buyers often ask about Old Landfill Road. Though no houses are on the countyowned path, many buyers must pass the road on Loveland Boulevard to get to Park Place Estates.

"There are a lot of questions," Fallin said. "I don't know that it's ever caused us to lose a sale, but I don't know that it hasn't either, to tell you the truth."

Gertrude Osborne has lived in Lake's Edge, near Old Landfill Road, for four years. She said it wouldn't hurt the county to change the negative name, though it doesn't bother her.

"It's been Old Landfill Road for ages," Osborne said. "It doesn't faze me too much."

Jim Thomson, director of environmental resources for Charlotte County, said Old Landfill Road likely garnered its name because of (surprise) an old landfill that used to be at the site. The garbage dump closed in the early '70s.

Jerry Bone with Sun Realty represents a property for sale on Nimrod Street. It's possible, he said, that people may not call and inquire about the property because of the name.

"It actually might (be the case)," Bone said. "But I have not had a person tell me."

But he said the name does raise an important question.

"Of all the different names you pick," Bone said, "why Nimrod?"

Maggie Bartley is in charge of addressing for Charlotte County. Names are usually selected by the company that plats a neighborhood before it's built.

She said she's never heard of any complaints about Old Landfill Road or Nimrod Street.

If residents were interested in changing the name, they'd have to write a formal letter and initiate a process that requires 90 percent of a street's residents to support a change.

Nimrod Street resident Martha Dunbar said it's just not worth the effort.

"If it wasn't such a pain, I'd petition to get it changed," Dunbar said.

She's lived on Nimrod Street for 12 years, and the laughter is nothing new to her.

"When I give my address to people up north, they snicker," she said.

Regardless of the name, Lenart said Nimrod Street is a great place to live. He's owned and lived in his home since its previous resident, his mother, died over a year ago. She lived there for 13 years.

"I don't care about the name," he said. "I care about the neighborhood."

For Hilt, learning the meaning of nimrod won't change anything: She still proudly calls Nimrod Street home.

"Everybody that lives on Nimrod Street," she said with a smile, "they're not all nimrods."