King of the Asphalt Jungle

A six-year-old boy in Sweden still doesn’t have a name. After his parents tried to register his name as “Brfxxccxxmnpckcccc111mmnprxvc1mnckssqlbb11116” (pronounced “Albin”), the government rejected the name registration and fined the parents 5,000 kronor (US$625), saying the name is unsuitable under Sweden’s naming law [see What’s in a Name?, This is True, 14 April 1996]. The parents say the name is “a meaningful, expressionistic typographic formulation which we consider to be an artistic new creation in the pataphysical tradition in which we believe.” Authorities rejected that argument, as well as the parent’s most recent name suggestion, “A”. Should the family choose to flee Sweden, they can: the boy has a passport. In it, his name is listed as “Boy Tarzan”. (AFP) ...Probably relating to his agonizing, animalistic scream anytime he tries to spell his name.