Over time, many people who saw my screen name looked at me weirdly and pointed out two things:
1. It should be "nocturnal" kiwi, not nocturne.
2. Why a nocturnal kiwi? Why a kiwi at all?
The first question is relatively easy to answer: try saying "nocturnal kiwi". It sounds way less cool than "nocturne kiwi". Honestly, I just felt the flow of nocturne was better than nocturnal. I
can spell, I promise.
To answer the second question, mh, yes, that might that a little more effort. Mostly because I have little clue myself where it comes from. My money is on my left big toe... Kidding aside, the origin of kiwi goes waaay back. There a (not that known) Dutch expression going: I'm not crazy, I'm an airplane (ik ben niet gek ik ben een vliegtuig). It makes me laugh, every time. Especially when you picture a drunk guy running around with his arm outspread screaming that sentence. Anyway, a variation on that is: I'm not crazy, I'm a kiwi. I'm not entirely sure whether I made that up myself or read it somewhere. I also can't say if the fruit, or the bird is meant. But who cares, it's funny.
So, there's the origin of "Kiwi". Now, why nocturn(al)e? Mostly for the sound, methinks. Not because kiwi are nocturnal (as turned out later... today, in fact), but more because I find nocturnal a extremely nice word.
I'm quite content with my name, even though I feel silly for believing that kiwi are
not nocturnal and for feeling very original in creating a non-existent species.
EDIT: I'm also, as you might have understood at this point, NOT from New Zealand or in any way related to that place... Bless me for picking such an ambiguous name without knowing it.
