School cut-off date WAS:Riddle and Grindelwald in 1945

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 109572

JKR on Hermione's name:

> > "[I]t's a name from Shakespeare; it's in 'A Winter's 
> > Tale'....  [I]t just seems the sort of name that a 
> > pair of professional dentists who liked to prove how 
> > clever they were -– do you know what I mean -– gave 
> > their daughter a nice unusual name that no one can
> > pronounce!  I mean, parents do that."

RMM:

> I'm sorry, but are you saying that because the name is 
> obscure, then it is clever of the parents just because 
> it is obscure?

Yes.  More precisely, I think JKR was trying to say that Hermione's
parents were pretentious, or overly-intellectual, not that the choice
of name was "interesting."  

> On a side note:  If that is the exact quote from Jo 
> above in regard to her answer, then all I have to say is 
> -- did you see that quick change of subject in her 
> answer??????  She was giving too much away and then 
> realized it.  She ends with "gave their daughter a nice 
> unusual name that no one can pronounce!  I mean, parents
> do that." WOW!!!  She goes from dentists being clever to 
> parents giving their kids unpronounceable names!!!

I did indeed think the last part was signficant; that's why I quoted
it.  I, however, don't have to work as hard as you to read
significance into a "change of subject," because I don't think she
changed the subject at all.  Rather, I think JKR's entire response was
poking fun at parents who choose an obscure name (in this case a
literary one) in an effort to be "clever," and end up with ... an
obscure name no one can pronounce.

-- Matt