Dumpy, Flabby, Gabby, Gaspy, Gloomy...
Welcome to the fourth issue of the Lists of Note newsletter: each Sunday, a fascinating list from history. If you haven’t already, sign up.
In 1812, German storytellers the Brothers Grimm published Snow White, one of the most famous fairy tales in history and the basis for a wildly successful big-screen adaptation by Walt Disney Productions in 1937. In 1934, as they began work on the animated version, the writing team at Disney compiled the following wonderful list of potential names for a group of characters whom the Brothers Grimm had chosen to leave nameless: the seven dwarfs. As we now know, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy were picked from this shortlist; Dopey and the name of their leader, Doc, were chosen at a later date.
Awful
Bashful
Biggo-Ego
Biggy
Biggy-Wiggy
Blabby
Busy
Chesty
Crabby
Cranky
Daffy
Dippy
Dirty
Dizzy
Doleful
Dumpy
Flabby
Gabby
Gaspy
Gloomy
Goopy
Graveful
Grumpy
Happy
Helpful
Hoppy
Hotsy
Hungry
Jaunty
Jumpy
Lazy
Neurtsy
Nifty
Puffy
Sappy
Scrappy
Shifty
Silly
Sleepy
Snappy
Sneezy
Sneezy-Wheezy
Snoopy
Soulful
Strutty
Tearful
Thrifty
Weepy
Wistful
Woeful
The above list is one of 125 that feature in the Lists of Note book. It’s now out of print, but I’m selling the last remaining copies of its gorgeous special edition here.