I can't get enough

Cross posted at Political Arguments.

Margo Howard—Dear Prudence of Slate—is my favorite advice columnist. But she really dropped the ball on this.

Dear Prudence,
Never before a user of these kinds of columns, I am irresistibly curious to see what you might think of the following: My wife and I are hoping to have a baby and have debated, at some length, the choice of first names. I've conceded/compromised on possible choices and thought that was the end of it. Now, she wants to talk about the last name. I consider myself very open-minded and am willing to discuss a hyphenation. (I find them dated, clunky, and pretentious, but I only have one vote.) She is insisting on her last name: no hyphenation. In theory, I can appreciate that the choice of the man's last name is, tradition aside, somewhat arbitrary. I've joked about selecting a new last name; an amalgam, or anagram perhaps. I have been assuming that as that future day approaches, the issue would disappear and the children would have my last name. But testing the waters tells me that her resolve is firm. In 100 years, maybe the convention will include choosing your own last name, but for the coming year or two, I doubt it. Any advice?

--Queryingly yours, Nameless in New York

Dear Quer,

Is your wife a militant feminist? Or perhaps your surname is the same as one of the major crime families? Prudie only knows of one instance where the last name on the birth certificate was the mother's: There were no males to carry on the name, and the name was that of a major corporation. Another instance would be if the parents weren't married and it was the mother's choice to use her own name (which, of course was her father's, but onward). What Prudie would like to know about your wife's "resolve" is the thinking behind it. You might want to get into this subject a little deeper, because there's a slim chance that the baby's name may be the least of your problems.

--Prudie, portentously

This elicited some pretty pissed off responses. Go Slate readers!