I heard about a children’s radio program host who offered a prompt that went something like this:

Think of a word that would make a great baby name — if it wasn’t already a word that meant something else.

The host’s example: Elderly.

That’s a good one. (I’m sure Baby Elderly is adorable and above average.)

A prompt like this challenges us to suspend what we know, and it leaves room for surprise and amusement. And while some answers are better than others, none of them are wrong answers.

I admit: I’ve been having too much fun thinking of responses.

Agony
Alkaline
Debris
Diarrhea
Lattice
Lazy
Piston
Vinegar

Unusual questions can be a salve for our imagination and curiosity — but we have to sit with them, play with them, and let them blossom.

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H/T Mindy Thomas