It’s one thing to be a little unconventional and imaginative when it comes to naming your child. Some pet owners appear to seek the most outlandish and bizarre names for their animals, even going so far as to make up totally new names.
When it comes to animal names, humans have a great sense of humour. Certain animals are given names that are plain ridiculous, whether it’s their common name or a strange moniker. These names are sometimes descriptive, emphasizing the creatures’ distinct appearance or activity. However, the origins of some of these names are so unusual that just repeating them out loud might make you cry.
Meet Sumomomomomomomomo, a Japanese racehorse that just won for the first time was dubbed “the horse that makes commentators cry, because of its tongue-twister moniker. The three-year-old mare won a race at Tokyo’s Oi racecourse a few weeks ago and has since become something of a social media sensation in Japan.
実況の音声とともに映像もぜひご覧ください✨#スモモモモモモモモ#TCK https://t.co/qG8vaBdcOd pic.twitter.com/ImQRXbauIl
— 東京シティ競馬(TCK) (@tck_keiba) November 1, 2021
Its moniker, which is based on a Japanese tongue twister has piqued interest, and now everyone is rooting for her to win only to watch race commentators struggle to pronounce “Sumomomomomomomomo”. The mare’s moniker thrilled Japanese social media users, who applauded the racehorse while praising commentators for their “hard work.”
In Japan, horse racing is hugely popular, but before the win, Sumomomomomomomomo became popular just by her name alone. Her name comes from a Japanese tongue twister that goes like this: “Sumomo mo momo, momo mo momo, sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi”, which means “plums are peaches, and peaches are peaches, and plums and peaches are both types of peaches.”
With her first victory in 12 races, Sumomomomomomomomo has become famous among Japanese horse racing fans skyrocketed. Plush toys are now available for purchase at the Tokyo racetrack, and fans from outside the capital have demanded that they be made accessible online as well. Desserts are known as ‘sumomochi’ have also grown extremely popular.
Sources: Oddity Central, Mirror UK, And Away They Joe, Insider, Daily Advent