At risk of hypocrisy, but in favour of balance in case anyone thinks this is just an American thing, I'd like to point out that 'The Flintstones' cartoon was a favourite of us kids, back in the 60's, we all watched it, I loved it and still do... from which this name is presumably taken... and of course I must point out that we have one here now, named after a cartoon 'Tottering-by-Gently'... perhaps a little more refined, and obviously I find it more acceptable, but still... it's a cartoonish name..

You may call me a hypocrite if you wish... I actually like both roses...

'Tottering-by-Gently'.... photo today...

I think it's a marketing ploy trying to tag those of us who actually remember where the phrase originated. They did the same thing with 60s music on advertisements targeting the same group because as a whole we are mostly retired or semiretired and supposedly have the most available/disposable money for buying nonessentials. What about the rose name 'Bubble Double'? Sounds backwards doesn't it? There's been people who didn't like the name Dee-Lish either because apparently it did not sound regal enough for the rose. Ultimately it comes down to how the rose performs but I guess some fun can't hurt!

Haha! You're right Kristine! I forgot that one!

Some horrible names, to be sure. 'Ch-Ching'???? Seriously? *groan*

And NO, 'Yabba Dabba Doo' would never appear in my garden, at least not under that name. I'd rather do a mash-up of its parents names and call it "Ruby Cowboy Carpet"!

If it was pastel pink and fragrant I would be willing to consider a rose with the name Yabba Dabba Doo.

The color is somewhat too vibrant for my taste, however...

I like the name Tottering-by-Gently a lot... charming name for a graceful rose.

I think names matter to me since some just give me a visceral response but if a rose was perfect in every other way I would overlook a name in most cases. I think I could overlook Yabba.... if I loved the rose, but Ketchup and Mustard is nauseating to me. I think with names of people it can be even worse. For instance, there is a lily named Tiger Woods which although I like the lily I could never ever buy because whether true that he did it or not it just instantly makes me think of adultery which isn't something I want a plant to make me think of, and there are a few roses with names of well known people I also could never buy under any circumstance. I think the people naming roses need to be especially careful when choosing names of famous people.

I agree Pippa, naming roses after people is really tricky

I don't find anything wrong with the name at all. It's all about what the rose looks like, smells like and how it performs in your garden. Besides, I have a yellow rose named Golden Showers in my garden so I can't throw stones:)

Sorry, I have to draw the line at Yabba Dabba Do, although I rather like Tottering-By-Gently. Tiger Woods is now also anathema to me, although before being aware of his proclivities I had always thought it was an interesting name. Ketchup and Mustard probably would not find a place in my garden, but partially because I don't care for the rose itself. I dislike some of the cutesy names that miniature roses are often saddled with, as though by their smaller flower size they had given up all rights to a respectable name. Let's face it, when roses are so close to our hearts we have a right to be picky about what they're called, or at least so I say.

Not a chance. Neither would Ketchup & Mustard find a place in my garden.

Oddly, I find 'Happy Butt' and 'Hanky Panky' funny enough to be fun choices for oddly-named roses, though preferably in someone else's garden. :-)

Nope! Can’t do it. It’s not as bad as ‘ketchup and mustard’ (what an ugly rose IMO). I could forgive a rose its preposterous name if were incredibly beautiful, but those don’t fall in that category. Now, ‘Tottering-By-Gently sounds awful to me, but I’m not familiar with the cartoon. As I’ve said before, it brings up the picture of an elderly refined woman stumbling about after too much afternoon sherry. I DO like the rose, however, and I find the picture in my mind quite humorous. I also can’t stand the name ‘Dee-lish. That being said, I just received rooted cuttings of ‘Dee-lish yesterday from a friend. I guess I’ll have to get over the name. At least it’s a beautiful rose. Lisa

So there's actually a rose named happy butt!? Haha

Fortunately, Yabba Dabba Do is not a rose that appeals to me. So no silly Flintstones named rose in my yard

Lisa, this discussion also brought Dee-Lish to mind. It sounds like a great rose, and after seeing it at Lowe's recently, found it very pretty, but ugh, that name. Helpmefind lists 8 other names for that rose in use, so we can just pick one we like better :)

-Chris

Just remembered that on that same visit to Lowe's, I ended up buying a 'Yellow Submarine' rose on a whim. I'm sure some people would dislike that name, but since I like the Beatles and like the related album artwork, I really like it. I guess it just comes down to what associations you have with the name sometimes.

-Chris

There are a lot of ridiculous rose names out there; some stike me as are funny ("Herz Ass"),others just seem awful ; I think Yabba-dabba doo falls into the second category, as does "Dee-lish" . I agree with Lisa that Ketchup and Mustard is such an ugly rose that it deserves it's name. Tottering-by-Gently doesn't bother me that much,perhaps because I'm not familiar with the cartoon. I think that if I found a rose really beautiful and appealing, I'd easily get over the ugly name, but none listed here fall into that category. There is, of course, "Mrs. Reynolds Hole", which IS beautiful, I have two, but this is a name that strikes me as funny rather than "awful". O, and btw, is anyone out there in agreeement with me that names with an " 'n " instead of an "and" are horrid??? "Peaches 'n Cream", "Cherries 'n Cream"...ghastly!

comtesse, you write in such a delightful way, and we must be kindred spirits because I agree with everything you say. It also struck me belatedly that I am tottering quite a bit these days, although not because of gin in my cornflakes. Too funny!

Tottering-by-Gently, in this instance, refers to a country mansion in the north of England, whose real name is Broughton Hall... ancestral home of the Tempest family... Annie Tempest writes the cartoon...

Here is a link to the Broughton Hall website, which starts a short video, whereby you can see the opulence of the Broughton Hall house and estate... I hope they plant this rose in their gardens..

Broughton Hall

Oh yes!

And so love Tottering On By. I might find myself calling it "Drunken Walkie" though

Oh and lets not forget the famous Tipsy Imperial Concubine. What a name!

That’s right, SoFl! How could I have forgotten about Tipsy Imperial Concubine! That one takes the cake, yet I find it delightfully humorous instead of awful. I guess it’s the “refined language” that makes this one intriguing rather than offensive. If it were called something like “Drunken Royal Whore”, it wouldn’t be nearly as well received, nor as delightful to say. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Lisa

To answer the original question: NEVER.

Certain cultural references are forbidden to enter the boundaries of the garden, which is a magical place. I'll offer another rose with a doomed name, not mentioned yet: 'Benson and Hedges Gold'. Can you imagine?

Another name I hate: " Sexy Rexy"...

I always hated that one too, bart.

If I liked the rose I could do Yabba Dabba Do. I think it’s kind of a fun name. Probably pass on Sexy Rexy and Ketchup and Mustard. Don’t mind the ones with an “n” in the middle.

Not a rose, but I was looking through some perennials today and found this charmer...

Sedum 'Stewed Rhubarb Mountain'...

..and I thought it couldn't get any worse...

OMG,that is so awful it's great, lol!

I know, and I'm actually thinking of getting some just for the fun of it... lol... imagine showing your guests around your garden and explaining this one away..

Here are some wonderful [?] Daylily names... I quote from an article written in 2014 by Katharine Crouch called 'Naff Names'...

‘Little Bugger’, ‘Abby Dabby Doo’, ‘Big Bodacious Blonde’, ‘Honey I Shrunk the Cat’, ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’, ‘Inky Dinky Doo’, ‘The Moose Camped in a Tent Tuesday’, ‘Kissed Off’ and ‘Zzzz a Zinging Giant’.

...and we think we got problems with roses... duh...

LOL. First time when I looked at a daylily database with zillions of cultivars, I thought "These guys are nuttier than us" (cough, cough...). Incidentally, as I was searching for these at daylilies.org, I saw another fun name 'Purr at Me'. One of its parents is, you may guess, ‘Honey I Shrunk the Cat’.

Sexy Rexy and Happy Butt are actually affectionate nicknames for real people, and the roses were named for them.

Sexy Rexy was the actor Rex Harrison.

Happy Butt was apparently the nickname for the rose breeder's boss, Gladys, or so the story goes. It is the only rose listed on HMF for Bill Carlson.

I am more annoyed by Ketchup and Mustard, or rose names of products. Ewww.

And I don't enjoy cartoons, so roses named after them would not attract me.

Good point, Rosefolly; rose names derived from products are pretty unattractive. But these daylily names really do "take the cake" (ooh, that'd be another gross slangy name for a plant, lol !)

Poor K&M. I realized, with this rose, that I almost let the name deter me from buying it. Then I saw it in person, and was intrigued, and added it to my garden. I must say, it's an absolute workhorse. It's almost always covered in blooms, which are pretty and delicate in their bud stage. And really, how often do you see a red rose with a yellow center. I like "odd". The foliage is always super healthy as well.

I realized when I bought K&M, that I would not ever let the name of a rose influence my choice of it for my garden. It doesn't impact how the rose looks in the garden!

K&M - Not a good pic, but you can see how healthy the foliage is and how covered she is with blooms - she's behind Ingrid Bergman - a regal name for a regal rose.

Honey I shrunk the cat, that is too funny!

I do have an odd named Daylily.... this is 'Radiation Biohazard'.... lol...

One of our members heard a different story of how Sexy Rexy got its name than I did, and sent me a quiet note about it. I cannot find my original reference, so I don't know which of us is right.

The alternate story is that it was a friendly inside joke between the rose breeder McGredy and a friend of his. I personally like the story that it is named for Rex Harrison, which is why I have remembered it all these years, but I don't have a solid foundation for it. Please be warned that facts may indeed be otherwise.