HellaFrank

Quite a few people have asked me about the name of this blog, HellaFrank. What does it mean? Are you trying to be funny? Why would you call it something like that? Some questions, obviously kinder in tone and intention than others.

To be honest, one of the LaunchSquad partners, Brett Weiner (biggest URL squatter I know, the guy has got to own at least 50), came up with the name a few days before I left — there were many others considered, Frankishly coming in a close second, but HellaFrank won because I liked it and more importantly, the URL was still available.

The word Hella has been in my vocabulary for a very long time — I’m thinking middle school at least. At one point it may have been a word used by a large part of the country, but it’s mainly known as a Northern California term. Urban Dictionary actually says that the word Hella originated in Hunter’s Point in San Francisco. Now, I’m not claiming to be from “the HP,” in fact I think I’ve only ever been through it to get to Candlestick Park (GreenAmy worked there!), but it originated in San Francisco and has stuck to this day.

Southern Californians make fun of it, but seriously, they use the word “bra” (like, “bro”) to address their friends (i.e. “Hey bra’ the waves were EPIC today”), so give me a freakin’ break. I miss San Diego less and less everyday.

In any case, it’s probably a word I won’t use here in New York, but I thought it was a nice way of representing a little Nor-Cal in my bi-coastal blog’s name. And besides my newly engaged sister who did 5 years of marketing for Apple had this to say about it:

“I LOVE the name. I’d try to steal it, but guess I won’t be a Frank much longer.”

I’ll take that as a nice stamp of approval… Sister knows best.