Nook e-books?

Gales of blogosphere laughter greeted yesterday's announcement of Barnes & Noble's new "Nook" e-book reader, and justly so.

"What you readin', bud?" says one straphanger to another.

"A Nook e-book."

"A what?"

If you don't get it, ask a teenager. Or a dirty old person.

Let's face it. Anything with "ook" is never going to be a good name for an e-book reader. Imagine:

Cook e-book? Only for chocolate chip fans.

Eook? What?

Fook? Please.

Gook? Korean War combat vets might go for that, but nobody else.

Hook? Fisherfolks?

Jook? What?

Iook? What?

Kook? Is Edd Byrnes remembered anymore?

Look? For kids and illiterates.

Mook? Sounds like a Spike Lee role.

Oook? What?

Pook? For stuffed-animal juveniles.

Qook? E-books for Inuits.

Rook? Beginning readers.

Sook? Does that mean anything?

Took? Steal this book!

Uook? Can that even be pronounced?

Vook? Already coined for e-books with video components. (It won't last.)

Wook? Chewbacca might read this.

Xook? Sounds like a cloud computing website.

Zook? Enough already.

Wonder how much Barnes & Noble paid the marketing firm that came up with Nook.