As Halloween quickly approaches, Frankenstorm is sneaking up on the East Coast. Forecasters are calling the hurricane headed for New York, New Jersey, and as far inland as Ohio, “Frankenstorm” because (like the monster in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus) this storm is stitched together from three different weather systems, Hurricane Sandy from the Caribbean, a western early winter storm, and a cold influx of Arctic wind from the north.

In German, the name Frankenstein translates to “stronghold of freemen,”  most likely referring to various castles and battlements around the country that also carry the name. Mary Shelley however, believed the name came to her in a vivid dream. But now, in the case of “Frankenstorm,” the application of the “Franken-” prefix might not be on point. In Shelley’s novel, Dr. Victor Frankenstein never names his creation. Instead he disowns the monster by refusing to name it, referring to it as “demon,” “thing,” “wretched devil,” and a long list of awful aliases.

Fear not meteorologists: you are not alone in the inaccurate ‘Franken-’ ascription! With terms like ‘Frankenbike’ (a bicycle pieced together from scavenged parts), ‘Frankenfood‘ (slang for genetically modified crops), ‘Frankenbite,’ (a sound bite that’s been synthesized from many disparate quotations), or even Tim Burton’s film Frankenweenie about a dog brought back to life with electricity, the public loves to ‘Frankenize’ words. But whether or not Mary Shelley is turning in her grave, the fictional Dr. Frankenstein is definitely turning in his. Regardless of accuracy, the media has chosen to ignore the good doctor’s wishes and now Frankenstein’s monster bears his family name in popular culture, sewing the prefix onto the vernacular like the creature’s salvaged limbs.

So grab a copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and a mug of hot cocoa. Let’s weather this Frankenstorm with the source.

What words would you like to Frankenize? Tell us here.

Hey, did you know that the book “Frankenstein” was written when a bunch of horror authors came together and challenged each other to write the scariest story? Way cool! (First comment!)

i thought frakenstain was dead why are they bringing it up now that was a long time ago.

“But whether or not Mary Shelley is turning in her grave, the fictional Dr. Frankenstein is definitely turning in his. Regardless of accuracy, the media has chosen to ignore the good doctor’s wishes and now Frankenstein’s monster bares his family name in popular culture, sewing the prefix onto the vernacular like the creature’s salvaged limbs.”

I never knew that “Frankenstein” was the name of the doctor; I always thought that it was the name of the creature he made. Huh.
But then again, I’ve never read the book, so I really would have no way of knowing…

yaaaa like cool ya

Dr.Victor also called the monster fiend

I think frankenstyle would be funny, kind of like gangnam style, but twisted into a Michael Jackson thriller. Just my thoughts…

Bhe

I think I’m dressing up as Vic this Halloween.

Mary Shelly intentionally named the book after the creator, not the creature, to show scientists that they have a responsibility for what they do.

Here’s what you should’ve done:
1. Explored the German roots of the “Franken” moniker.
2. Acknowledge that though Shelley’s novel didn’t name the monster, subsequent fictional works did, so it’s totally legit to use “Franken” this way.
3. Explained, chronologically how “Franken” came into fame, and not offer up just 3 random examples.
4. Understood language belongs to all of us, and we’re free to affix (Frankenstein) prefixes (not suffixes) as we please.
5. Written this article to educate, not drive clicks and grab at search engine traffic by drafting off of an upcoming holiday.

Switch to decaf “whipsmart” and get over yourself.

Maawww-ha-ha!!! What if we tried hobbling together “Frankenstein” and the term worded “Voter Disenfranchisement?”

Eewww, messy to put it short.

Behold, VOTER FRANKEN-CHIDEMENT!!!! Wait, wait, changing “d” for s….. Once again beholden with the affected correction: VOTER FRANKEN-CHISEMENT!!!!! Oh the dissed humanity!!!

“Frankenstein’s monster bares his family name in popular culture, sewing the prefix onto the vernacular like the creature’s salvaged limbs.” I hate to pile on after the whole prefix/suffix thing (which appears to have been fixed), but the monster bears the family name, not bares it. The only way you could bare a name is if it was covered up with something and you removed the covering.

Interesting article. In the third paragraph you’ve misspelled a word. “now Frankenstein’s monster bares his family name” –”bares” should be “bears.” Spellcheck doesn’t catch stuff like that but a proofreader should.

How about Jeff Frankenstein? He’s THE BEST!!!!!! =D

Poor Al Franken, the so-called ‘junior senator’ from Minnesota!! He must have heard every ‘Franken’ pun on earth–in fact he IS a Franken pun: the ‘junior senator’ from Minnesota ran on a ticket of the Democratic-Labor-Farmer parties, which makes him a Franken-Senator!! POOR GUY!!

“…the media has chosen to ignore the good doctor’s wishes…”

Victor Frankenstein is not good in the novel.

Nice little trivia piece, but… It is the “monster BEARS his family’s name…” I guess since the Creature was using the surname openly, then he was “baring” it too? Also, it is “the media HAVE chosen,” as it means lots of TV stations, magazines, websites, etc, and is a plural noun. Please proofread your spelling and grammar; this is a dictionary site, for gosh sakes.

This book is a classic; it’s an authentic bone-chiller. They don’t write them like that anymore. Highly recommended, if not for the sake of this whole conversation, just for the joy and terror one gets from reading it.

It should be “bears” his family name in popular culture.

Franken-politics
Franken-budget
Franken-food (GMOs!)

“…now Frankenstein’s monster bares his family name in popular culture…”

The word “bares” in this sentence should be “bears”, because as a verb, the word “bear” means to carry.

Bare or bear?

frankenloco or frankenlocomotive because they sometimes take parts from many old locomotives to build one new, completely different locomotive!!

Actually, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor. Frankenstein’s Monster is the proper term for the creature.

Frankenstare: that unsettling look the weird guy across the bar gives you. (Now I think I’ll go rent “Young Frankenstein” again. That’s Franken STEEN y’all)

In responce to:

patrick mccloud on October 25, 2012 at 6:39 pm

i thought frakenstain was dead why are they bringing it up now that was a long time ago.
________________________________________________________

*Facepalm*

It’s true “Frankenstein” was the name of the scientist in the novel, and not the monster. However, the confusion between the two is not a recent phenomenon, but goes back a long time. This is one case where popular usage has changed the meaning of the term. That’s a legitimate way for language to evolve.

Franken-beans, because that’s what this string is worth.

Frankendork

FRANKENASCHENPUTTEL

I suggest Franken-ken, defined as a monster of a numbers puzzle that, like the doctor’s creation, is understood by few.

I always get SOOO annoyed when they refer to the monster as “Frankenstein!!!”
FRANKENSTEIN IS THE SCIENTIST.
THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER IS THE MONSTER.
GET. IT. RIGHT.

@Laura
Yes, in the book Frankenstein is a d*ck, but I think the site was trying to make a little joke there.

And did you also know it’s pronounced “frohn-ken-steen”?

Sure……!

Victor Frankenstein was actually not a doctor; in the book, he created his creature when he was a 21-year old chemistry student.

Also, Mary Shelley and her renown poet husband, Percy Shelley, visited their friend Lord Byron in Switzerland one winter. Due to the unfavorable weather, they were stuck inside when Lord Byron suggested that they write ghost stories after reading some aloud. Neither Percy nor Lord Byron could write prose, as they were poets, but Mary’s father was a propagandist. Thus, she chose to write a horror story based on Erasmus Darwin’s experiments with preserved vermicelli. Mary, in her 1831 edition of Frankenstein, wrote “by some extraordinary means it [the vermicelli] began to move with voluntary motion.” Also, Mary visited Castle Frankenstein in Germany. Its most famous inhabitant, Johann Conrad Dippel, was an alchemist who attempted to construct a human with parts stolen from cemeteries.

frankenstorm’s heading towards me

It’s ok- they’ve changed it to ‘bears’. But honestly, I would like to go through your old English papers and see if there isn’t one single mistake in there

“It’s Fronkenshteen!” Gene Wilder… Love that movie…

I want a frankencat made out spare parts.

Maybe I’ll go home and make a frankenbear for the kiddies…

*Insert evil laugh*

In the book the creature refers to himself or likens himself to Adam as in the first man Adam, many times. I have always though his name was Adam as a result, since that is what he named himself. Even though Dr. Victor never calls him by this name, a person or in this case the monster gives himself the name.

For example: Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect.

Frankenstein is an awesome legend. Best featured in The Annoying Orange, this monster is famous on almost everyday EXCEPT Halloween in my neighborhood. This is because everyone is afraid of a little story that goes round in my neighborhood. The story says that if you say Frankenstein’s name on Halloween…he will awaken and a curse will be brought among the speaker. People actually believe the story because last Halloween, Lily said it and the next day she got what was known as Phantom Fever from then on. All because of Frankenstein…

Ever notice how whenever you make spelling corrections in comments, they fix it? If you look at the article now, “bears” is spelled correctly.

Is it really pronounced frankenSTEEN?

I don’t think we should “Franken” anything if the prefix isn’t even correct…

Years ago, I knew a guy named Frank, and he had numerous aliments. He also was a very nasty person. I called him Frankinfection. Not nice, I know.

One of my favorite books. I read it so much that when my children went to high school it was on of books to read. It broke us together. Thanks Shelly

Dr. Frankenstein’s creature is not inherently evil because the creature were never taught morals by its creator. Dr.Frankenstein is indirectly responsible for the deaths of several characters in the novel.

Al Franken is a Frankensenator.

hahahaahahahahahaahahahhahaa

How about Frakenworkout? A terribly hard, monster of a work out! LOL

My cat’s name is Frank

[...] “Sandy Frankenstorm” developing while sucking up the sand — Along the Coast developing by unpopular hyperbolic demand. — The Day After Tomorrow: — Just a Movie of Climate Change. — Mayhap one or two opinions would take time to rearrange. — Rape the Earth is the Will of some on some or another side of an election. — OMG the Economy of Privatized Protection. — All that expensive real Estate to be pumped back to the Beach from some off shore — On Account that’s where the shelters be for the Wealthier and More. — The Wind, the Rain the Snow the Hail — Not Some Wrath of God. — It’s Nature we’re a Part of on the Earth — The Sandy Frankenstorm and the Beluga Whale. — That’s actually not that  odd. — For ever What it’s Worth. –>>L.T.Rhyme [...]

Of course, Dr. Frankenstein’s wife’s twin brother’s names were Sinatrastein and Barry.

I have read both Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and enjoyed both, but I always preferred Dracula. What about you?

Frankenstall – when a system administrator installs production software on top of whatever unknown / unspecified software happens to be left over from development. An install made up of unknown parts that can’t be replicated.

I agree with Whipsmart_McCoy. I expected this article to at the very least tell us what “Frankenstein” translates to in English, and then tell us why using the “franken” prefix is technically incorrect. I agree with all 5 of his points.

it’s pretty sad that most didn’t know Frankenstein was the scientist. hey, at least you’re learning

Bare, supposed to be bears, shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s an honest mistake. People still have those.

Frankenflower —- coined by my husband to described my very BIG sunflowers.

In the film Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein they too call the creature just monster. It’s the rest of us folks that began the Frankenstein is the monster craze.

[...] another little interesting tidbit I found on Frankenstein that you might enjoy [...]

I hope you realize that if you are planning on dressing up as “Frankenstein” for Halloween, you will be dressing up as the scientist and not the creature.

Seriously, read the book…

Eddie Van Halen uses a guitar made out of various parts known as the FrankenStrat (Strat referring to the Stratocaster guitar that it’s shaped like).

You’re all wrong. The sameness of the characters of the creator and his creature was well expressed in the National Theater of London’s stage/TV presentations this spring where the actors playing each role played one night, then switched roles and played the next night. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. Maybe someday it’ll be on DVD. Prey for it.

Dude, that picture is from the Oomph film clip Brennende Liebe. Yep, off-topic.