namesmanship noun5 •The way names are assigned.They are thankful for a group of advertisers dedicated to conservatism, the soft sell and generic namesmanship! — 1960 •The art of naming things in order to influence the reactions of others.The latest trick, of couse, is to exchange the "college" label for that of "university." I dare not guess what may come next in academic namesmanship. — 1961 •The art of name-dropping or giving the names of people who are involved with a project, in order to confer status or legitimacy.Not content with that, he offers the names of some authors who are well disposed to religion, who "say yes". (This seems to be the game of "namesmanship.") — 2003 •The pursuit of status by having things named after oneself.But more recent history has been marked by a departure from namesmanship to functionality — companies with names that say what they do. The result is that when the founders leave, their names do, too. — 1998 •Skill in knowing and pronouncing names.“Namesmanship” is vital in manners; it consists of making your own name clear to other people about you while being certain you memorize their names the first time around. — 1952
