Why Pennywise?

[-=Seeker=-]

Hi, why do you think King called his clown Pennywise? Does this name have any meaning?

[sam peebles]

Hi, why do you think King called his clown Pennywise? Does this name have any meaning?

Yes, it has meaning. Although I'm not positive, I think it is in regards to her ability to exploit people's fears, to use her glamour ability for the maximum effect. She is "pennywise", or thrifty, when it comes to terrifying and eating little children. Plus, it's an awesome name for an evil clown deity.

[Nero]

Great question and answer, I'd never thought about this

[-=Seeker=-]

Yes, I thought about it too ("penny-wise and pound foolish" etc.). I was just wondering, whether Stephen gave him(it) such a name bearing in mind your explanation (or something similar) or just because it's "an awesome name for an evil clown deity" (which it certainly is). I know that only King can give an exact answer but I still wanted to hear an opinion of an English speaker (my mother tongue is Russian).

[Jake Featherston]

Keep in mind that "Pennywise" was really more of a transient nickname it'd merely been using for 100-150 years, during its interaction with its human prey. Its not like the name probably had much significance to the entity itself. As I recall, wasn't there a real clown (from the perspective of the novel) named Pennywise that had come to Derry in the late 1800s, and that the entity simply found it effective (apparently) to use that person's likeness when interacting with its prey? The main reason it used the name Pennywise was probably because it didn't feel like concocting another. I imagine the author selected that name because it has the potential to sound very creepy (although there's nothing innately creepy about it, but within the context of a demonic, super-natural killer clown, it definitely comes off as creepy).

[-=Seeker=-]

On one of the Russian boards I've read such an opinion: It calls Itself "Pennywise"
in a self-disparaging way. Although it realizes It's immense power, It prefers to kill in small numbers (or even one by one). An anthill was given as a comparison: instead of pouring some gasoline on it and striking a match you're satisfied with squashing the ants up one by one... Sounds pretty far-fetched to me, actually...

As for the clown that came to Derry in 1800s and whose name and looks were adopted by It... I remember no such thing (but probably I have to refresh my memory).

[Jake Featherston]

On one of the Russian boards I've read such an opinion: It calls Itself "Pennywise"
in a self-disparaging way. Although it realizes It's immense power, It prefers to kill in small numbers (or even one by one). An anthill was given as a comparison: instead of pouring some gasoline on it and striking a match you're satisfied with squashing the ants up one by one.

Sounds like a good theory to me, actually.

[wally wonder]

some long dead guy wrote: be not penny-wise; riches have winges, and sometymes they fly away of themselves. and It is thrifty in small matters while careless of wasteful in large ones, no? maybe to do with the we all float down here phrase, becoming untethered. wasn't that an image in the movie/the book, an untethered balloon flying away?

[Bob Ross]

I have a theory about this. It's a pretty simple theory that's completely unsubstantiated but it's mine. I think Bob Gray AKA Pennywise the Clown was a real person who made some kind of impression on It. Enough of an impression that It continues to take his form time and time again. Maybe he was some kind of child murderer who was never caught. Maybe It came across him and killed him (very much like It killed Patrick Hockstetter) and upon entered his warped mind It fed on the fear Gray's victims felt as he killed them. Perhaps this how (a) It got a taste for kid-meat so to speak and (b) maybe it took his warped soul upon his own because It somehow "related" to him.

Hey, it's possible. I still find it strange that King went as far as to give Pennywise the specific name of Bob Gray and never explained why.

[It'sNineInTheAfternoon]

Wow. I'd never even considered any of this. I feel like such an ignorant kid. My theory was just that Mr. King was just like thinking of clown names and that sounded good to him. Heh. I need to really go back and read his books more slowly and ponder. Ah, i dont do enough pondering recently.

If it makes me sound less ignorant and naive, i name a clown doll that sits on the headboard of my bed Pennywise. [Ha. Wow, i just sound more childish the longer i write.]