I'm baffled by people put off by the name.

Is 'rapier' not a word used in US English? It's a type of sword. It's nothing to do with 'rape' if that's what you're thinking. It's neither spelt nor pronounced anything like 'rape'. I can't see any possible confusion or connection at all but several people are making it in this thread.

I'm also confused. Perhaps it's more commonly used in EU/Australian/New Zealand English? But even then I don't think so - that type of sword is called that in US made video games too.

On the one hand, I find myself surprised that a sizeable number of people seem to reach that association.

On the other hand, as a native English speaker, I understand the word to be pronounced such that it isn't much of a stretch to put it between "rapey" and "rapiest". While neither of those is, I think, particularly well established as a word in "proper" English, they are understood and used in less formal contexts (if jocularly).

I don't know where all of this leaves us.

I wonder whether the division falls along the lines of people who have vs. have not played D&D.

There's more to the world then US. English is the common tech language that almost everyone on HN is capable reading but not always fluent or mothertongue. I don't think "rapier" is a common word for non-native speakers.

If they at all play fantasy games (video or otherwise) or read fantasy or historical novels then they've run across this word.

It's not commonly used. I'd imagine most people know it but for those that don't I could understand the confusion and concern.

I know the word and its meaning and my initial reaction was negative because I thought "this has very little metaphorical value for a physics engine." You think of kinesis, movement, reactions. "Box" makes sense because it's a physical constraint with coming and interesting physics effects across its physics. Rapier is - to me - just an inanimate object.

But imagine you don't know the word. It could be jarring. And unlike words evoked by a sibling reply (paper, rap, etc) it's not nearly as commonly known or used.

I think your use of 'jarring' is appropriate. There's nothing that's actually wrong with the word--it's type of sword, we're all fine. On the other hand, that may not be worth the risk, compared to other words in a similar vein: scimitar or falchion or something.

Either way, this is a super cool project. You have to love it when someone puts their mind to it and produces something of this quality as open-source. I'm especially interested to see if this might kickstart some of the Rust efforts around GPGPU, which is currently so-so, since a cross-platform solution there seems like it would definitely be a benefit for this kind of project.

>>>I know the word and its meaning and my initial reaction was negative because I thought "this has very little metaphorical value for a physics engine." You think of kinesis, movement, reactions.... Rapier is - to me - just an inanimate object.

I looked at is as implying lightweight, nimble, and functional efficiency for small-scale uses, much like its namesake. I would assign much different metaphorical implications to something named "Zweihander" (Germanic two-handed sword) or an even more esoteric French polearm name such as "Bec de corbin" (a name probably only known to hoplophiles).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qJBGlChcXU?t=546

https://myarmoury.com/othr_aa_bec.html

Sorry but it's even more insulting to expect someone to cater to a person's ignorance

I'm certainly not asking anyone to change it just showing why for some people it might be off-putting.

Let me see if I understand. A french author should be careful about using this french word on its project because, if someone in the US mispronounce it, it sounds like something that's reprehensible?

I hope I'm not misrepresenting your argument, but the way I understood it sounds very US-centered.

Again I'm neither admonishing nor prescribing anything.

This sort of thing happens sometimes (see: Ford Pinto)

Better tell the British to rename their Rapier Missile System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapier_(missile) beause their love for the French language means using a word that sounds vaguely similar to a bad English word.

Different market. Guys, this is just marketing which empirically works. It's hilarious to listen to a bunch of developers who are probably not that good at marketing opine about how this name is just great.

I mean to be empirical one could focus-test. But a controlled focus-test is probably out of reach for a lone developer on a hobby project.

Rapier is not (only) a French word. Sure it has French origins, but I'm sure you will find it in any English language dictionary too, English is made up of loan words.

(On a side note, Firefox's spellchecker marks uncapitalized "english" as incorrect, but not uncapitalized "french". Weird.)

Uncapitalized "french" is common in "french fries" and is also a verb meaning to remove meat from the end of a bone.

I think English is almost always capitalized even when it means spin on a billiard ball.

(I'm not sure about capitalization of "french" in the context of kissing, but I _think_ it's usually capitalized there.)

Most people know that a rapier is a type of sword. No need to insult a whole nationality over it.