History Main / ShippIng

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so Alice x Bob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]), you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it, JustForPun -- in RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and less than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', or ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' fandoms (though the latter are far more partial to 3/8).

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves [[{{Pun}} "Rocketshippers"]]. This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms. Today, Website/{{Wikipedia}} has a tiny Shipping disambiguation note at the top of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_transport its freight-transport article]][[note]]to which http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping redirects[[/note]], and has its own article on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_(fandom) fandom shipping]][[note]]linking back to this [=TVTropes=] page[[/note]].

->''"[[Creator/ProZD Oh, they fuckin'!]]"''

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so Alice x Bob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]), you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and less than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', or ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' fandoms (though the latter are far more partial to 3/8).

It's tempting to assume that shippers are so invested in romance because they are reading themselves into the place of one of the characters, and living the romance vicariously through them. This [[PossessionSue does]] [[AudienceSurrogate happen]] -- not surprising, because most fiction relies on at least a little empathy. That said, beware of the old "pathetic nerd living out fantasies through fiction" stereotype. Why one prefers a given ship (that is, a fictional couple) can be based on any number of things, from liking the general "type" of relationship (such as BroodingBoyGentleGirl), to thinking they have [[UnresolvedSexualTension hot chemistry]], or [[TheyDo great long-term compatibility]] -- or maybe they just look cute together! On the flip side, a lot of ships attract fans on account of [[DestructiveRomance the destructive]] or [[MindGameShip twisted]] dynamic between characters.

[[caption-width-right:348:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tc7MH5ZXbg I ship it!]]]]

The term "Shipping" -- which ostensibly derives from "Relationship" (though it might as well be "Worship"; in some fandoms, it's SeriousBusiness) -- was originally coined by fans of ''Series/TheXFiles'', who were divided between "relationshippers" pushing for romance and "noromos" who would rather have [[NoHuggingNoKissing No Hugging and No Kissing]]. The phenomenon itself, however, was ubiquitous in practically every fandom long before. The source of the term's popularity is shrouded in myth, but Geek Mythology has it that you can blame people in the ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' anime's fandom who rooted for Jessie and James (of Team Rocket) to get together and decided to call themselves [[{{Pun}} "Rocketshippers"]]. This got the term to catch on in that fandom, then people brought it with them to other fandoms. Today, Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} has a tiny Shipping disambiguation note at the top of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_transport its freight-transport article]][[note]]to which http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping redirects[[/note]], and has its own article on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_(fandom) fandom shipping]][[note]]linking back to this [=TVTropes=] page[[/note]].

-->-- '''Ralph Waldo Emerson'''

{{Canon}} and authorial intent do not dictate people's shipping preference. You'd be hard-pressed to find ''anything'' that honestly puts any sort of restraint on shipping preference. Characters may be shipped despite being [[ToyShip still in grade school]], [[HetIsEw of the wrong sexuality]], [[IncestYayShipping biologically related]], [[GhostShipping dead]], JustFriends, [[FoeYayShipping mortal enemies]] [[SlapSlapKiss or just generally the bane of each other's existence]], separated by an age gap of [[MayDecemberRomance decades]] or [[MayflyDecemberRomance centuries]], [[CrossoverShip not of the same narrative continuum]], [[NoHuggingNoKissing part of a story where romance just isn't an issue]], [[CargoShip inanimate objects]], [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight nigh total strangers]], [[PairTheSpares considered as a possible couple at all only because they're both left single after you're done pairing everybody else]], [[AngelDevilShipping polar opposites in terms of morality]], [[CrackPairing extremely implausible as a couple by design]] or even [[ShipSinking outright denied to ever possibly get together]] by WordOfGod. Even when the source material goes as far as to have an OfficialCouple, sometimes [[PlatonicWritingRomanticReading fumbling]] [[StrangledByTheRedString execution]] or ValuesDissonance will drive fans towards emotional investments [[FanPreferredCouple diametric to those the author intended]]. TheILoveYouStigma, occasionally invoked by some productions, further complicates matters, even if the characters [[LoveConfession express the sentiment]] [[ActOfTrueLove in other ways]].

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so Alice x Bob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]), you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and less than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', or ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' fandoms.

{{Canon}} and authorial intent do not dictate people's shipping preference. You'd be hard-pressed to find ''anything'' that honestly puts any sort of restraint on shipping preference. Characters may be shipped despite being [[ToyShip still in grade school]], [[HetIsEw of the wrong sexuality]], [[IncestYayShipping biologically related]], [[GhostShipping dead]], JustFriends, [[FoeYayShipping mortal enemies]] [[SlapSlapKiss or just generally the bane of each other's existence]], separated by an age gap of [[MayDecemberRomance decades]] or [[MayflyDecemberRomance centuries]], [[CrossoverShip not of the same narrative continuum]], [[NoHuggingNoKissing part of a story where romance just isn't an issue]], [[CargoShip inanimate objects]], [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight nigh total strangers]], [[PairTheSpares considered as a possible couple at all only because they're both left single after you're done pairing everybody else]], [[AngelDevilShipping polar opposites in terms of morality]], [[CrackPairing extremely implausible as a couple by design]] or even [[ShipSinking outright denied to ever possibly get together]] by WordOfGod. Even when the source material goes as far as to have an OfficialCouple, sometimes [[RelationshipWritingFumble fumbling]] [[StrangledByTheRedString execution]] or ValuesDissonance will drive fans towards emotional investments [[FanPreferredCouple diametric to those the author intended]]. TheILoveYouStigma, occasionally invoked by some productions, further complicates matters, even if the characters [[LoveConfession express the sentiment]] [[ActOfTrueLove in other ways]].

[[quoteright:349:[[Webcomic/{{Sinfest}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shippingscream_trimmed.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:349:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tc7MH5ZXbg I ship it!]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/{{Sinfest}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shippingscream_trimmed.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tc7MH5ZXbg I ship it!]]]]

--> -- '''Ralph Waldo Emerson'''

Frequently, authors know full well how loaded the subject is and [[ShipTease tease the audience of actual and potential shippers]], sometimes to the extreme of [[ShipperOnDeck letting the characters themselves join in on the shipping fun]]. It goes without saying that not all ongoing tease storylines endure and graduate to RelationshipUpgrade; and then a majority of the ones that do don't until [[LastMinuteHookup near the very end]]. This is usually not done to frustrate fans (or at least, not for this sole purpose), but rather because the writers are also aware of romance being a very powerful device that should be handled with great caution, lest it [[RomanticPlotTumor swallow the storyline whole]] or [[ShippingBedDeath reach a resolution past which people stop caring]]. For the audience, being thus denied leads to frustration, and frustration leads [[StarWars to the dark side]], that is, writing WishFulfillment [[FanFic fan fiction]] as a form of emotional venting.

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so Alice x Bob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]), you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and less than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', or ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' fandoms[[note]] Though not everybody necessarily likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

Of all the obsessions that universally afflict fandom, shipping is by far the most persistent, widespread and prone to be SeriousBusiness. It knows no boundaries of age, demographic and gender [[note]]contrary to expectations one might reasonably have involving Yaoi/Yuri-worshipping, fan fiction writing, squealing teenage girls[[/note]]. This might raise an eyebrow or two on first inspection, but honestly, shipping is just a consequence of plain old human nature. [[ThePowerOfLove Love]], [[SevenDeadlySins Lust]], Romance, Hormones -- call it what you will, it is a huge part of the human experience. Just glance at our long list of LoveTropes to see all the ways romance weaves into fiction. And even if a story is not "romantic" by genre, a well-done love story can become its emotional anchor.

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so Alice x Bob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]), you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so [=ALICExBOB=][[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]), you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

Shippers have a reputation of insane devotion to their [[{{OTP}} One True Pairing]] and of [[ShippingGoggles interpreting the tiniest, most ambiguous details as evidence]]. That much is clear by the prevalence of ShipToShipCombat in any fandom discussion. In some extreme cases, they will freely admit to [[DieForOurShip actively rooting for sympathetic characters to die just to get them out of the way]], or worse, they'll [[InsaneTrollLogic come to the conclusion]] that [[RonTheDeathEater since a character is in the way, they are by definition not sympathetic]]. On the bright side, you can expect them to be friendly at least towards their [[ShipMates natural allies]] and have some limit of how severely they can be starved for validation before they AbandonShipping. That is, if they ever expected to be validated in the first place.

It's tempting to assume that shippers are so invested in romance because they are reading themselves into the place of one of the characters, and living the romance vicariously through them. This [[PossessionSue does]] [[AudienceSurrogate happen]] -- not surprising, because most fiction relies on at least a little empathy. That said, beware of the old "pathetic nerd living out fantasies through fiction" stereotype. Why one prefers a given ship (that is, a fictional couple) can be based on any number of things, from liking the general "type" of relationship (such as BroodingBoyGentleGirl), to thinking they have [[UnresolvedSexualTension hot chemistry]], or [[TheyDo great long-term compatibility]] -- or maybe they just look cute together!

Furthermore, a lot of ships attract fans on account of [[DestructiveRomance the destructive]] or [[MindGameShip twisted]] dynamic between characters. The mature fan can distinguish between what they enjoy reading, and what makes a healthy relationship in real life. The immature fan... well, let's hope they grow up soon.

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so [=ALICExBOB=][[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]],no relation to the [[RealLife/CoolPlane F-14 Tomcat]]) you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so [=ALICExBOB=][[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]) you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

"Shippers" is the universally accepted name for those fans who invest themselves in romantic plotlines -- both canonical and hypothetical. Shippers' level of investment can range from [[CrackPairing "It's all jolly good fun,"]] to "This seriously impacts my enjoyment of the work," to [[ShipToShipCombat "Prepare for war."]]

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so [=ALICEx BOB=][[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]) you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].

There's a whole nomenclature dedicated to Quick, Easy and IdiosyncraticShipNaming, often varying from fandom to fandom. The most basic tool of communication here is the slash -- if you wanted Alice and Bob to get together you could always say you shipped Alice/Bob[[note]]An x is also often used, so AlicexBob[[/note]]. However, for most fandoms that's just not exotic enough. They will not be content with anything less than a short, sweet and catchy brand name -- the more Incredibly Lame the {{Pun}}, the better (''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fandom actually named ships the "HMS this-and-that"). Shipping culture has also imported the PortmanteauCoupleName from Japanese {{Anime}} fandom; apart from its infamous usage in the gossip industry ([[Creator/BradPitt "Bra]][[Creator/AngelinaJolie ngelina"]], [[Creator/BenAffleck "Ben]][[Music/JenniferLopez nifer"]], [[Creator/TomCruise "Tom]][[Creator/KatieHolmes Kat"]]) you can find people online declaring themselves fans of [[ComicBook/IronMan "Pepperony"]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer "Wuffara"]], [[Manga/{{Naruto}} "NaruHina"]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia "Sheelos"]], [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic "Applepie"]], and [[Series/TheOfficeUS "Jam"]]. Yes, Jam. Needless to say, if some series has ThemeNaming shippers ''will'' exploit it JustForPun -- In RealLife, 3/4 is just a rational number greater than one half and lesser than one. [[YouAreNumberSix Not so]] in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' fandom and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' fandom)[[note]] Though not everybody necessary likes 3/4 and may want to ship them with other numbers[[/note]].