Sweeping box office charts, Disney/Pixar’s WALL*E is sparking broods over the film’s sharp messaging. Toying with corporate dominion and hedonistic consumerism, the friendly robotic love story has some debatable coverage on Liberal Fascism and Malthusian Fear Mongering, one going so far as to cite elements of color and style.

All interesting and noteworthy, however, we are more concerned about the name. How and why, WALL*E ?

Noted in an interview with director/writer Andrew Stanton, the name serves as an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class (aka the robot’s function). Safe, logical, literal. However, even the name has probed debate. Skeptics are tying the name to Walt Disney, Wal-Mart, A113, Where’s Waldo, Wally B. (previous Pixar character), Wall Street, maybe Wallace Stegner (environmentalist/writer), and some noting its simply the most human trait for the robot. Pronunciation, spelling, writing, typing, and reading the name all fall short on fluidity.