Like the Room of Requirement, but without the copyright
October 11, 2018 9:33 AM Subscribe
I need some names/synonyms/ideas for, or examples of, a small, hidden space, such as you might find below the stairs or in the back of a closet.
Think Narnia, or the the Room of Requirement. Something that is hidden in a small space, but which may be larger on the inside than on the outside (or larger than it looks). A place to experiment, do magic, and store things that you don't know how to dispose of. What would you call this place?
This is for a writing project, and all I can say is that it will be located under the stairs of a double-decker bus, and that I can't be any more specific than that, sorry.
Think Narnia, or the the Room of Requirement. Something that is hidden in a small space, but which may be larger on the inside than on the outside (or larger than it looks). A place to experiment, do magic, and store things that you don't know how to dispose of. What would you call this place?
This is for a writing project, and all I can say is that it will be located under the stairs of a double-decker bus, and that I can't be any more specific than that, sorry.
The Baggage Area?
posted by The otter lady at 9:44 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 9:44 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
The Holding Area
posted by jferg at 9:47 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by jferg at 9:47 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
Sounds like the TARDIS (link provided only for convenience of gathering further knowledge, because I'm sure everyone here knows what the TARDIS is). The TARDIS, when its chameleon circuit is not broken, can easily mimic the space under the stairs of a bus, and is without apparent limits inside.
Slightly different, because it's not a storage device, but a gateway to a storage device, is the thing used in The Tommyknockers to send things to Altair-4. Unfortunately I forget its details.
posted by ubiquity at 9:48 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Slightly different, because it's not a storage device, but a gateway to a storage device, is the thing used in The Tommyknockers to send things to Altair-4. Unfortunately I forget its details.
posted by ubiquity at 9:48 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
The House of Leaves (Mark Danielewski) is a horror-tinged example.
posted by eirias at 9:58 AM on October 11, 2018
posted by eirias at 9:58 AM on October 11, 2018
I'm inclined to something boring like "Storage" to keep out those who shouldn't be in there. Kind of reminds me of the stairs in the diner in Stephen King's 11/22/63.
posted by fiercecupcake at 10:11 AM on October 11, 2018
posted by fiercecupcake at 10:11 AM on October 11, 2018
The Sanctum Scolarium
The Understair
The Oubliette
The Low Castle
The Reconditery
The Stowroom Arcane
The Otherwell
posted by ejs at 10:16 AM on October 11, 2018
The Understair
The Oubliette
The Low Castle
The Reconditery
The Stowroom Arcane
The Otherwell
posted by ejs at 10:16 AM on October 11, 2018
The Place.
It's such an obviously generic name that it becomes interesting precisely for its lack of specificity. There are many places, but only one Place.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:30 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's such an obviously generic name that it becomes interesting precisely for its lack of specificity. There are many places, but only one Place.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:30 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Off the top of my head, I thought of contrasting the "stairwell" (ie, the usual name for a circular stair feature) with something like "The Stair Well", playing off the double meaning of "well" as a mysterious place of unknown depth.
Capital Letters Are Magic, after all.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:35 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Capital Letters Are Magic, after all.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:35 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Pee Corner. Once was babysitting younger family at family business basement. Was away for a few hours, came back to kids talking about the pee corner. Thinking they set up a secret fort or something in our area. Turns out they were actually peeing in a corner for some reason, but before that moment, I thought it was a cool name for a secret spot because why would anyone want to check out some place designated as "pee corner."
Plus a bus does seem like a place someone might start to pee in and you wouldn't want to investigate either way.
posted by GoblinHoney at 10:36 AM on October 11, 2018
Plus a bus does seem like a place someone might start to pee in and you wouldn't want to investigate either way.
posted by GoblinHoney at 10:36 AM on October 11, 2018
"The Compartment"? Having very recent experience with this kind of space on a vehicle, it'll be unbelievably humid.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:39 AM on October 11, 2018
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:39 AM on October 11, 2018
The Cloister
The Alcove
The Atelier
The Snuggery
The Cubby(hole)
The Sequester
posted by Rhaomi at 10:49 AM on October 11, 2018
The Alcove
The Atelier
The Snuggery
The Cubby(hole)
The Sequester
posted by Rhaomi at 10:49 AM on October 11, 2018
Makes me think of Bag of Holding in D&D. We abused that soooo much over the years.
If they want something fancy and magic sounding
The Understair
Underneath
Stairspace
The Other Place
Warpspace
If they need to casually mention it without arousing curiosity, use something that does not evoke the real thing and could be spoken of in front few anyone. "I need to go get some stuff from the garage". "Did you leave it at Debbie's?"
The garage
The workshop
the storage unit
Debbie's house (replace name with whatever, someone who does not actually exist)
posted by buildmyworld at 10:56 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
If they want something fancy and magic sounding
The Understair
Underneath
Stairspace
The Other Place
Warpspace
If they need to casually mention it without arousing curiosity, use something that does not evoke the real thing and could be spoken of in front few anyone. "I need to go get some stuff from the garage". "Did you leave it at Debbie's?"
The garage
The workshop
the storage unit
Debbie's house (replace name with whatever, someone who does not actually exist)
posted by buildmyworld at 10:56 AM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Umbrellarium (isn't that where wet brollies are stashed)
BusTopia
Troll-land
posted by theora55 at 11:24 AM on October 11, 2018
BusTopia
Troll-land
posted by theora55 at 11:24 AM on October 11, 2018
The Stash?
posted by greermahoney at 11:50 AM on October 11, 2018
posted by greermahoney at 11:50 AM on October 11, 2018
Loculus
From Wikipedia: is a Latin word literally meaning little place and was used in a number of senses including to indicate a satchel.
posted by chr at 11:53 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
From Wikipedia: is a Latin word literally meaning little place and was used in a number of senses including to indicate a satchel.
posted by chr at 11:53 AM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
The Basement
posted by yeahlikethat at 11:59 AM on October 11, 2018
posted by yeahlikethat at 11:59 AM on October 11, 2018
My father was an engineer and his term for these kinds of spaces was, "Surge Chamber". (Allowed a build up of stuff to be hidden which kept the pressure down/things from exploding).
posted by agatha_magatha at 12:23 PM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by agatha_magatha at 12:23 PM on October 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
Cubbyhole. Or the Cubby.
posted by eyeofthetiger at 12:33 PM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by eyeofthetiger at 12:33 PM on October 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
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The Space Between (start of bus line) And (end of bus line)
posted by Etrigan at 9:38 AM on October 11, 2018