WARNING: Here be spoilers for Once Upon a Time!

Since the revelation of August as Pinocchio, I've been trying to understand why he chose to name himself August. I mean, it's one of my favorite months and a really lovely word, but the notion of grandness, of majesty, doesn't really seem Pinocchio's style. Even knowing the essential role he needed to play in convincing Emma of the curse's reality, he was also well aware of his failure to follow through on that role. So, why August?

Whilst reading the Phrase Finder's entry on the origin of the phrase Jack-in-the-box today, I discovered that an auguste is a type of clown. Specifically, a clown who plays the role of anarchist, joker, or fool. He's always getting things wrong---sometimes deliberately---and seems more determined to have a good time than to do as he's told.

Now that type of auguste seems a much better fit for Pinocchio than the grand, majestic sort. And August is just the sort of person who would appreciate the dichotomy of the two definitions. And, yes, it is entirely possible that I'm reading into this a bit too deeply, but having discovered such a delightful connection, I choose to believe that the writers on OUaT are just that clever.