Startibartfast (a name from the 'Hitchhiker's Guide')
I'm reading Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and I'd like to ask some native English speakers if the funny name Startibartfast suggests anything specific. Why did Arthur "practically choke" upon hearing it? Just an unusual name or is there some hidden meaning?:)

The passage goes as follows:

"Excuse me," he said to him, "what is your name by the way?"
"My name?" said the old man, and the same distant sadness came into his face again. He paused. "My
name," he said, "... is Slartibartfast."
Arthur practically choked.
"I beg your pardon?" he spluttered.
"Slartibartfast," repeated the old man quietly.
"Slartibartfast?"
The old man looked at him gravely.
"I said it wasn't important," he said.
The aircar sailed through the night.

Question

Startibartfast (a name from the 'Hitchhiker's Guide')
I'm reading Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and I'd like to ask some native English speakers if the funny name Startibartfast suggests anything specific. Why did Arthur "practically choke" upon hearing it?  Just an unusual name or is there some hidden meaning?:)

The passage goes as follows:

"Excuse me," he said to him, "what is your name by the way?"
"My name?" said the old man, and the same distant sadness came into his face again. He paused. "My
name," he said, "... is Slartibartfast."
Arthur practically choked.
"I beg your pardon?" he spluttered.
"Slartibartfast," repeated the old man quietly.
"Slartibartfast?"
The old man looked at him gravely.
"I said it wasn't important," he said.
The aircar sailed through the night.

Answer

It's Slartibartfast, not 'Startibartfast' and this is what Wikipedia says:

Douglas Adams writes in the notes accompanying the published volume of original radio scripts that he wanted Slartibartfast's name to sound very rude, but still actually be broadcastable. He therefore started with the name "Phartiphukborlz", and changed bits of it until it would be acceptable to the BBC. He came closer to achieving this goal in the following episode, with the double-act Lunkwill and Fook. He adds to this statement in Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion, an analysis by Neil Gaiman:

...One thing I don't think I explained in the script book was that I was also teasing the typist, Geoffrey [Perkins]'s secretary, because ... she'd be typing out this long and extraordinary name which would be quite an effort to type and right at the beginning he says 'My name is not important, and I'm not going to tell you what it is'. I was just being mean to Geoffrey's secretary.[4]

Even in its 'acceptable' form, the name sounds silly, and suggests flatulence (farting) to our childish minds.