item.rb

class Ando::Item
  include MongoMapper::Document
  set_collection_name "items"

  def self.model_name
    model_name = super
    
    model_name.instance_eval do
      @singular     = "ando_items".freeze
      @plural       = "ando_item".freeze
      @collection   = "items".freeze

      # Note that I'm setting my own @collection, but NOT @element
      @partial_path = "#{@collection}/#{@element}".freeze
    end
    
    model_name
  end

end

model_name_examples.rb

Ando::BlogPost.model_name #=> "blog_post"

# Look at all these useful variations!
Ando::BlogPost.model_name.singular #=> "ando_blog_post"
Ando::BlogPost.model_name.plural #=> "ando_blog_posts"
Ando::BlogPost.model_name.collection #=> "ando/blog_posts"
Ando::BlogPost.model_name.element #=> "blog_post"
Ando::BlogPost.model_name.partial_path #=> "blog_posts/blog_post"

model_naming.rb

module ActiveSupport
  class ModelName < String
    attr_reader :singular, :plural, :element, :collection, :partial_path
    alias_method :cache_key, :collection

    def initialize(name)
      super
      @singular = ActiveSupport::Inflector.underscore(self).tr('/', '_').freeze
      @plural = ActiveSupport::Inflector.pluralize(@singular).freeze
      @element = ActiveSupport::Inflector.underscore(ActiveSupport::Inflector.demodulize(self)).freeze
      @collection = ActiveSupport::Inflector.tableize(self).freeze
      @partial_path = "#{@collection}/#{@element}".freeze
    end
  end

  module CoreExtensions
    module Module
      # Returns an ActiveSupport::ModelName object for module. It can be
      # used to retrieve all kinds of naming-related information.
      def model_name
        @model_name ||= ::ActiveSupport::ModelName.new(name)
      end
    end
  end
end

record_ident_examples.rb

# BlogPost is a subclass of ActiveRecord::Base
@blog_post = BlogPost.find(108)

# Same as render "blog_posts/blog_post", :object => @blog_post
render @blog_post

# Will call blog_post_url(@blog_post.id)
url_for @blog_post #=> "/blog_posts/108"

# Lots of Rails's tag/form helpers use this
dom_id @blog_post #=> "blog_post_108"