Showing posts with label names. Show all posts
Showing posts with label names. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2011

What is the surname of the family in 'Swiss Family Robinson'?


Search
: swiss family robinson

Why: I'm looking at this chart on I Love Charts:
(It's based on this list.) And underneath it says:
just as the family in the swiss family robinson was not named robinson in the book, the 7 dwarfs from snow white and the 7 dwarfs also had no names until disney got involved. these now iconic dwarf aptronyms have since been translated into every language in which disney has found a market
I never read that book. But that link says:
back when i was just a small fry named i was obsessed with the desert island genre*. my nurse would read to me every night from the adventures of robinson crusoe. when i turned six and was able to pour my own milk, i began reading the swiss family robinson, and was like: “what’s with all these robinsons getting shipwrecked on fabulous islands?”

it turns out that robinson wasn’t just an oddly appropriate name for a stranded character. dafoe’s work was so popular, that it defined the genre which became known as the robinsonade.

about 100 years later, a swiss pastor wrote der schweizerische robinson which really just translates into the swiss [version of the] robinson [genre]. the family in the book is not named robinson, nor is robinson a swiss name.

Answer: They don't have a last name! These are the characters:
  • The Father: He is the narrator of the story and leads the family. He knows a great deal of information on everything from roots to hunting, demonstrating bravery and self-reliance.
  • Elizabeth: The mother in the story. She stays at home and cooks, grows, and prepares food. Her focus is the well-being of her four sons.
  • Fritz: The oldest of the four boys. Though he is not the most intelligent, he is the strongest and accompanies his father on many quests.
  • Ernest: The second oldest of the boys, Ernest is intelligent, but a less physically active boy. He adores reading and is usually found in the library lost in a book.
  • Jack: The third oldest of the boys. He is thoughtless, bold, vivacious, and the quickest of the group.
  • Franz: The youngest of the boys. He usually stays home with his mother, although he is quite capable on a buffalo.
  • Jenny: An English girl found on Smoking Rock near the end of the novel. She is shy but soon becomes adopted into the family.
  • Knips: An orphan monkey adopted by the family after their dogs killed its mother.
They sound very Swiss indeed. I superdug that genre, too.
Source: Wikipedia
Link
The More You Know: Anyway, back to the name thing. That chart reminded me of an earlier discussion about the names in Harry Potter.
Here are some of the Dutch names that sound/look nothing like the English names:

Hermione Granger - Hermelien Griffel
Albus Dumbledore - Albus Perkamentus
Neville Longbottom - Marcel Lubbermans
Luna Lovegood - Loena Leeflang
Cedric Diggory - Carlo Kannewasser
Vernon Dursley - Herman Duffeling
Minerva McGonagall - Minerva Anderling
Dolores Umbridge - Dorothea Omber

Some names are only changed slightly:

Draco Malfoy - Draco Malfidus
Sirius Black - Sirius Zwarts
Severus Snape - Severus Sneep
Ron Weasley - Ron Wemel
Why? Because Hermione, Albus, and Hagrid just aren't Dutch names. But they're not really English, either, so I dunno. I just dunno. Marcel Lubbermans.

Friday, March 18, 2011

What is a Chinese auction?


Search
: chinese auction

Why: Jeff said:
Is it racist to have a "Chinese Auction"
at a Boy Scout flea market.

I thought it was and told them so last night,
but they said "You're no expert on how they hold auctions in China".
Answer: It's a kind of silent auction / raffle hybrid!

In a chinese auction, customers buy a number of tickets for a set price, then use the tickets to bid on the items on display by dropping them in a bowl next to the item.

Buyers are free to put as many tickets as they want in the bowl. At the close of the auction period, the winning ticket for each auction item is then drawn from the corresponding bowl.

Obviously, the more tickets a person deposits in the bowl, the higher the chance that he'll win the item. That means that highly desirable items will draw a lot of tickets, just as they would draw a lot of bids in regular auction.

That's part of the big draw for a chinese auction. Ticket costs are low compared to the ultimate value of the auction items, so lucky winners will get a great deal.
I've never heard of such a thing, but it seems so obvious and smart. What pains me, though, is that even if you put in 20 tickets each worth $5, another person could put in only one $5 ticket and still win. Can you imagine? I would be livid.
There are a few variations of such a thing; you can read about them here in case you're planning a fundraiser.

Source: Fundraiser Help

The More You Know: If I had to guess, I would say the idea of a "Chinese auction" did not really originate in China (although it seems like something they would like, whatwith their affinity for communism and all). Other misnomers associated with places:
  • Chinese checkers did not originate in China (nor in any part of Asia).
  • Guinea pigs do not come from Guinea (nor are they pigs). The "Guinea" may be a re-analysis of "Guyana,"- though they originate from the Andes, and Guyana.
  • Arabic numerals originated in India, though they came to be associated with the Arab world.
  • The Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) did not originate in Norway, but from North China.
  • French horns originated in Germany, not France.
  • The English Horn is, in fact, neither English nor a horn.

Monday, March 14, 2011

What videos did Sum 41 make before I was in college?


Search
: sum 41 discography

Why: Daniel asked what everyone thinks of them. The only time I've ever had even one thought about Sum 41 was once when I looked up at the television and saw that a guy in one of their videos was wearing the exact same shirt that I'm wearing in this gem from 1998.
Answer: There are only a few, so this should be easy!
  • "Makes No Difference" (2000)
  • "Fat Lip" (2001)
  • "Pain for Pleasure" (2001)
  • "In Too Deep" (2001)
And the winner is "Pain for Pleasure," which is only 1 minute long. The video for that song is sometimes - but not always - tacked onto the end of the video for "Fat Lip," like it is below. You can see the shirt in action right at the 3:30 mark. It's got the Kanji and everything!
Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: In case you were wondering, the band was originally called Kaspir, but then they changed the name. Sum 41 = the 41st day of summer, when the band got together.

I like that name, except when it's spelled Casper. Maybe I will name a kid that.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

What's the origin of the name of a Dopp kit?


Search
: dop kit

Why: We are flying tomorrow! Flying!

Answer: The guy who invented them was named Charles Doppelt! Facts:
  • A Dopp kit is a small toiletry bag made of leather, vinyl, or cloth. It is used to store men's grooming tools for travel, like deodorant and toothpaste and a seam ripper.
  • The name comes from early 20th century leather craftsman Charles Doppelt, a German immigrant to the United States who invented his toiletry case in 1919.
  • The kits became widely known during the Second World War when they were issued to GIs. Doppelt's company was purchased by Samsonite in the early 1970s.
Source
: Examiner

The More You Know: The name was originally a trademark, but now it's mostly generic, and modern corruptions include "dop kit" and "doc kit." The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office now lists the trademark as abandoned.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

What's the origin of the name Ben-Gay?


Search
: ben gay

Why: Chandler hurt his shoulder and has smelled like Icy Hot patches ever since. I don't know if Ben and Gay are ingredients or people or what.

Answer: It's a name! Kind of! The original developer was Dr. Jules Bengué, who invented that stuff in France in 1898. The official name was Ben-Gay until 1995, but now it's just Bengay.

Source: Arthritis.about.com

The More You Know: Here are some other famous Bengues: Senegalese football player Cheikh M'Bengue and French model Jessi M'Bengue. There's also a really tiny town in Côte d'Ivoire called M'bengué.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Where is there a character named Sigourney in "The Great Gatsby"?


Search
: sigourney gatsby

Why: There's an NES Great Gatsby game. I remember reading on Sigourney Weaver's wiki wiki:
She began using the name "Sigourney Weaver" in 1963 after a minor character (Sigourney Howard) in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby.
And I'm also pretty sure I've read the entire book since then, and also probably flipped through it even further looking for this character. I don't think I ever found one.

Answer: There's not one! But there is one in This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald's debut novel (1920). Weaver did say that, but she was probably being careless - according to an article from the National Catholic Register called "Gatsby's Epitaph":
Fitzgerald's first novel—that scandalous, marvelous, twenty-three-year-old's astonishing bound into fame and fortune—opens with scenes among wealthy Catholic families. This Side of Paradise is dedicated, in fact, to Sigourney Fay, the worldly priest who stood for a time as spiritual (and surrogate) father to the author, and Fay appears, very lightly disguised as Monsignor Thayer Darcy, throughout the book's semi-autobiographical tale of a handsome, pampered, and yet still idealistic young Princeton student named Amory Blaine.
It's a man, man!
Source: ReadLiterature.com, Catholic Education

The More You Know: Sigourney's real name is Susan Alexandra Weaver. Maybe you will recognize her as Alvy's theater date tonight when you're home stuffing your face with ice cream and watching Annie Hall. I know I will.
(JK, we're stuffing our faces and watching "The Bachelor" [and arguing about Michelle. Controversial!].)

Friday, November 19, 2010

I want to see Jamie Oliver's kids


Search
: Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver

Why: I am still reading about celebrity baby names. His kids (with Juliette "Jools" are:
  • Poppy Honey Oliver (b. 3/18/02)
  • Daisy Boo Oliver (4/10/03)
  • Petal Blossom Rainbow Oliver (4/3/09)
  • Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver (9/15/10)
Answer: Omg aww.
Source: Google Images

The More You Know: He tweet-tweeted about the birth of his first son:
it's a baby boy guys !!! im shock, were all very happy, mum was amazing and both are well and happy x4 kids!! what http://twitpic.com/2oquak
Mr Buddy Oliver .....full name to come from mum....big love joxx http://twitpic.com/2or4r8
buddy oliver & co leaving together...... the families really happy to be home, settling in, thanks for all the lo http://twitpic.com/2ozbh2

What did Barney Stinson say about my name?


Search
: How I Met Your Mother: "Girls with "ly" at the end of their names

Why: Under the Glamour article "What Your Name Has to Say About Your Sex Life," a comment by reberroo says:
Anyway, I'd go with Barney's theory from How I Met Your Mother: "Girls with "ly" at the end of their names are dirty.
Answer: Oh, that's a direct quote:
Ted Mosby: Check it out. I just got that girl's number. See? Holly.
Barney Stinson: Nice! Girls with "ly" at the end of their names are dirty. Holly, Kelly, Carly... Lily.
Marshall Eriksen: Hey!... all right, it's true.
Barney Stinson: Don't even get me started on girls whose name should end in "y," but instead end in "i." Those girls are like roller-coasters. You've got to wait in a long line, but once you get up there, you just hold on for dear life and hope you don't lose your keys.
Well, that's rude.

Here is a very bad clip of it. Also, the quotes page on IMDb is all wrong.
Source: IMDb, YouTube

The More You Know
: According to the How Sexy Is Your Name? Calculator on Facebook, Carly is Pretty Sexy - a solid 100.
But that's not the highest you can get...
I won't post the scandalous scores with the last names, but one said "Mindblowingly." No joke, Joel's said "Breathtakingly."

What were the Marx Brothers' real names?


Search
: marx brothers

Why: Well, I am reading about celebrity baby names. Woody Allen and Mia Farrow named some kids Moses Amadeus and Satchel Seamus. Mia Farrow was briefly married to Frank Sinatra (in 1968, when she was 21 and he was 50). Did you know that? I didn't (though I should have, because I blogged about it over a year ago).
After that, Sinatra married Barbara Marx, who had previously been married to Zeppo Marx, the straight one. Zeppo is not a name.

Answer: They were real brothers, in case you were wondering. Their names were:
  • Chico (b. 3/22/1887) - Leonard Marx
  • Harpo (11/23/1888) - Arthur Adolph Marx
  • Groucho (10/2/1890) - Julius Henry Marx
  • Gummo (10/23/1893) - Milton Marx
  • Zeppo (2/25/1901) - Herbert Manfred Marx
Source: Lenin Imports

The More You Know: Speaking of Adolph and Movember, did you ever read this Vanity Fair essay by Rich Cohen, "Becoming Adolf" about the Hitler mustache? I first read it in Best American Essays 2008. It's interesting. Read it! An excerpt:
The Toothbrush mustache is the most powerful configuration of facial hair the world has ever known. It overpowers whoever touches it. By merely doodling a Toothbrush mustache on a poster, you make a political statement. Actually wearing a Hitler mustache, as I planned to do—well, that is like yelling racial epithets in a crowded subway. Wasn't Hitler amazing? Whatever he touched turned to ice. His life ended the long and fabled career of the name Adolf, which had included the stories of Adolph Zukor, Adolphe Menjou, Adolph Ochs, and Adolph Coors. Never again will a pregnant mother innocently consider the name for her son, or imagine shouting it across a teeming playground. As for the Toothbrush mustache, it did not only die with the Führer—it was embalmed with him. It was his essence, and so it has been relegated to the black book of history.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

What does the name Ursula mean?


Search
: ursula name

Why
: In Les Miserables (the book!), Cosette leaves behind a handkerchief marked "U.F." for Marius.
Ursula, thought he, what a sweet name!
What!

Answer: Little she-bear! Well, that is sweet. Maybe he would know that because "bear" in French is ours.



There's also a Saint Ursula who was a virgin martyr.
She travelled Europe in company of either 11 or 11,000 fellow maidens; the 11,000 number probably resulted from a misreading of the term “11M” which indicated 11 Martyrs, but which a copyist took for a Roman numeral. Ursula and her company were tortured to death to get them to renounce their faith, and old paintings of them show many of the women being killed in various painful ways. Namesake for the Ursuline Order, founded for the education of young Catholic girls and women.
Source: ThinkBabyNames

The More You Know: Other Ursulas:

Remember when Ursula was a porn "star" using Phoebe's name? I do.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Are there any cities or towns with my name?


Search
: carly town; carly city; city town names

Why
: Blythe posted this picture and I got jealous.

Answer: No :( The closest things are:
  • Carlyle (city) Clinton County, IL
  • Carlyle (township), Clinton County, IL
  • Carlyle (township), Allen County, KS
  • Carlyle (township), Beadle County, SD
  • Carlyss, Calcasieu Parish, LA
Like who cares.

Source
: ePodunk.com

The More You Know
: But there are Carly Drives in both Lakeland, TN, and Stockton, CA! Somebody take a picture! It'll last longer!

Monday, August 23, 2010

What are the W and D in WD-40?


Search
: wd 40

Why: Editing an article about removing melted plastic from a stove top. The mind drifts.

Answer
: Water Displacement!
In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry.

It took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out.
40, y'all. They recently released these old-skool-style cans to celebrate being old.
There is a Snopes about this, but I already told you what it says, so don't worry about it.

Source: WD40.com

The More You Know
: Some facts:
  • Police officers used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent.
  • A bus driver in Asia used WD-40 to remove a python that had coiled itself around the undercarriage of his bus.
  • Crayola recommends using WD-40 to remove crayon marks from a variety of surfaces.
  • "You only need two tools in life: duct tape and WD-40. If it’s not stuck and it’s supposed to be, duct tape it. If it’s stuck and it’s not supposed to be, WD-40 it."

Monday, August 9, 2010

What are the most popular names for dogs?


Search
: most popular dog names

Why
: At the dog park, it sounded like every other dog was named either Bella (like Chandler's dog) or Maddie (like my cat).

Answer: There are several different lists, but according to 1 study, Bella is #2 for female dogs, and Maddie is #49! The Top 20 for dudes and ladies are:
  1. Max / Molly
  2. Buddy / Bella
  3. Jake / Lucy
  4. Bailey / Maggie
  5. Rocky / Daisy
  6. Charlie / Sadie
  7. Jack / Chloe
  8. Toby / Sophie
  9. Cody / Bailey
  10. Buster / Zoe
  11. Duke / Lola
  12. Cooper / Abby
  13. Harley / Ginger
  14. Riley / Roxy
  15. Bear / Gracie
  16. Murphy / Coco
  17. Lucky / Sasha
  18. Tucker / Angel
  19. Sam / Lily
  20. Oliver / Princess
Source: BabyNames.com, Dogtime, Favorite Puppy Names

The More You Know
: Bella was #12 on the list in 2005. It was the 208th most popular name for human girls in 2005, but now it is #18. Coincidence???

Friday, June 11, 2010

What are some names of baby animals?


Search
: baby animal names

Why
: I learned in White Oleander that a baby rabbit is called a kit.

Answer: Here are some you might not know!
  • Alpaca - cria
  • Ape - baby
  • Badger - kit, cub
  • Beaver, Ferret, Fox, Serval, Skunk, Weasel, Woodchuck - kit
  • Boar - farrow, shoat, or piglet
  • Chicken - chick, pullet (young hen), cockrell (young rooster)
  • Cicada, Cockroach, Grasshopper - nymph

  • Cod - codling, hake, sprag, sprat
  • Echidna, Platypus - puggle
  • Grouse - cheeper, chick, poult, or squealer
  • Hawk - eyas
  • Jellyfish - ephyra
  • Mosquito - nymph, tumbler, or wriggler
  • Peacock - peachick
  • Pigeon - squab, squeaker
  • Porcupine - porcupette
  • Rat - kitten, pinkie, pup
  • Sand Dollar, Sea Urchin - juvenile, larva, pluteus

  • Sheep - cosset, lamb, lambkin

  • Snake - snakelet, neonate

  • Squirrel - pup, kit, kitten

  • Swan - cygnet, flapper

  • Tiger - cub, whelp

  • Trout - fingerling, fry

  • Turkey - poult

Source: ZooBorns

The More You Know
: I am listening to White Oleander on audiobook, and it is read by Oprah. If you are ever interested in hearing Oprah yell out, "You f-ing c-word!" (but with the real words), it's on Disc 1, track 9, and so hilarious.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Where did the Frisbee get its name?


Search
: frisbee history

Why
: I have one. It glows in the dark.

Answer: The Frisbie Pie Company in Bridgeport, CT! Did you ever notice that they're shaped like pie tins?
Legend has it:
Truck drivers for the company were the first to toss Frisbie Pie tins on the loading docks during idle times. The tins bore the words "Frisbie's Pies" and had 6 small holes in the center, in a star pattern, that hummed when the tin flew.

The sport moved to Eastern colleges, where students shouted "Frisbie!" to warn people of incoming pie tins. A sport developed and took on the name "Frisbie-ing."
Wham-O - which, btw, is named for the sound their wooden slingshot's pellets make on impact - had been selling Pluto Platters (formerly Flyin' Saucers) since 1948 with little success. After witnessing the game at Yale in 1958, they renamed their product the Wham-O Frisbee, registered it as a trademark, and sold 100 million of them by 1977.
Source: The Ultimate Handbook

The More You Know
: In the 1970s, "Steady" Ed Headrick invented the modern Frisbee, which flies straight (if you throw it correctly, which I don't). When he died in February of this year, his ashes were incorporated into some commemorative Frisbees "so his soul could fly freely." He also said:
When we die, we don't go to purgatory. We just land up on the roof and lay there.

Friday, May 21, 2010

What is Mr. T's real name?


Search
: mr t

Why
: It's his birthday.
Answer: Laurence Tureaud! That looks like an anagram of something, doesn't it? Well,
  • Uncured Laureate
  • Actual Rude Enure
  • Due Culture Arena
  • Rue Natural Deuce
  • Neuter Cedar Luau
I don't know. Here are some fun facts about Mr. T, who is 58 today!
  • He was the youngest of 12 children!
  • He grew up in Chicago!
  • In high school, he played football, wrestled, and studied martial arts!
  • He was a military policeman in the Army!
  • When he was a bouncer, he started wearing the gold neck chains and other jewelry that customers lost or left at his bar after fighting! If Mr. T was wearing his stuff outside, the guy didn't have to go back into the bar to get it!
  • He worked as a bodyguard for Steve McQueen, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier! Why did those guys need bodyguards!!
  • He styled his famous hairdo after a Mandinka warrior he saw in National Geographic!
Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know
: Here is a picture of Mr. T and Nancy Reagan:

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Where did the band Better Than Ezra get its name?


Search
: better than ezra name

Why
: I am listening to the album Friction, Baby, which I own in addition to a great many other dynamite albums (like New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms and Coil by Toad the Wet Sprocket).

Answer
: They won't say! Jerks. A good theory points to a line in A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway:
Anything was better than Ezra learning to play the bassoon...
Source: Wiki Answers

The More You Know
: Lisa named her son (10 days old!) Ezra Estlin. He is supercute.

This song is not on Friction, Baby, but it was on a trailer for The Baby-Sitters Club, which Lisa and I actually watched like 3 weeks ago. A fun game is to count how many times Kristy ends a thought with an exasperated "OK?"

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Was the name Colton in the Bible?


Search
: colton name

Why: Sometimes I get weird traffic. (Click to enlarge.)
Answer: Durr no. It's English in origin, and it means "coal town" or maybe "swarthy person" (?). It first appeared in the 80s and shot to popularity in 1990.

It's wildly unpopular outside of the US.
Source: BabyNamesWorld, Think Baby Names

The More You Know
: One of the most ridiculous names I've seen lately is Alexavier. Let's get serious, America.

Friday, March 26, 2010

What is Baz Luhrmann's real name?


Search
: baz

Why: I'm watching Romeo + Juliet.
Answer: Mark Anthony Luhrmann! His nickname was given to him due to a perceived resemblance to the 1960s sock puppet Basil Brush. (Australian people say basil like "baz-il," not "bay-zel.")
Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: In case you were wondering, yes, Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated for an Oscar - or 3, in fact:
  1. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1994) - Best Supporting Actor
  2. The Aviator (2004) - Best Actor
  3. Blood Diamond (2007) - Best Actor