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Post by Verbivore on May 25, 2008 11:09:17 GMT
In another thread, started by Dr Mildr, the spectre of nominative determinism (loosely so labelled) raised its head ("naturalist Stephen Moss").
I have been fascinated all my life by the apparent relevance of people's names to their occupations or characters. Perhaps others would like to contribute to the list (whether instances be real or mythical).
Mr Moss - naturalist Mr Death (pron. deeth) - undertaker Dr Payne - dentist Dr Cockburn (pron. co-burn, of course!) - urologist Ms de Beers - barmaid Mrs Slapp - teacher Rev. Booring Mr Gray - accountant Mr Bright - lighting technician Judge Hanger Bob White - painter ... ... ...
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Post by Dr Mildr on May 25, 2008 11:11:47 GMT
I was at university with Graham Whale who was doing marine biology.
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 11:20:05 GMT
Years ago, a Mr Draper, who was a butcher south of Birmingham, had his shop next door to that of Mr Butcher, who sold curtains.
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Post by Verbivore on May 25, 2008 11:21:36 GMT
Good, good - keep 'em coming!
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Post by Dr Mildr on May 25, 2008 11:24:38 GMT
Prof Nutt, professor of psychiatry at Bristol Uni.
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 11:44:11 GMT
Leicester University once had a librarian called Mr Pine-Coffin, who had obviously missed his real calling.
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Post by Verbivore on May 25, 2008 11:53:42 GMT
Leicester University once had a librarian called Mr Pine-Coffin, who had obviously missed his real calling. He he! Makes me think of Mr Graves, the cemetery manager and Mr Burns, the crematorium worker. (Okay, so I made them up - but all's fair!)
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 12:03:46 GMT
Slightly outside the bounds of the thread, a very good friend at university rejoiced in the name of Andy Cakebread. Unfortunately, he ran the mass spectrometer, not the bakery!
And the chap who works on our garden each week is Mike Hardbattle, which I think is an absolutely marvellous name. Again, what a pity he was never an infantryman.
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 12:24:30 GMT
Wasn't William Penn a writer (amongst other activities)?
And Wynkyn de Worde was a printer and publisher who worked with Caxton and was a great publicist for the printing press. He was also the first printer on Fleet Street.
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Post by Paul Doherty on May 25, 2008 14:38:15 GMT
I worked in an office where Gary Bunney shared a phone with Peter Rabbit.
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Post by Paul Doherty on May 25, 2008 14:46:56 GMT
And I read recently of Professor Bird who was doing some work for the RSPB ...
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 14:51:50 GMT
Wordsworth, the poet, must be worth a mention.
And, as an example of negative determinism, we have Cardinal Sin of Manila.
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Post by Barry on May 25, 2008 15:21:56 GMT
There was also, some while ago (in the 1940s, I think), a Cardinal Scola; the urge to wnat him to have been elected to the papacy (Pope Scola) is irresistable.
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Post by TfS on May 25, 2008 15:50:04 GMT
An Aptronym is a name aptly suited to its owner. TfS
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 16:27:41 GMT
I've just been watching The Great British Menu, with top UK chefs competing against each other. One of them is Tom Kitchen.
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