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Things Unexpectedly Named After People

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Re: Things Unexpectedly Named After People

#61

Post by Anthony-G »

ivoras wrote: post #8

The Mars bar was named after the company, which was named after the person, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Clarence_Mars . Also, M&M's.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. When I saw that the Aldi copy of a Mars bar is called Titan[1], I idly wondered if they were continuing a theme of celestial objects or Greco-Roman deities.

I had been leaning more towards the celestial object them due to the existence of Galaxy chocolate[2] and Milky Way bars[3]. On the other hand, Snickers bars [4] were called Marathon bars when I was growing up and this could have been a reference to the classical Greek battle (the Wikipedia page doesn’t say where this name comes from but I’d guess that it’s intended to imply that the bar will provide you with enough energy to a long distance).

[1] https://external-preview.redd.it/w9bXzLbNqBFPIEnkI8H73sV5D8n...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_(chocolate)

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way_(chocolate_bar)

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snickers

Re: Things Unexpectedly Named After People

#62

Post by mbrameld »

krallja wrote: post #36
overcast wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe it would have been called Taco Smith. It happened to be that the dudes last name made sense in the context of a dinner bell being rung for tacos.

Taco John’s is a reasonably successful chain with a similar name.

Taco Bill is pretty popular in Australia.

Re: Things Unexpectedly Named After People

#64

Post by hojjat12000 »

JadeNB wrote: post #47

There is a Texas town called Iraan that I assumed when passing through it must have something to do with the Mideast country, but is actually much more simply named after Ira and Ann. (So why not Iraann?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraan,_Texas

That always baffled me. Never bothered to check. Thanks.

Re: Things Unexpectedly Named After People

#65

Post by dane-pgp »

bloak wrote: post #53
jhbadger wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a bit how in British English vacuum cleaners are often called "Hoovers" after the brand. At one hand, yes, it is a family name, but the word has become so genericized that people even talk about "hoovering" their carpet and any connection to a name is lost.

And young children (and occasionally their parents jocularly imitating them) talk about "hooving" the carpet, because a "hoover" is obviously a machine for "hooving", right?

It behooves those parents to teach them the proper verb.

Re: Things Unexpectedly Named After People

#66

Post by TMWNN »

fulmicoton wrote: post #60

Bridgestone.

Yes. It would be natural to assume that the company was named in imitation of the established Firestone tire company (itself named for founder Harvey Firestone), but Bridgestone's Japanese founder's name means "Stone Bridge". Even more fitting, Bridgestone now owns Firestone.

Re: Things Unexpectedly Named After People

#69

Post by air7 »

I find this post and comments to be surprisingly delightful. I'll aggregate the scattered gems in the comments here:

- Sideburns : Named after the American Civil War general Ambrose Burnside.

- Heaviside function (a mathematical step function) : named after Oliver Heaviside

- The Children's python (animal) : Named after John George Children.

- Snowflake, AZ : Named after Erastus Snow and William Jordon Flake.

- Lake Mountain, Victoria : No lake. Named after George Lake, who was the Surveyor-General of the area including the mountain.

[*] Search for the relevant comment for more info and references.

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