Things unexpectedly named after people (2020) • Hacker News Board

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#141

Post by riffraff » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:24 AM UTC

jameshart wrote: post #56

One that surprised me recently: Coriolis force. I think I'd always assumed it was some latin-derived term to do with curling or curving, but no: named for Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis.

I learned this in school when we finally had a teacher who read it with the french accent rather then the Italian/latin one (stress on last I rather then second O).

Mispronunciation of words I've only read has been the bane of my life.

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#142

Post by croes » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:24 AM UTC

After you read the site, the title becomes wrong.

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#143

Post by macintux » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:24 AM UTC

There's a local engineering firm, Alt & Witzig, and I've always been curious what role, if any, the German translation of their names played in them deciding to start the company.

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#144

Post by andy800 » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:25 AM UTC

bobbyi wrote: post #82

xwowsersx wrote: post #11

I've driven the Outerbridge Crossing probably hundreds of times. That one is blowing my mind.

The other NYC bridges are all (I think?) named Bridge, but they went with Crossing here because Outerbridge Bridge sounds weird. Another NYC one: A lot of people think "major" in The Major Deegan Expressway means it is a significant expressway, but actually the expressway is named after (Army) Major William Deegan

Maybe I'm weird but I think NYC area has numerous semi-poetic sounding roads (while most of the country just uses route numbers): Harlem River Drive, Cross Bronx, Major Deegan, Van Wyck, Belt Parkway, Grand Central Parkway, the Taconic, Palisades Parkway, the B.Q.E., the Sprain Brook. Plus the Verrazano and Tappan Zee.

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#145

Post by monitron » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:28 AM UTC

ribs wrote: post #76

monitron wrote: post #24

Borders Books (for anyone who remembers it) was named after founders Tom and Louis Borders. Louis went on to found Webvan (for anyone who remembers that ).

Yes, things are often named after people. That alone does not make it unexpected and notable here. -self-appointed policeman of this thing

The thing that made it unexpected in my case is that “borders” is an English word and was not previously known to me as a name. I was surprised and amused when I learned it was an eponym. That puts it in the same category as the other examples on this site, at least from my perspective.

Am I being detained, Mr. Policeman?

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#146

Post by bandrami » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:28 AM UTC

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #44

One of my favorites is that the creator of Pilates was a guy named Joe Pilates. It’s like if the inventor of yoga was named Vivek Yoga (which is not the case, to be clear.)

Whereas the founder of the male dance review Chippendales was named Suman (pronounced "Show-man") Bannerjee

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#147

Post by legitster » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:29 AM UTC

Ford Charcoal was made from recycled Model T scrap lumber and sold in Ford dealerships. It was bought out in the 50s and renamed to Kingsford Charcoal after the name of the town where the plant was located (the town named after Henry Ford's cousin who helped supply the lumber to Henry Ford).

(Another fun fact, the charcoal process was developed by none other than Thomas Edison)

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#148

Post by bandrami » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:29 AM UTC

bandrami wrote: post #146

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #44

One of my favorites is that the creator of Pilates was a guy named Joe Pilates. It’s like if the inventor of yoga was named Vivek Yoga (which is not the case, to be clear.)

Whereas the founder of the male dance review Chippendales was named Suman (pronounced "Show-man") Bannerjee

While we're at it, both of the S'es in "Einstein-Bose" should be pronounced "sh", so the particle class should be pronounced "Boshons".

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#149

Post by jansan » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:30 AM UTC

saithound wrote: post #62

The generic Hungarian word for trash cans, 'kuka', unexpectedly originates from the names of German industrialists Johann Josef Keller and Jakob Knappich. The story is quite involved, to the extent that one would be tempted to dismiss it as a folk etymology, if it wasn't ridiculously well-attested. Keller and Knappich founded an acetylene factory in Augsburg, Bavaria in 1898. They named it Keller und Knappich Augsbur…

Interesting that this occured during the k.u.k. monarchy.

Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)

#150

Post by andy800 » Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 7:30 AM UTC

TMWNN wrote: post #59

xwowsersx wrote: post #11

I've driven the Outerbridge Crossing probably hundreds of times. That one is blowing my mind.

Context for non-New Yorkers: Outerbridge is the southernmost bridge in NYC and New York State, and Staten Island might as well be on Mars for the rest of the city. So the name "Outerbridge" is all the more fitting (and surprising).

The George Washington Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing both connect New York City (on the east) with New Jersey (on the west) but are about 45 minutes apart, even with no traffic.