On Bad Surnames

But names ending in "O" run in the theatre! Well, mostly in the Marx family...

Organic chemists learn multitudes of chemical reactions by their inventors' name-- it's an honor to have one's reaction named after oneself. Of course, then students end up having to memorize a LOT of names and reactions. Every so often, we are helped out by a memorable name, like the Krapcho decarboxylation reaction. When one actually does a Krapcho decarboxylation in the lab, it's hard to resist saying so non-stop.

Now they weren't afraid to put Crapper's name on this manhole cover:

http://www.toiletology.com/images/crapper.gif

and it's in Westminster Abbey somewhere.

The University of Pittsburgh has a building called Clapp Hall that houses the biology department. It was named after George Hubbard Clapp, but students called it the Clapp Hall of the Social Diseases. Go look it up on Wikipedia!

Pitt also once had a Common Facilities building (rechristened Common Futilities by students), later renamed David Lawrence Hall.

My last name is Astle. But I think Crapo takes the cake. Although, if our two families ever intermarry... Benjamin Crapo Astle!

Funeral homes are usually named after their owners here. The other day I passed Pompes Funèbres Schmutz. It's even funnier in French ("Schmoootz!"). God love 'em, that's a difficult business, but man.

Schmoootz!!!

Oops, your forum doesn't like them there foreign letter thingies. That should be Pompes Funebres Schmutz. With a backwards accent thingie on that "e".

Schmoootz!!!

Speaking of funeral homes.. I attended a viewing at a funeral home in southern Indiana and noticed a wall with several plaques commemorated to the memory of the funeral home's previous directors. Each of these bronze plaques had a brief bio on the old director. Apparently the nickname of one of these funeral directors was "Stiffy".

Let's hope Sheldon doesn't find out about Prof Alan R Boobis [imperial.ac.uk], or he'll be in real trouble. :)

The US Army Corps of Engineers, back when they were reshaping the USA by damming rivers, had a practice of naming the dam after the town with the closest Post Office. In West Virginia was the town of Gad. The ACoE couldn't bring themselves to name the Gad Dam, so went with Summersville.

There's a wonderful sign as you drive west through Phillipsburg NJ on route 22. It reads "Ernest F. Duh, Attorney at Law". Definitely confidence inspiring...

Hey, maybe he has a daughter called "Dee F. Duh" :)

Chesterfield (Derbyshire) former undertaker (mortician?) by the inspired name of Paul Bearer.

In the UK at the moment the ideal name for a politician would probably be 'Robin Swyne'!

Just so everyone knows, the last name Crapo is pronounced "CrAYpo", at least according to our senator...

I have a good friend whose daughter recently married Dr. Goodnight, an anesthesiologist. THAT'S actually pretty cool. In the "OMG, WHY??" category is a local urologist, Dr. Peters.

Once or twice a week, my husband and I drive past Slack Funeral Home. Now, we agree that it is probably named after a family... however, we still don't want to be embalmed there! "Didja finish with that job?" "Well, sort of, but then Wipeout came on..." "Eh, who will notice?"

My father sees Dr. Payne and Dr. Blood, and I know a urologist named Dr. Richard Tapper. (Dick Tapper. Gotta love it!)

I remember I used to go to grade school with a kid named Darrin Crapo - his name was made all the more hilarious to me because he ALWAYS insisted on printing his last name with the little straight line over the "a" that made sure it was pronounced "cr-AY-po". The fact that he went to such extremes to avoid mispronounciation somehow made it so much funnier...

One of my all-time favorites was a radio commentator back in Idaho in the 70's-80's. Harold T. Butts. I swear it's true that he went by Harry Butts.

I've also seen quite a few dentists named Paine/Pain/Payne.

Oh man! I have a great one. My old ob/gyn was Dr. Hanubal. I always have to finish that off with "What's the worst he's going to do, eat me?"

Kentucky has a Big Bone Lick state park.

In a town not far from my home, they have two chiropractors at opposite ends of town. One's name is Krush, the other McKracken. True. How aptly named for joint crackers.

My regular Dr's surname is Silar. I keep on waiting for him to attempt to eat my brain. My psychologists name is Dr. House...at the same facility is a Dr. Breen (something only Trekkies would understand).

There is also a former Representative from New Hampshire (who also went on to be the US Ambassador to Denmark), Richard Swett. Who insisted on going by his nickname, Dick Swett, and would accuse anyone who recommended that he might consider going by Richard instead of having a dirty mind. Just google "Dick Swett" and you see how much fun headline writers have had with this guy's name.

Also, Stanford Hospital has a wing called the Frances Coffin Edwards Building that I walked by almost every day when I worked there. Mercifully, it's abbreviated "the Edwards Building", but still, I'd be worried as a patient if I got moved there.

The college of New Jersey where I went for my undergrad has a "Loser Hall". The best part is that it's the administrative building and the first thing a visitor sees when they come on campus.

College employees tried to claim it was pronounced "LOW-shur", but we all knew that was a cover-up. ;)