Category:
Odd Names
Odd Names
The Fred Society
The FRED Society was founded in 1984, and still appears to be going strong. It's a kind of support group for people (mostly men) named Fred, designed to address the negative connotations associated with the name. That is, when people hear the name Fred, they tend to think of characters such as Fred Mertz (the bumbling neighbor on 'I Love Lucy') or Fred Flintstone. The Fred Society would like us to think of Fred Astaire instead.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 29, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Odd Names
Criminals Named Christmas
There was Christmas Jones, sent to prison for debt in January 1815.Christmas Allen (father and son), both charged with larceny.
And Christmas Crisp, who did six months for larceny in 1837. His son, Christmas Crisp Junior, appears to have been an honest man.
Perhaps being named Christmas was the 19th Century equivalent of having the middle name Wayne. [via Criminal Historian]
Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 13, 2014 -
Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Holidays, Odd Names, Nineteenth Century
Worst YA Hero Name Ever
Read the whole tale here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 18, 2014 -
Comments (10)
Category: Detectives, Private Eyes and Other Investigators, Magazines, Odd Names, 1940s
The Monster Family
Washington state's Saar Pioneer Cemetery contains an unusual grave. It's the resting place of John C. Monster (1851-1890) and his child "Baby Monster" (1888-1889). I haven't been able to find any additional details about the Monster family. (via the Oddment Emporium)
Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 14, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Odd Names, Signage, Obituaries
Shepherd of the Royal Anus
Strange job title. 'Shepherd of the Royal Anus' (neru pehut) was a title held by several court physicians in Ancient Egypt, including Ir-en-akhty (who lived during the First Intermediate Period) and his predecessor Khuy. It could also be translated as 'Herdsman of the Anus' or 'Guardian of the Anus'. Here's a partial explanation:As in all ancient cultures, the doctor was part of the priesthood. Each physician was responsible for curing only one illness. The god-king was attended to by a host of medical practitioners, each specializing in one body part and bearing such titles as Royal Keeper of the Pharaoh's Left Eye, Royal Keeper of the Pharaoh's Right Eye, or Shepherd of the Royal Anus.
And more:
[Neru Pehut was] a title borne by physicians qualified to prescribe and administer medicines rectally. Herodotus frequently speaks of the alimentary canal: the Egyptians, he says, 'purge themselves, for their health's sake, with emetics and clysters." Diodorus Siculus, writing four hundred years later, echoes this observation, saying that 'in order to prevent sicknesses they look after the health of their bodies by means of drenches, fastings, and emetics.' Enemas were among the most common modes of treatment, employed several times a month for preventive purposes.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 01, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Medicine, Odd Names, Ancient Times
The Town of Swastika, Canada
Swastika is a small town in Ontario, Canada. (wikipedia link). It was founded in 1908, and got its name from a nearby gold mine. Then the Nazis went and adopted the swastika as their symbol, which made things a little awkward for the Swastika townsfolk. But despite pressure from the Canadian government, the townsfolk resisted changing the name of their town. After all, they had the name first! And so the town has kept its unusual name, to the present day.
Several pictures of Swastika from Steve Colwill's flickr account. The Swastika Laboratories sounds a little sinister.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 17, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Odd Names, Signage, Weird Names
Read This Before You Get Married
Posted By: Nethie - Wed May 12, 2010 -
Comments (14)
Category: Family, Odd Names, Weird Names, Marriage, Weddings
More Weird Shorts
And if you fancy taking a trip to Tickle Cock Bridge, why not make a grand tour of it and take in some more of Britain’s rudest place names (Telegraph).
It’s always worth making sure you have plenty of the local currency on holiday, but for one German tourist this became more of a life-saver than a simple convenience. Dominik Podolsky was just riding the ski-lift back down in Hochzillertal in Austria as darkness fell when it was suddenly switched off, as it is every dusk, leaving him stranded. As temperatures dropped to minus 18° Celcius (0° F) Mr. Podolsky began to set light to whatever was to hand to attract attention, starting with paper napkins and some business cards before in desperation he was forced to set fire to his money. He had just burned his last euro when he was finally spotted by a cleaning crew and rescued (Orange).
Perhaps he would have done better to visit the Swiss side of the Alps instead. If not on the mountains, at the very least he would have been better looked after in that country's brothels. Principally because, with an increasing number of elderly clients packing a well-known anti-impotence treatment, Swiss brothels are training their staff in the use of defibrillators in an effort to stop the pill-popping pensioners become clog-popping corpses. "Having customers die on us isn't exactly good publicity" said one sex-club owner. Funny, I would have thought the opposite was true (Telegraph).
But trained as they may be, Swiss working girls will never have the edge on their American competitors. At least that’d be the conclusion you might draw from the results of a recent poll which placed America at number one on the list of countries with the most attractive people (Switzerland didn’t even make the top 20). So rejoice America, from the wild and wanton women of Walmart to the sultry street-girl sirens of Chattanooga, your beauty is unsurpassed (Herald Sun).
Posted By: Dumbfounded - Thu Feb 18, 2010 -
Comments (5)
Category: Architecture, Government, Officials, Money, Odd Names, Political Correctness, Goofs and Screw-ups
Wouldn’t That Be A Great Band Name?
I know you've had this thought at least once... you and your friends are sitting around, drinking a few brewskis (or shooters or whatever it is you drink). One of your friends says something completely off the wall and you think, "that'd be a great band name." Oddly enough, that is how some of the best known bands get their names. Other bands have their names chosen for them by record producers or managers (how boring). In the end, how a band gets its name seems to be as different from one band to the next as their various playing styles. Here is a comprehensive list, in alphabetical order, of some of the most popular bands in recent history and where their names come from. I admit that the list itself is not particularly weird, but the way some of the bands ended up with their current names definitely is.
Posted By: Nethie - Wed Jun 03, 2009 -
Comments (3)
Category: Art, Entertainment, Music, Odd Names
Inventions of Buckminster Fuller, part 1: the Dymaxion Car
This is just one of the many strange inventions that Fuller imagined would improve society. Dymaxion, which is an abbreviation of dynamic maximum tension, was the name he attached to many of his inventions.
More in extended >>
Posted By: fyshstyxx - Fri May 15, 2009 -
Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Odd Names, 1930s, Cars
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |