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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Is there a word that describes... #184654 05/05/2009 9:03 AM Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1 jkbeka stranger jkbeka stranger Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1 Is there a word that describes the situation where a person's last name reflects the prson's occupation? Examples person Cook is a chef, person Hammer is a carpenter. Thank you Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... jkbeka #184655 05/05/2009 10:48 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 It's called an aptronym or sometimes aptonym. Our man tsuwm has it on his Worthless Word For The Day site. You'll have to scroll down to it. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Faldage #184661 05/05/2009 4:16 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass Originally Posted By: Faldage It's called an aptronym... You'll have to scroll down to it. or not - link Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... tsuwm #184678 05/06/2009 11:11 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: tsuwm or not - link Depending on whose link you follow. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Faldage #184695 05/08/2009 3:36 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Aptronym makes me think of atropine (from atropa belladonna) , a famous poison through time. Did more people than I notice that reading the Active Topics since the last update is often quite funny, such as: " Originally Posted By: tsuwm or not" - link Depending on whose link you follow." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #184696 05/08/2009 4:03 PM Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 1,526 Virginia, USA TheFallibleFiend veteran TheFallibleFiend veteran Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 1,526 Virginia, USA Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers, on the pbs radio program "Car Talk" always sign off with each saying "Don't drive like my brother!" and then give a list of credits that runs something like this: Accounts Payable Administrator - Imelda Czechs Asst. Fleet Manager - Lisa Carr Asst. Transportation Coordinator - Orson Buggy Auto Seat Tester - Fitz Matush Chief Legal Counsel - Hugh Louis Dewey of Dewey, Cheetham & Howe Child Transportation Specialist - Minnie Van Driver Crash Tester - Hope Anna Prayer Director of Automotive Security - Boris Karlarm Director of Purchasing - Lois Bidder Exhaust Manifold Specialist - Manny Burns Head of Front Desk Security - Constance Noring Lug Nut Specialist - Tad Tolouse Manager of Automotive Accessories - Francis Ford Cupholda Mechanic's Assistant - Hannah Twomey New Truck Reviewer - Zbigniew Rigg Official Spokesperson - Howie Vasive Personal Makeup Artist - Bud Tuggli Press Secretary - Don B. Zonozi Public Opinion Pollster -Paul Murky of Murky Research Puzzler Tester - Otis S. Hard Russian Chauffeur - Picov Andropov Safety Officers - Mort & Fay Tality Shop Foreman - Luke Bizzy Staff Fact Checker - Neera Nuff Statistician - Marge Innovera Wardrobe Advisor - Luke Howard Fitzhugh snagged from: http://www.squidoo.com/thetappetbrothers Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... TheFallibleFiend #184700 05/08/2009 8:19 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Apt. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #184718 05/10/2009 4:58 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,974 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,974 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water Apt. And clever. I am one who usually reads credits, especially at movies, stay 'til the very end. Learn a lot that way. It is too bad TV credits are so small and zip by so fast. ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... LukeJavan8 #184727 05/11/2009 4:05 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York from the Nitpicking Dept: PBS is television. NPR is radio. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... AnnaStrophic #184732 05/11/2009 7:55 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague According to the FallbFeind there also is a PBS radio program. Ah, why not? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #184744 05/11/2009 10:51 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: BranShea According to the FallbFeind there also is a PBS radio program. Ah, why not? Because PBS is television. Car Talk is an NPR program. It's not uncommon for people who spend more time watching television than they do listening to the radio to conflate the two and call them both PBS. Frequently the local PBS station has the same call letters as the NPR station so it's easy to do. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #188148 12/08/2009 1:01 PM Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 1 Pegleg stranger Pegleg stranger Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 1 These all seem to be jokes, though. How about real words that were occupations and became names, and that, today, hang on as names only. Such as Fletcher, Bowyer and the like? Pegleg Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Pegleg #188154 12/08/2009 5:08 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague The real aptonyms , such as Baker, Carpenter, Farmer, are dating back to the Old Days, when families called themselves after their profession: John Baker, John Carpenter, ( ) and many John Farmers. All Western languages have those names. From long before the days where Napoleon decreed that those who didn't have a surname should choose one. There's lots of people called " de Boer", Bakker, Timmerman, van Houten (of wood), van Dijk (of the dike) where I live. Native speakers may have better answers for American-English names. And welcome! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #188159 12/08/2009 6:27 PM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont how about Grow? :¬ ) formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... tsuwm #188165 12/08/2009 8:48 PM Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand olly old hand olly old hand Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand Originally Posted By: tsuwm or not - http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd/abc.htm#aptronym uh huh, the old modify the URL to point to the entry trick! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... olly #188166 12/08/2009 8:58 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass oh, you make it sound.. nefarious, when alls I did was copy the OneLook pointer. (aptronym has a onelook number of seven(7). ; ) edit: and aptonym has ON of three(3). Last edited by tsuwm; 12/08/2009 9:28 PM. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... tsuwm #188167 12/08/2009 9:30 PM Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand olly old hand olly old hand Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand oh, you make it sound.. nefarious No intent, its a trick I discovered whilst playing an online game. Heres a link if you feel up to a challenge. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Pegleg #188168 12/08/2009 9:55 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Originally Posted By: Pegleg These all seem to be jokes, though. How about real words that were occupations and became names, and that, today, hang on as names only. Such as Fletcher, Bowyer and the like? Pegleg Never mind these Nefariosi. I have a favorite Fletcher: Mrs. amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, who looks a lot like my eldest sister. (olly) is there really a beyond beyond the howling second level? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #188171 12/08/2009 10:50 PM Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand olly old hand olly old hand Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 956 Auckland, New Zealand (olly) is there really a beyond beyond the howling second level? There are 140 levels. Its a bit of a sucubus though and I got bored after the first ten. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #188173 12/09/2009 1:27 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 618 Australia doc_comfort addict doc_comfort addict Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 618 Australia Originally Posted By: BranShea Never mind these Nefariosi. I have a favorite Fletcher: Mrs. amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, who looks a lot like my eldest sister. ever-so-mildly-disappointed-though-not-unexpectedly-e Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... olly #188179 12/09/2009 3:20 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Wow! I didn't do very well at the game (no surprise there), but I did discover that by holding down Ctrl and then pushing + or - over on the number pad, whatever's on the screen gets larger or smaller! Who knew? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Jackie #188182 12/09/2009 7:42 AM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Poll-poll! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #188185 12/09/2009 12:27 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 CTRL+ and CTRL- work on my home Ubuntu/Firefox machine and my work WinXP/Flock machine. CTRL mouse-wheel also works on my work machine but not at home. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Faldage #188186 12/09/2009 12:31 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass >CTRL mouse-wheel also works best to be a little careful using this, as you may have trouble getting back to where you started (or, remember that CTRL-0 does a reset). Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... tsuwm #188188 12/09/2009 12:38 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Yeah, I always did have trouble getting back to start. Thanks for the CTRL-0 tip. (Weird. The zero in the Reply window has a dot in the center, but the one in the Preview doesn't.) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... doc_comfort #188196 12/09/2009 2:18 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Originally Posted By: doc_comfort ever-so-mildly-disappointed-though-not-unexpectedly-e "disappointments are steadfast appointments throughout life" Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... BranShea #191017 05/11/2010 10:59 AM Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Tromboniator old hand Tromboniator old hand Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Did anyone notice that the game page says "Only xx people have been certificated for finishing this game.", and if you click on "certificated" it takes you to a facsimile document which states:"This certificates that..." Does that make the document a certificator? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Is there a word that describes... Tromboniator #191018 05/11/2010 11:39 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 The OED has citations for the verb certifcate in this sense back to 1818. The OED's definition for certificator is the giver of the certificate (noun) not the certificate itself. This would make sense as the document is merely a symbol of the certification. 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