# Anorher "sad story, funny name" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 4, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157 "2006-07-04T14:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/41 "2006-07-06T20:01:31Z")
Back in the dim, dark days of my youth, I worked for the driver’s license division of the Department of Public Safety. Pre-computer; that’s how long ago. During a file search one day, I encountered an individual with the first and middle names of Precious Blue-eyes. I also found someone with the first name of T9C, and I learned later that there were several of them and they caused problems during the initial entry phase when DPS did computerize. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/42 "2006-07-06T20:07:41Z")
We had a politician around Illinois parts a while back named **Dick Phalin**. Never could figure out why he didn’t go by **Richard Phalin**. I suppose he’s still be **Dick Failin’** to everyone anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/43 "2006-07-06T20:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] I have a lot of relatives named Fuchs. We pronounce it Fooks - though its two generations since someone actually spoke real German in my family - so we all could be mispronoucing our own name. Its the German word for fox. Go visit the middle of Minnesota somewhere, very common. My branch of the family changed it to Fox, specifically to address the “naughty word” problem. A friend in college remarked “its even conjugated!” [/QUOTE] I’ve seen that name around too. I think there’s a family that goes to my parents’ church with that name. I just remembered that in middle school there was a teacher with the last name Butt. It was pronounced closer to “boot”. We students had a lot of laughs over it. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/44 "2006-07-06T20:35:55Z")
And of course, there is the future President of the United States, [Mike Hunt](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327753&highlight=Mike+Hunt). ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/45 "2006-07-06T21:23:11Z")
Whenever I drive through Natchez, Mississippi, I am pleased to see billboards advertised the services of [Lucius Butts, Jr.](http://national.citysearch.com/profile/5973310/?brand=smx_yp-nc), insurance agent. ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/46 "2006-07-06T21:35:56Z")
The Seattle Mariners have a pitcher named J.J. Putz. He pronounces it “puts”. Anyone with a smattering of Yiddish finds his name hilarious. He is very particular that both the team’s broadcasters and the stadium announcers pronounce it the way he prefers. They didn’t, at first. Sadly, most people in Seattle are strangers to Yiddish and miss the joke. ;j ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/47 "2006-07-06T21:42:01Z")
My dad once met a real estate agent whose business card he kept on the fridge for years and years. The agent’s name, as printed on the card: Rose E. Kuntz. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/48 "2006-07-06T21:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=marque elf] Sadly, most people in Seattle are strangers to Yiddish and miss the joke. ;j [/QUOTE] Don’t you mean: "Sadly, most people in Seattle are strangers to Yiddish and miss the joke :wally " 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/49 "2006-07-06T21:52:48Z")
A man named Safety First once was a contestant on the old “You Bet Your Life”. ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/50 "2006-07-06T22:01:44Z")
In high school I dated a guy whose last name was Uren. He pronounced it you-WREN. We have a friend that just finished his teaching certificate and plans to teach junior high. His last name is Cox, so he was thinking about changing it to avoid the obvious temptation. I suggested changing it to Dix. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/51 "2006-07-06T22:19:35Z")
I heard a story on my local public radio station out of Miami the other night- it was a report about a terrible drunk driving death. The reporters name? “I’m Tom Collins” I nearly spewed my coffee laughing. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/52 "2006-07-06T23:36:20Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] I have a lot of relatives named Fuchs. We pronounce it Fooks - though its two generations since someone actually spoke real German in my family - so we all could be mispronoucing our own name. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard it pronounced Fyoosh, as well. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/53 "2006-07-06T23:46:06Z")
[QUOTE=pbbth] I used to work 3 buildings down from a Dr. Richard Weiner. Seriously, if you are fully aware that your last name is Weiner, why in the world would you name your kid Richard or Gay or anything like that? I don’t care if my neighbor Richard saved my life in a fire and I had promised to name my firstborn after him, that is not an okay thing to do to your child. [/QUOTE] Hopefully, _hopefully_, the poor late lamented Gay married into that and we don’t have to wish vile thoughts towards her parents. Hopefully. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/54 "2006-07-07T00:54:40Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] Hopefully, _hopefully_, the poor late lamented Gay married into that and we don’t have to wish vile thoughts towards her parents. Hopefully. [/QUOTE] Imagine how much the former “Miss Gay Kuntz” must have loved Harry Weiner to take his name. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/55 "2006-07-07T02:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] Imagine how much the former “Miss Gay Kuntz” must have loved Harry Weiner to take his name. [/QUOTE] 😛😃 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/56 "2006-07-07T03:44:11Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] I remember watching newscasters try to keep a straight face when reporting that [Ronald Gay shot up a gay bar](http://speakout.com/activism/apstories/9977-1.html). Much as I hate homophobic violence, the story gave me a giggle. [/QUOTE] It appears that he was motivated partly by a history of taunts regarding his last name. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/57 "2006-07-07T04:12:33Z")
[QUOTE=Lute Skywatcher] A man named Safety First once was a contestant on the old “You Bet Your Life”. [/QUOTE] There used to a doctor here in Tulsa with that name. I worked with his daughter a few years ago. I wonder if it’s the same guy. [QUOTE=BoBettie] I heard a story on my local public radio station out of Miami the other night- it was a report about a terrible drunk driving death. The reporters name? “I’m Tom Collins” I nearly spewed my coffee laughing. [/QUOTE] I know this is a bit of a hijack, but in the musical _Rent_, there’s a character named Tom Collins and I never could figure out if he was named after the drink or if it was just a coincidence. I mean, it’s possible that Jonathan Larson had never heard of the drink, and no one in the play ever says anything about the name that would indicate it was a reference to the drink, so… ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/58 "2006-07-07T04:44:43Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] Caller: Do you have Sexauer there? [/QUOTE] “Sexauer? Hell, we’re lucky if we get a coffee break!” > [@moonstarssun](#): > > In high school I dated a guy whose last name was Uren. He pronounced it you-WREN. It’s usually spelled _U’Ren_, just so people don’t get ideas. Wikipedia entry on [William U’Ren](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._U'Ren), noted Oregon progressive politician. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/59 "2006-07-08T05:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] My dad once met a real estate agent whose business card he kept on the fridge for years and years. The agent’s name, as printed on the card: Rose E. Kuntz. [/QUOTE] That reminds me of a local real estate agent I saw advertising on bus benches in town - Anita Dyck. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157/60 "2006-07-08T07:49:37Z")
My dad swears that he met a guy who named his daughters Tequilla and Tanqueray. Maybe he got the name from the cause of their conception, like that old “Two-Dogs-Screwing” joke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anorher-sad-story-funny-name/363157.md?page=2)