# Conseptual paraphernalia (and pets) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832 "2014-06-15T17:01:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/1 "2014-06-15T17:01:51Z")
Occam has a [razor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor). Schrödinger has a [cat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat). Damocles has a [sword](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damocles). Any other examples? (Yeah, I’m prepared for this to be a fairly short thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/2 "2014-06-15T17:03:11Z")
Pavlov has a dog. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/3 "2014-06-15T17:06:26Z")
Maxwell has a demon. ---
**Author:** ![Specklebang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Specklebang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Specklebang)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/4 "2014-06-15T17:40:59Z")
The Devil has a dictionary Maxwell traded his demon for a silver hammer Murphy has a law Bears have woods Mary has a little lamb ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/5 "2014-06-16T02:09:39Z")
I am not quite sure what the rules are meant to be here, but: Turing has a machine as does von Neuman Eratosthenes has a sieve Buridan has an ass (Hey! It means donkey, OK?) Hume has a fork Liebniz has a mill Searle has a Chinese room Huxley has a steam whistle Bacon had a whole bunch of idols ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/6 "2014-06-16T03:14:09Z")
Theseus has a ship ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/7 "2014-06-16T13:30:14Z")
My grandfather had an ax. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/8 "2014-06-16T13:39:33Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Theseus has a ship And Freud has a slip. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/9 "2014-06-16T13:43:58Z")
[Morton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton's_fork) also has a fork. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/10 "2014-06-16T13:51:56Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > [Morton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton's_fork) also has a fork. And as I am reminded by the link in that article: Procrustes has a bed. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/11 "2014-06-16T14:04:42Z")
Archimedes had a bathtub. (Does it count if it’s not a part of a phrase? I’m also not entirely clear on the rules. 😛 It’s still “paraphernalia” he needed for his “concept”…) ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/12 "2014-06-16T14:09:32Z")
Moore has his 'slaw… Something about cabbage and computing. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/13 "2014-06-16T17:32:08Z")
Shanks has a mare. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/14 "2014-06-16T17:35:46Z")
[Gyges had a ring.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Gyges) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/15 "2014-06-16T18:01:44Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > Archimedes had a bathtub. > > (Does it count if it’s not a part of a phrase? I’m also not entirely clear on the rules. 😛 It’s still “paraphernalia” he needed for his “concept”…) He also had a screw. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/16 "2014-06-16T22:56:59Z")
Pandora has a box. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/17 "2014-06-16T23:48:36Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > My grandfather had an ax. As did Lizzy Borden. [Duff has a Device.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duff's_device) ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/18 "2014-06-17T00:32:28Z")
Russell has a teapot. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/19 "2014-06-17T00:55:28Z")
Zeno has a pair o’ ducks. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832/20 "2014-06-17T01:03:43Z")
Mrs. O’Leary has a cow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conseptual-paraphernalia-and-pets/690832.md?page=2)