# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 429
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8562 "2025-09-21T13:57:30Z")
Yeah, I figured your first one would be the runaway leader. And along those lines, if it had been say “Peggy’s” instead of something with regional meaning, I would have gone with… P E G G Y’ S ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8563 "2025-09-21T16:34:22Z")
But the apostrophe is more or less a diacritic showing grammatical function. It must go with the S. It’s not like the apostrophe in “can’t,” showing contraction, which could more logically be split as in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8564 "2025-09-21T16:40:43Z")
Cheddar cheese comes to the consumer in two colors. To stores, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8565 "2025-09-21T18:02:33Z")
Yes, I don’t believe there are any rules on this – even writing style guides are silent on the matter, probably because they’re aimed at longer works of prose like newspaper articles and scholarly articles, where vertical lettering is virtually never used. That’s why I was curious as to what Dopers prefer. And @Dr.Drake has it right that, linguistically speaking, “'s” functions as a single unit. (It’s variously analyzed as a genitive inflection or a clitic, depending on which linguist you ask.) As a linguist I therefore chose **'S** in the poll, though admittedly I think it looks just as strange as the alternatives. Fun fact: in Hungarian, certain digraphs and trigraphs are considered atomic letters of the alphabet, so in vertical signs you might see “SZ”, “LY”, “DZS”, etc. written together on a single line. (This is also true in word games like crosswords and Scrabble; there are single tiles for letters like “GY” and “ZS”.) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8566 "2025-09-21T18:21:49Z")
Re [markn\_1’s poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6235), these are the characters I immediately thought of: - **Andy** Griffith from _The Andy Griffith Show_\* - **Barney** Rubble from _The Flintstones_ (though I also later thought of Barney Gumble from _The Simpsons_ and Barney Fife from _The Andy Griffith Show_\*) - **Bart** Simpson from _The Simpsons_ - **Buddy** Ryan from _Night Court_ - **Buffy** (not sure of the surname) from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_\* - **Cliff** Clavin from _Cheers_ - **Cosmo** Kramer from _Seinfeld_ - **Ernie** from _Sesame Street_ - **Frasier** Crane from _Frasier_ - **Gidget** (not sure of the surname) from _Gidget_\* - **Ginger** (not sure of the surname) from _Gilligan’s Island_\* - **Gomer** Pyle from _The Andy Griffith Show_\* - **Gomez** Addams from _The Addams Family_ (and its various reincarnations and spinoffs) - **Hawkeye** Pierce from _MASH_\* - **Herman** Munster from _The Munsters_\* - **Homer** Simpson from _The Simpsons_ - **Jeannie** (not sure of the surname) from _I Dream of Jeannie_\* - **Latka** Gravas from _Taxi_ - **Leland** McKenzie from _L.A. Law_ - **Lucy** (not sure of the surname) from _I Love Lucy_\* - **Maude** Findlay from _Maude_\* - **Maxwell** Smart from _Get Smart_ - **Mindy** McConnell from _Mork & Mindy_ - **Roseanne** Connor from _Roseanne_\* - **Samantha** (not sure of the surname) from _Bewitched_\* An asterisk marks shows that I’ve never actually seen, but have learned about through cultural osmosis. Some of the names are generic enough that they’re probably shared by characters on TV shows I’m not familiar with. For example, Buddy Ryan was only a minor recurring character on _Night Court_ so I’m pretty sure there must be some more famous Buddy that I’m not aware of. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8567 "2025-09-21T18:28:49Z")
I hesitated before skipping “Bruce”. Bruce Wayne immediately comes to mind but I’m not sure it’s the comic book one or the Adam West one. It also reminds me of the Hulk, but they didn’t use that name in the TV show. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8568 "2025-09-21T18:30:21Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > **Leland** McKenzie from _L.A. Law_ I agree with a lot of those, but to me, Leland is Leland Palmer in _Twin Peaks_. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8569 "2025-09-21T18:34:23Z")
I only chose those where the name itself devoid of any other context made me think of a fictional character: Bart, Frasier and Buffy. The others are common enough I wouldn’t immediately associate it with “one fictional character” except Homer which has an immediate 2 people come to mind and nobody else and things like Gomer which are just meaningless to me. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8570 "2025-09-21T18:36:20Z")
Leland Stottlemyer ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8571 "2025-09-21T18:43:02Z")
I interpreted it not as, “can you quickly think of a tv character with this name” but rather, “is the first thing that pops into your mind a tv character” - Adrian - don’t even know this one - Andy - two friends i see often named Andy - Archie - i think of the comic strip before Archie Bunker - Audrey - don’t even know this one - Barney - not a unique hit - Bart - BART, in SF - Bruce - i know a lot of people with this name - Buddy - don’t even know this one - **Buffy** \* yup, vampire Slayer - Cliff - don’t even know this one - Cosmo - don’t even know this one - Dale - don’t even know this one - **Ernie** - \* yup, and Bert - Frasier - i used to see a dentist in the Frasier building. i haven’t watched it, but i am familiar with the show - Gidget - wasn’t that a movie? - Ginger -the spice - **Gomer** \* yup, Pile - Gomez - common name - Hawkeye - isn’t that a super hero? And also mash - Herman - don’t even know this one - Homer - the Iliad - Jeannie - i have a friend with this name - Jethro - Tull - Latka - don’t even know this one - Laura - really common name - Leland - don’t even know this one - Lucy - know several people with this name - Maude - old fashioned name, - Maxwell - smart, but also the demon and the equations . And the coffee - **Mindy** \* mork& - Ralph - just a name - Roseanne - another common name - Samantha a know a couple people named this - Shirley - Temple, and weren’t those movies? - Tabitha - i know this from a TV show, but also know a cat with this name ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8572 "2025-09-21T18:50:49Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > Leland Stottlemyer Good one! And I love me some Monk. All I can say is that my immediate reaction to the name felt like a definitive Palmer at that moment. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8573 "2025-09-21T19:18:21Z")
I did the same. The answers mostly depended on whether I had known a human with the name (or, in Latka’s case, a food). I’ve never met an Archie or a Frasier or a Gomer or a (first name) Gomez or a Hawkeye. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8574 "2025-09-21T19:34:05Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > - **Barney** Rubble from _The Flintstones_ (though I also later thought of Barney Gumble from _The Simpsons_ and Barney Fife from _The Andy Griffith Show_\*) > - **Bart** Simpson from _The Simpsons_ Barney Miller, Bart Maverick. etc., Many of these names have some other famous person holding it such as Homer. As for the apostrophe- I vote “who cares”? > [@puzzlegal](#): > > - Archie - i think of the comic strip before Archie Bunker > - Audrey - don’t even know this one Archie Goodwin, also. Audrey is likely the man eating plant for Little Shop of Horrors. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8575 "2025-09-21T19:39:57Z")
I chose the names because almost all of them do immediately remind me of a TV character. FTR, this is my list: - Adrian - Adrian Monk from _Monk_ - Andy - Andy Taylor from _The Andy Griffith Show_ - Archie - Archie Bunker from _All in the Family_ - Audrey - Audrey Horne from _Twin Peaks_ - Barney - Barney Fife from _The Andy Griffith Show_ (although there is some interference from Barney Rubble and Barney Gumble) - Bart - Bart Simpson from _The Simpsons_ - Bruce - Bruce Wayne from _Batman_ - Buddy - Buddy Sorrell from _The Dick Van Dyke Show_ - Buffy - Buffy Summers from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ - Cliff - Cliff Clavin from _Cheers_ - Cosmo - Cosmo Kramer from _Seinfeld_ - Dale - Dale Cooper from _Twin Peaks_ - Ernie - Ernie from _Sesame Street_ - Frasier - Frasier Crane from _Frasier_ - Gidget - Gidget Lawrence from _Gidget_ - Ginger - Ginger Grant from _Gilligan’s Island_ - Gomer - Gomer Pyle from _The Andy Griffith Show_ - Gomez - Gomez Addams from _The Addams Family_ - Hawkeye - Hawkeye Pierce from _MASH_ - Herman - Herman Munster from _The Munsters_ - Homer - Homer Simpson from _The Simpsons_ - Jeannie - Jeannie from _I Dream of Jeannie_ - Jethro - Jethro Bodine from _The Beverly Hillbillies_ - Latka - Latka Gravas from _Taxi_ - Laura - Laura Petrie from _The Dick Van Dyke Show_ - Leland - Leland Palmer from _Twin Peaks_ - Lucy - Lucy Ricardo from _I Love Lucy_ - Maude - Maude Findlay from _Maude_ - Maxwell - Maxwell Smart from _Get Smart_ - Mindy - Mindy McConnell from _Mork and Mindy_ - Ralph - Ralph Kramden from _The Honeymooners_ (although there is some interference from Ralph Wiggum) - Roseanne - Roseanne Conner from _Roseanne_ - Samantha - Samantha Stevens from _Bewitched_ - Shirley - Shirley Feeney from _Laverne and Shirley_ - Tabitha - Tabitha Stevens from _Bewitched_ ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8576 "2025-09-21T19:53:01Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Buddy Ryan was only a minor recurring character on _Night Court_ so I’m pretty sure there must be some more famous Buddy that I’m not aware of. Buddy Ryan was an NFL coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8577 "2025-09-21T21:14:13Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I interpreted it not as, “can you quickly think of a tv character with this name” but rather, “is the first thing that pops into your mind a tv character” The poll asked about TV characters, so I wasn’t even thinking outside that box. The ones I checked were the ones where, upon reading the name, one specific TV character immediately came to my mind. If there were either none or more than one that immediately came to my mind, I left it unchecked. (Thus, I did not select “Archie” because I immediately thought of both Archie Andrews and Archie Bunker; and I did not select Ralph because I immediately thought of both Ralph Wiggum and Ralph Kramden.) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8578 "2025-09-21T21:41:11Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Adrian - don’t even know this one Yo. Though she is a big screen star, not a small screen one. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8579 "2025-09-21T21:51:36Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Yo. I understood that reference. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8580 "2025-09-22T03:14:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Audrey is likely the man eating plant for Little Shop of Horrors. Is that a TV show now? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8581 "2025-09-22T12:13:15Z")
Maybe Audrey is Gene, the Singing Cowboy. He had a TV show, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=428) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=430)