# Explain this joke in "Away We Go" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119 "2010-06-22T13:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/1 "2010-06-22T13:56:47Z")
We watched the film _[Away We Go](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176740/)_ last weekend. (I liked it. A bit forced at times, but a nice little film.) When Bert and Verona go to visit his “cousin,” Verona looks at the name on the office door that reads “L.N. Fisher-Herrin,” and says, "L.N.? I thought you said her name was _Ellen."_ Then she seems to realize something and apprehensively says “Oh” or “Oh, no” or something like that. I don’t get it. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/2 "2010-06-22T14:21:39Z")
Haven’t seen the movie. Could it be as simple as “L.N.” and “Ellen” sound the same when spoken? There are so many usernames here that work that way. Examples: Hugh Jass Shirley Ujest Ellis Dee ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/3 "2010-06-22T14:23:10Z")
My sister had a cat named Ellis, for ‘Little Shit’. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/4 "2010-06-22T14:25:12Z")
L. N. sounds like Ellen. Presumably when Bert referred to his “cousin” as “L. N.” Verona thought he was saying Ellen. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/5 "2010-06-22T14:30:00Z")
I seem to recall that Lee J. Cobb’s real name was Lee Jacob. A buddy and I used to have a thing for names, mostly made up, for people at work, taking their first names and creating surnames that would fit well. Jim Nasium Billy Club Marie Zoniz Steve Adore Tara Ramboomdeay Pam Flett Jess B. Cozz Tim Plate and my all-time favorite, Patty O’Furniture. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/6 "2010-06-22T14:57:15Z")
[You mean like these?](http://www.cartalk.com/content/about/credits/credits.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/7 "2010-06-22T15:02:26Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Marie Zoniz I’m lost… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/8 "2010-06-22T15:05:14Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I’m lost… My reason is ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/9 "2010-06-22T15:06:33Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > L. N. sounds like Ellen. Presumably when Bert referred to his “cousin” as “L. N.” Verona thought he was saying Ellen. Of course I get that. But it also seemed from Maya Rodolph’s reaction that she was realizing some other meaning behind it. The pacing of the scene felt like the audience was supposed to realize it too. I’ll see if I can find a clip. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/10 "2010-06-22T15:08:29Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [You mean like these?](http://www.cartalk.com/content/about/credits/credits.html) Indeed. Garrison Keillor has a bunch of good ones, too. I didn’t check for dupes on the Car Talk list, but a couple I remember from APHC: Amanda Reckonwith Sara Bellum ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/11 "2010-06-22T15:32:00Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > My reason is You and I clearly have very, very different accents… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/12 "2010-06-22T15:35:18Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > You and I clearly have very, very different accents… Might just be. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/13 "2010-06-22T16:26:29Z")
Was L.N. the woman who didn’t believe in baby strollers? The way I took Verona’s comment was that the woman’s name really was Ellen but that she spelled it L.N. to be unique. Her reaction was similar to how many Dopers react to unique name spellings – being different for the sake of being different. I didn’t see the first part of the movie. Did they ever talk about what to name the baby? Any comments about trendy names? ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/14 "2010-06-22T17:10:14Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Was L.N. the woman who didn’t believe in baby strollers? Yep, that was her. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > The way I took Verona’s comment was that the woman’s name really was Ellen but that she spelled it L.N. to be unique. Her reaction was similar to how many Dopers react to unique name spellings – being different for the sake of being different. > > I didn’t see the first part of the movie. Did they ever talk about what to name the baby? Any comments about trendy names? I don’t believe there was any discussion of the baby’s name (they know it’s a girl, though). I think your take is close to what they were going for; kind of “Oh, no, you mean she’s one of those pretentious ultra-non-conformist earth-mother weirdos?” But if that’s the case, it’s a _big_ stretch to get that from two letters on a door. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-joke-in-away-we-go/544119/15 "2010-06-22T19:28:46Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I think your take is close to what they were going for; kind of “Oh, no, you mean she’s one of those pretentious ultra-non-conformist earth-mother weirdos?” > But if that’s the case, it’s a _big_ stretch to get that from two letters on a door. They might not get the earth mother weirdo part (they hadn’t seen her breastfeeding the four-year-old yet), but I think L.N. for Ellen is a clue for pretentious and ultra-non-conformist.