# Famous names that your brain just refuses to get right **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999 "2012-03-06T20:04:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/21 "2012-03-07T14:31:24Z")
The church choir I sing with recently rehearsed a song which consisted of the names of all the books of the Bible. And due to some people’s horrid grasp of pronunciation, we ended up singing about Filet Mignon rather than Philemon. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/22 "2012-03-07T14:33:14Z")
Why does every other person over the age of 65 call him Jerry Steinfeld? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/23 "2012-03-07T14:51:23Z")
I can’t keep it straight which one is Ben Stiller and which one is Ben Affleck. Neither can act much, IMO, and they kind of, sort of look the same. I refer to them both as “One of those Bens.” Or I’ll ask, “The one who does all those goofy movies, or Matt Damon’s BF?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/24 "2012-03-07T15:04:45Z")
I get Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Perkins confused, and of course Bill Paxton and Bill Pullman. Lots of others that I can’t remember off the top of my head. It amuses the fiance, who is a walking encyclopedia of actors and musicians. I also can’t help but to say “Barnes and Noble’s”. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/25 "2012-03-07T15:31:14Z")
Bull Pulman and Bill Paxton Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis And for some stupid reason I always mix up Jennifer Jason Leigh and Lee Thompson ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/26 "2012-03-07T15:32:37Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I can’t keep it straight which one is Ben Stiller and which one is Ben Affleck. Neither can act much, IMO, and they kind of, sort of look the same. Well they are both white. ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/27 "2012-03-07T15:36:23Z")
My wife and I were relatively new to the World Wide Web at the time radio and TV newscasts were talking about the new Israeli Prime Minister. To this day, we still call him “Net and Yahoo.” ---
**Author:** ![bunnymom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@bunnymom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunnymom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/28 "2012-03-07T15:43:36Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > ??? :smack: Well, crap. I have no good excuse for messing that up except maybe the cold meds I’ve been on. ::hangs head:: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/29 "2012-03-07T15:44:11Z")
Billy Bob Thornton and Harry Dean Stanton. Two unique individuals who I cannot keep straight. Love them both, but always call one by the other’s nombre. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/30 "2012-03-07T15:56:57Z")
A former friend could never quite grok the name of that conductor, Sergio Zawa. And I can never remember the name of the actor on Third Rock from the Sun. “There’s a man on the wing of this plane!” Dr. Lizardo. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/31 "2012-03-07T15:58:30Z")
Sulpaveda. I’m never sure how it’s pronounced. I usually end up saying something that sounds like either supple velvet or super velveeta. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/32 "2012-03-07T16:12:12Z")
I have to sit and think a minute to tell Upton Sinclair from Sinclair Lewis. Likewise Jack Nichlaus and Jack Nicholson. Even [Merlin Olsen](http://people.zap2it.com/p/merlin-olsen/193977) and [Merle Oberon](http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/merle-oberon/) are tricky. Montgomery Clift and Cliff Robertson are the same person in the world between my ears, as are Richard Harris and Rex Harrison and Ellen Burstyn and Elayne Boosler and Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett. Salma Hayek famously played Frida Kahlo, but in my memory it was S **e** lma Hayek who played Frida Kahl **a**. I always have trouble with Joaquin Phoenix. I want to pronounce his first name with an -m at the end, as if it were Joaquim or Joachim. Don’t even get me started on Marcello Mastroianni. It comes out something like Mastrionanny. I can never seem remember the famous pen name of the guy who wrote _Animal Farm_ and _Nineteen Eighty-Four_ (George Orwell), but for some reason I never have trouble remembering his obscure real name (Eric Blair). I have a lot of trouble with certain surnames that I don’t know if there’s an S at the end or not. Is it Sally Field or Sally Fields? James Wood or James Woods? Peter Seller or Peter Sellers? Bob Hoskin or Bob Hoskins? Roger Water or Roger Waters? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/33 "2012-03-07T16:16:42Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > For the life of me, I cannot pronounce Pedro Almodovar’s name, it always comes out “Pedro I’m a Dove Bar.” I always want it to be Aldomovar. Then there’s [Meshell Nagadoccio.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meshell_Ndegeocello) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/34 "2012-03-07T17:52:14Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Sulpaveda. I’m never sure how it’s pronounced. I usually end up saying something that sounds like either supple velvet or super velveeta. If it’s the Spanish name it’s Sepulveda. I always have to speak of Alejandro Amenabar as “the Thesis guy, damnit.” I had to google “tesis pelicula” so I could write his name here… :smack: self. My brain insists in thinking he’s Almodovar’s cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/35 "2012-03-07T17:53:53Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > I have a lot of trouble with certain surnames that I don’t know if there’s an S at the end or not. Is it Sally Field or Sally Fields? James Wood or James Woods? Peter Seller or Peter Sellers? Bob Hoskin or Bob Hoskins? Roger Water or Roger Waters? Same here. And I can never remember if it’s Kathy Griffin or Kathy Griffith. And though it’s not a person, can’t recall if it’s Sex and the City or Sex in the City. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/36 "2012-03-07T17:59:50Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > If it’s the Spanish name it’s Sepulveda. Yah that’s the one, slippery vittles. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/37 "2012-03-07T18:37:58Z")
Then there’s the Mesoamerican deity Coaxial Cable (Quetzalcoatl). ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/38 "2012-03-07T19:21:15Z")
**Deepak Chopra** will always be **Deep Dark Chocolate** to me thanks to a misunderstood phone conversation years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/39 "2012-03-07T19:26:05Z")
When I was a kid I thought the hero of Miguel de Cervantes’ story was his donkey, “Hotee.” ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999/40 "2012-03-07T20:29:55Z")
> [@Mooch](#): > > **Deepak Chopra** will always be **Deep Dark Chocolate** to me thanks to a misunderstood phone conversation years ago. I believe that’s how he prefers to be addressed, so you’re good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-that-your-brain-just-refuses-to-get-right/614999.md?page=3)