# Ficitional Characters whose influence far exceeds that of the work they are part of.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663 "2008-10-19T21:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/21 "2008-10-20T14:20:14Z")
Does anyone still read the children’s book, [Little Lord Fauntleroy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Lord_Fauntleroy)? From the manner in which the name of the title character is used as an epithet, one might forget that the original depiction was positive. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/22 "2008-10-20T14:38:30Z")
A plot device rather than a character, but the Protocols of the Elders of Zion came from some crappy French novel. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/23 "2008-10-20T14:40:26Z")
Syphilus, the shepherd in the epic poem by [Girolamo Fracastoro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Fracastoro). > [@](#): > > The protagonist of the poem is a shepherd named Syphilus (perhaps a variant spelling of Sipylus, a character in Ovid’s Metamorphoses). Syphilus is presented as the first man to contract the disease, sent by the god Apollo as punishment for the defiance that Syphilus and his followers had shown him. From this character Fracastoro derived a new name for the disease, which he also used in his medical text De Contagionibus (“On Contagious Diseases”) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/24 "2008-10-20T14:53:11Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Erm, people, I think some of you are misunderstanding the question. > > The question is about fictional characters whose names have become part of everyday speech, while the work they appeared in is not well known to the public. Citing things like Batman, James Bond and Sherlock Holmes doesn’t count, because it IS the works that are well known. Even if versions by other writers are more famous that the original writer, it’s still the works themselves that are well known. No shit, Sherlock. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/25 "2008-10-20T15:01:17Z")
I nominate Topsy, Trilby, and Fedora. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/26 "2008-10-20T15:01:39Z")
BTW, I disagree with the premise of the OP re the claimed obscurity of Walter Mitty. I have in fact read the original short story, plus there is a rather famous film inspired by it. One of Danny Kaye’s best, in fact. I think that a sizeable percentage of people will have seen the movie, or at least clips of it, and still quite a few will have seen the original story. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/27 "2008-10-22T13:02:37Z")
Big Brother, from 1984. From ‘Big Brother’ the TV series to phrases such as ‘Big Brother database’, this has become even more of an everyday phrase than anything previously mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/28 "2008-10-22T14:56:07Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > \*Former(?) SDMB member Eve Golden’s excellent biography of Bara, _Vamp: The Rise and Fall of Theda Bara_, presents a good case for the term “vamp” having originated as a nickname for Bara. Her character in _A Fool There Was_ is credited as “The Vampire”. Just a quick “Me, too” endorsement for this book. It’s an outstandingly researched and fascinating look at Bara. I recommend it highly. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/29 "2008-10-22T15:03:22Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > BTW, I disagree with the premise of the OP re the claimed obscurity of Walter Mitty. I have in fact read the original short story, plus there is a rather famous film inspired by it. One of Danny Kaye’s best, in fact. I think that a sizeable percentage of people will have seen the movie, or at least clips of it, and still quite a few will have seen the original story. But note that the film is _very_ different from the short story. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/30 "2008-10-22T15:17:28Z")
I disagree that the short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is still as well known as the titular character. On gun-oriented discussion boards there is an endless stream of “Which gun for \_\_\_\_” threads. When \_\_\_\_\_ is something too fanciful or bizarre, I frequently reply with > [@](#): > > The only gun suitable for such use is the Webley-Vickers 50.80 Nobody _ever_ gets it. Ta-pocketa-pocketa, all. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/31 "2008-10-22T15:20:10Z")
**Harlequin** , **Scaramouche** and **Pantalone** were standard characters in the improvised [Commedia dell’Arte](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commedia_del_Arte) dating back to 16th century Italy. Pantalone was identified by his long-tight-fitting trousers, eventually leading to the word “pants”. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/32 "2008-10-22T15:25:02Z")
**Doctor Doolittle**? I’ve never seen the movie/read the book yet I recognize the reference. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/33 "2008-10-22T15:31:49Z")
Does it count if a derived work is well-known? Most people have seen the Disney versions of Mary Poppins and Peter Pan, but very few will have read the books in which the characters were introduced. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/34 "2008-10-22T15:41:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Former(?) SDMB member Eve Golden’s excellent biography of Bara, Vamp: The Rise and Fall of Theda Bara, presents a good case for the term “vamp” having originated as a nickname for Bara. Her character in A Fool There Was is credited as “The Vampire”. It’s worth mentioning that “A Fool There Was” is a recurring line in the poem “The Vampire” by Rudyard Kipling, and if one took one’s cue for the script from that poem, it’s not at al surprising that you’d have a character called “The Vampire”. The contribution of this film would be the shortening of it to “The Vamp”. [http://www.vampgirl.com/poetry-kipling.html](http://www.vampgirl.com/poetry-kipling.html) … ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/35 "2008-10-22T15:47:10Z")
The original Mentor from _The Odyssey_ and Greek mythology. It’s well known, of course, but I’d bet most people don’t mentally associate “mentorship” with the character. Echidnas (spiny anteaters) and arachnids are propbably better known than the mythological characters they’re named after, Echidna and Arachne. Same for narcissism and Narcissus, hermaphroditism and Hermaphroditus, etc. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/36 "2008-10-22T15:52:58Z")
Also, calliope and Calliope, and panic and Pan. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/37 "2008-10-22T18:20:00Z")
How about “Jeckyll & Hyde”? How many people have actually read the original story - compared to the amount of folks who are more familiar with the Tweety Bird parody? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/38 "2008-10-22T18:20:23Z")
Last week I was reading an article about the novel _Lolita_ (it’s the 50th anniversary of its American publication) and the writer pointed out that while everyone’s heard of Lolita, very few people know anything about the actual character. Including her real name, which was Dolores. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/39 "2008-10-22T18:32:54Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > How about “Jeckyll & Hyde”? How many people have actually read the original story - compared to the amount of folks who are more familiar with the Tweety Bird parody? On that note, I imagine it’s only a matter of time before “Kill the Wabbit!” becomes more well known as the name of Ride of the Valkyries than the actual title. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ficitional-characters-whose-influence-far-exceeds-that-of-the-work-they-are-part-of/468663/40 "2008-10-22T19:33:51Z")
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