# "House" = "Holmes"? Any other shows with such titles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007 "2007-04-06T17:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/1 "2007-04-06T17:35:10Z")
It’s no big secret that Dr. Gregory House (along with elements of the show) is modelled on Sherlock Holmes. Thus the pun, if that’s what it is, connects with the viewer at some level, even if it’s not totally conscious. I will admit that it took a while for me to get the point; I may have even read it somewhere before it dawned on me. This is not so much about how slow we may have been on the uptake as much as it is a search for other such title subtleties. What other shows or even movie titles are puns of this sort? ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/2 "2007-04-06T21:59:44Z")
Ever since I read that House was patterned after Sherlock Holmes, I wondered the same thing–if “house” chosen as his name because Sherlock’s names sounds like “homes.” I’d never heard anyone else make that point before, though, so I wasn’t really sure. Now at least I know that I’m not the only one who believes it! ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/3 "2007-04-06T22:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=Chanteuse] Ever since I read that House was patterned after Sherlock Holmes, I wondered the same thing–if “house” chosen as his name because Sherlock’s names sounds like “homes.” I’d never heard anyone else make that point before, though, so I wasn’t really sure. Now at least I know that I’m not the only one who believes it! [/QUOTE] Oh, it’s true. I don’t have a cite handy, but Bryan Singer, the show’s producer, has come right out and said it on several occasions. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/4 "2007-04-06T22:07:55Z")
In one episode, House’s home address was shown to be 221B, by the way… ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/5 "2007-04-06T22:10:06Z")
:smack: Wow. And House is a vicodin addict, Holmes was a coke and tobacco addict. And on and on. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/6 "2007-04-06T22:23:28Z")
\*\*[The Icicle Thief\*\*](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097702/) (_Ladri di saponette_) was a reference and a pun on **The Bicycle Thief** (_Ladri di Biciclette_). The pun didn’t translate directly (the Italian means “The Soap Thieves”), but the English title does match pretty neatly. So you have one film that does what you’ve asked about in two languages. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/7 "2007-04-06T22:29:55Z")
It’s way off in another realm of wordplay, and it’s been a while since I noticed it cropping up, but the old TV detectives had some rather obvious names: Peter Gunn, Mike Hammer, Shaft, etc., which had some “below-the-belt” overtones. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/8 "2007-04-06T23:19:15Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] \*\*[The Icicle Thief\*\*](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097702/) (_Ladri di saponette_) was a reference and a pun on **The Bicycle Thief** (_Ladri di Biciclette_). The pun didn’t translate directly (the Italian means “The Soap Thieves”), but the English title does match pretty neatly. So you have one film that does what you’ve asked about in two languages. [/QUOTE] Wow. Nicely conceived, RealityChuck. That’s a very good one. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/9 "2007-04-06T23:28:22Z")
The title (and intro sequence) to Robot Chicken is a reference to “A Clockwork Orange”, and the show is arguably about as odd as a robot chicken would be. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/10 "2007-04-07T00:23:54Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] :smack: Wow. And House is a vicodin addict, Holmes was a coke and tobacco addict. And on and on. [/QUOTE] House’s friend Wilson vs. Holmes’ friend Watson. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/11 "2007-04-07T03:02:29Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] House’s friend Wilson vs. Holmes’ friend Watson. [/QUOTE] And House plays piano (instead of violin). ---
**Author:** ![Faminista](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4af34b/32.png) [@Faminista](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faminista)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/12 "2007-04-07T10:00:53Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] And House plays piano (instead of violin). [/QUOTE] And House is also a guy, just like Holmes’ is. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/13 "2007-04-07T10:35:31Z")
…and both carrry sticks ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/14 "2007-04-07T12:26:43Z")
Rosemary’s Baby is obviously a tribute to Mary’s Baby. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/15 "2007-04-07T14:03:11Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Rosemary’s Baby is obviously a tribute to Mary’s Baby. [/QUOTE] That’s the spirit of the thread! And I hadn’t noticed it before just now. Duh! This just popped into my mind, and I recognize it as idiotic if not anachronistic, but what if somebody involved in naming Damien from _The Omen_ foresaw “Da Man”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/16 "2007-04-07T14:13:42Z")
Not a title, but it only recently dawned on me that the movie **Donnie Darko** … …which features a malipulative, malevolent-looking giant rabbit, includes a song by Echo and the **Bunnymen** in its soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/17 "2007-04-07T17:38:20Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Not a title, but it only recently dawned on me that the movie **Donnie Darko** … …which features a malipulative, malevolent-looking giant rabbit, includes a song by Echo and the **Bunnymen** in its soundtrack. [/QUOTE] I’ve considered watching **Harvey** to see if it bore any similarities to **Donnie Darko** , to be honest. The title of the show **Grey’s Anatomy** is something of a pun on a textbook widely used by medical students in the US, _Gray’s Anatomy_. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/18 "2007-04-07T20:29:53Z")
Lois & Clark/Lewis & Clark - Not a literary work, but certainly both pairs were on journeys of exploration. Everybody Hates Chris/Everybody Loves Raymond Andy Barker, PI/Magnum PI (This one is a bit of a stretch) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/19 "2007-04-07T21:30:07Z")
There was a short-lived sitcom a while back involving some “Seinfeld” people. In order to indicate that it was like “Seinfeld” without mentioning the name, they called it “It’s Like, You Know.” Not a pun, but a bit of a hidden reference. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990581,00.html?promoid=googlep](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990581,00.html?promoid=googlep) ---
**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:** [April 7, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007/20 "2007-04-07T22:42:16Z")
This doesn’t refer to another movie, but it is a punning reference to the movie’s star: **[Where There’s Life](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039982/)** It stars Bob Hope. Silent comedies often had titles that referred to films they were parodying. For instance, Buster Keaton’s **[One Week](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011541/)** was a parody title of **[Three Weeks](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004698/)** (the press material called it “one third as passionate”). Laurel and Hardy’s **[A Chump at Oxford](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032339/)** was a play on **[A Yank at Oxford](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030989/)** The Three Stooge’s **[Men in Black](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025488/)** (“Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard”) was a parody of **[Men in White](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025489/)**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-holmes-any-other-shows-with-such-titles/399007.md?page=2)