# How to tell them apart (a public service) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497 "2004-08-05T19:16:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/181 "2004-08-09T07:03:41Z")
[This](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5511965298) is a “Douche Bag”, used for medicinal purposes. [This](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/1200/Events/1200/leno_jay6?path=pgallery&path_key=Leno,%20Jay) is a “douchebag”, used for publicity purposes. (I’m sorry. I know that was wrong, but I really doubt Jay gives a toss about my opinion) ---
**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:** [August 9, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/182 "2004-08-09T12:40:26Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] **The Invisible Man** is a science fiction novel by British author H. G. Wells. **Invisible Man** is a novel (not science fiction) by American author Ralph Ellison (not to be confused with Harlan Ellison, who _has_ written science fiction). [QUOTE] **Memoirs of an Invisible Man** –Astonishing good first (and so far only) novel by H.F. Saint. Currently out-of-print. If you find a copy, buy it. Andrew Lloyd Webber–not the composer of, or in anyway involved with **Les Miserable.** Schoenberg & Boublil–Composers of the afore mentioned **Les Mis** , along with **Miss Saigon** , and **Martin Guerre.**. Butts of the joke that "S&B can’t write a good musical starting with the letter “M.” ---
**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:** [August 9, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/183 "2004-08-09T12:50:20Z")
**Alec Baldwin** – actor, “Hunt for Red October,” Married to Kim Bassinger **William Baldwin** – actor, his brother, “Backdraft” **Stephen Baldwin** – actor, their brother, “Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas” **Daniel Baldwin** – actor, their brother, “Homicide: Life on the Streets” **Joseph Baldwin** – actor, their cousin, nothing of note. **Adam Baldwin** – actor, no relation, “Firefly” **Stanley Baldwin** – British Prime Minister, no relation. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/184 "2004-08-09T12:56:08Z")
Barry White: Black Jack Black: White ---
**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:** [August 9, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/185 "2004-08-09T12:57:48Z")
**Memoirs of an Invisible Man** - Average film starring Chevvy Chase. Not actually bad, but far from great. Follows the novel fairly closely, at least better than most movie adaptations do. Not as good as the novel. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/186 "2004-08-09T12:58:28Z")
**Loudon Wainwright** Life magazine photographer, grandfather of **Loudon Wainwright III** –damn good folk singer who made three appearances on the TV show M_A_S\*H and father of \*\*Rufus Wainwright{/b]–son of III & folk singer Kate McGarrigle, achieving fame in his own right. **Loudon Wainwright II** –The only thing I know about him is I rang up a purchase on his credit card once while working in a store. I recognized the name, but was too shy to say anything. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/187 "2004-08-09T13:43:00Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > **Sherlock Holmes** the great detective. > **John Holmes** the big man. > **Larry Holmes** the heavyweight boxer. > **Katie Holmes** “Dawson’s Creek” actress. Not a heavyweight in any sense of the word. > **Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.** celebrated physician and professor of anatomy and physiology at Harvard. > **Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.** heavyweight jurist, a member of the United States Supreme Court for over 30 years. > **Rupert Holmes** successful playwright. > **Basil Rathbone** the classic Holmes. > **Jeremy Brett** the best Holmes.\*\* **H.H. Holmes** : United States serial killer circa 1893. And to add to that George Michael a few posts up: **George Michael** : Only son of Michael Bluth on _Arrested Development_. Attracted to his cousin, Maebe. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/188 "2004-08-09T13:55:28Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **Loudon Wainwright** Life magazine photographer, grandfather of > **Loudon Wainwright III** –damn good folk singer who made three appearances on the TV show M_A_S\*H and father of > \*\*Rufus Wainwright{/b]–son of III & folk singer Kate McGarrigle, achieving fame in his own right. > **Loudon Wainwright II** –The only thing I know about him is I rang up a purchase on his credit card once while working in a store. I recognized the name, but was too shy to say anything. **Correction** : Loudon Wainwright II was the Life magazine editor (not photographer). Loudon Wainwright worked in insurance. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/189 "2004-08-09T15:16:01Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **Flik-Flak** : Swiss watch for children. Also an extinct brand of cornflakes (!) made by the Freia chocolate company (!) for the Norwegian market. **Pidgin:** A communication system created by simplifying one or more languages, which comes about when two groups with no language in common come into contact, for instance as traders. These can become quite complex, like Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea, but are not quite full languages. **Creole:** A fully developed language that emerges when children begin to learn a pidgin as their first “language”. **Kristiansand:** small coastal city near the southern tip of Norway. **Kristiansund:** small coastal city in central Norway **Kristiania:** (also Christiania) former name for Oslo As you may guess, there’s a king behind all these names who was rather fond of himself… ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/190 "2004-08-09T15:53:01Z")
Jack White - Lead Singer of The White Stripes, a popular garage band. Jack Black - Actor/Singer, was in High Fidelity, and is part of the duo Tenacious D. Jack - Someone who, apparently, a lot of people don’t know. Cracker Jack - A popular snack food, people always talk about it, but rarely do they eat it. ~S&S ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/191 "2004-08-09T15:58:25Z")
A **sea lion** has a small ear flap on each side of its head. A **seal** just has a tiny opening for ears. **Seal** is a mediocre singer, who has no ear for music. :: d&r :: ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/192 "2004-08-09T16:42:11Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Selma parts her hair in the middle, while Patty does not. Also Selma’s earrings look like S’s ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/193 "2004-08-09T17:04:15Z")
\*\*Chris Cooper \*\* – actor in _Adaptation_, etc. \*\*Chris Carter \*\* – creator of _The X-Files_ \*\*Nicolas Cage \*\* – actor in _Adaptation_, etc. \*\*Luke Cage \*\* – Hero for Hire \*\*Charlie Kaufman \*\* – screenwriter, exists \*\*Donald Kaufman \*\* – screenwriter, does not exist (Guess what movie I watched last night.) ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/194 "2004-08-09T18:31:21Z")
**Libel** - False information ruining one’s reputation -_in writing_ **Slander** - False information ruining one’s reputation -_orally_ **Covert** - Secretly **Overt** - Openly ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/195 "2004-08-09T20:15:21Z")
**Excess** - More than a mouthfull **Surplus** - The other one **Beretta** - Fine Italian Firearm or POS Chevrolet **Baretta** - POS TV Series ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/196 "2004-08-09T22:30:20Z")
Generally speaking a **furry** is any anthropomorphic creature (although I’m not sure “The Brave Little Toaster” or the scrubbing bubbles count) more specifically it refers to any mammalian anthro creature (reptiles are scalies, chickens are feathers). A **furry** is also a person who enjoys any comic or cartoon featuring furries although it usually applied to people who enjoy anthro erotic comics, stories or cartoons. Confused yet? **Furry** is also applied to people who are attracted to other people who dress up in animal costumes. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/197 "2004-08-09T22:51:42Z")
> [@Tenar](#): > > You forgot **Andrew Marvell** (1621-1678), the metaphysical poet, most famous for “To His Coy Mistress.” (I always thought it was called “The Shepherd to His Coy Mistress,” but that’s not the way I keep finding it listed.) You may be thinking of [“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”](http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/shepherd/shepherd.html), by Christopher Marlowe. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/198 "2004-08-09T23:23:20Z")
[Michael George](http://www.aam.co.uk/index.htm?main%3Eperf/index.htm&pmain%3Egeorge.htm) sings in public while others play flutes. [George Michael](http://www.georgemichael.com/) sings in public and plays with the skin flute. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/199 "2004-08-09T23:24:43Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Generally speaking a **furry** is any anthropomorphic creature (although I’m not sure “The Brave Little Toaster” or the scrubbing bubbles count) They don’t. > [@](#): > > more specifically it refers to any mammalian anthro creature (reptiles are scalies, chickens are feathers). In my experience, it’s more common to include any anthropomorphic animal under furry than to segregate them like this. The only major controversies about this sort of thing since I came into the scene are whether mythological creatures count, and how ‘human’ is a character allowed to be before it stops being a furry. (I’m the more inclusive type, personally - everything from anime catgirls, to dragonmorphs, to the Redwall characters, to intelligent but otherwise naturalistic beings, counts.) Some people make a distinction, but it’s vanishingly rare. ‘Furry’ is mostly synonomous to ‘Funny Animal’ - only more inclusive. > [@](#): > > A **furry** is also a person who enjoys any comic or cartoon featuring furries although it usually applied to people who enjoy anthro erotic comics, stories or cartoons. 1. Doesn’t need to be comics or cartoons. Prose stories and storyless art count, too. 2. This is a ‘common’ ussage that would be, frankly, better to not to encourage. > [@](#): > > **Furry** is also applied to people who are attracted to other people who dress up in animal costumes. That’s the overlap between 'suiters and plushies - a subgroup of a subgroup. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497/200 "2004-08-09T23:44:19Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > **Captain Marvel (I)** [The Big Red Cheese.](http://shazam.imginc.com/WhosWho/captainmarvel.asp) > **Captain Marvel, Jr.** [His protege.](http://www.samuelsdesign.com/comics/big/cap_jr.jpg) > **Captain Mar-Vell (II)** [Marvel Comics first version.](http://www.toonopedia.com/capmarv2.jpg) > **Captain Marvel (III)** [Marvel Comics’ second permutation.](http://www.super-herois.com.br/cap_marvel2.gif) > **Captain Marvel (IV)** [Marvel Comics latest permutation.](http://image2.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/14789955855.1.GIF) > **Marvelman** [The British invasion.](http://www.comune.modena.it/glamazonia/articoli/marvelman/marvelman1.jpg) Later called _Miracleman._ > **Young Marvelman.** [His first protege.](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/6569/marvelman/marvel56.jpg) Later called _Young Miracleman_. > **Kid Marvelman** [His other protege](http://marvelman.freeservers.com/img66.gif), and later, [greatest enemy.](http://photobank.ngccoin.com/cgcgallery/miracleman%2315-9.8.jpg) Later called _Kid Miracleman._ [Captain Marvel](http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/capmarv1.htm) by MF Publishing, and that’s one MF of superhero! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-tell-them-apart-a-public-service/258497.md?page=11)