# Is "Sister Mary Elephant" A 'Play' on Anything?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 26, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485 "2010-01-26T06:07:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485/41 "2010-01-28T23:27:36Z")

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It just occured to me that Cheech and/or Chong might have had a Sister Mary Eloise. That name gets a lot of hits on Google.

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485/42 "2010-01-29T04:08:52Z")

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> [@Zweedo\_Rodriguez](#):
>
> Er, because when she shouts at the kids she is like a elephant trumpeting.
> 
> I would have thought it was pretty obvious: elephant=loud noise.

Well as much as I hate to admit it, that does make sense. I never thought that till you pointed it out though

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**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485/43 "2010-01-29T04:22:43Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> There’s also the matter that many nuns, especially the ones assigned to unruly elementary school classes, were surprisingly large and strong (especially when wielding a ruler).

We used to joke that their “connection to the Big Guy” gave them super strength - sort of like Samson 😃

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**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485/44 "2010-01-30T23:02:01Z")

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When my husband was an undergrad, the Dean of Students at his Catholic college was Sister Feury. Yep, that’s right- Sister Fury! 🆒

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sister-mary-elephant-a-play-on-anything/526485/45 "2010-02-01T14:39:05Z")

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My understanding of this was that Cheech actually knew a nun named Sister Mary Oliphant…and changed it to elephant.  
A stroke of genius.

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