# It's Santa CLAUS **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2014, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019 "2014-12-12T11:55:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/1 "2014-12-12T11:55:51Z")
Not just “Santa”. Yes, I know I sound like a crotchety old coot, and language evolves, yadda yadda. But it sounds dumb to me without the “Claus”, and besides: what do kids today think Santa’s wife’s name is? ---
**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:** [December 12, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/2 "2014-12-12T12:44:45Z")
I was just having a conversation about this with Cher and Pele. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/3 "2014-12-12T12:46:27Z")
I thought you would be complaining about it being spelled Clause. But just Santa? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/4 "2014-12-12T12:55:17Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I thought you would be complaining about it being spelled Clause. You can’t fool me. There ain’t no Sanity Clause! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/5 "2014-12-12T12:56:00Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Not just “Santa”. I’ll be sure never to refer to you just by your first name then. > [@Ludovic](#): > > I thought you would be complaining about it being spelled Clause. [The late great **Polycarp** already took care of that.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=399123) ---
**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:** [December 12, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/6 "2014-12-12T12:56:26Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Not just “Santa”. > > Yes, I know I sound like a crotchety old coot, and language evolves, yadda yadda. But it sounds dumb to me without the “Claus”, and besides: what do kids today think Santa’s wife’s name is? Santa Anna, of course. Or maybe Santa Clara. You know – like Anna Clara Claus ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/7 "2014-12-12T13:15:53Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > You can’t fool me. There ain’t no Sanity Clause! Sandy. Not sanity. Sandy clause. Be sure to have your agent correct it in your policy. What with global warming, wind blown grit is going to be a problem and you want to make sure you have coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/8 "2014-12-12T14:03:15Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > You can’t fool me. There ain’t no Sanity Clause! Sure there is. It is the next sequel in the Tim Allen Santa Clause movies. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/9 "2014-12-12T14:08:50Z")
Santa is a title. If in context it is clear which Santa you are referring to, you can omit the name. Captain Kirk. If you’re on the Enterprise, it’s o.k. to say “The Captain is sure sexy.” Nobody’s going to say “What? Who? Wait, you mean Captain _Kirk_???” “Santa left presents under the tree!” Nobody is going to say “Gee, that’s nice. When he laid siege to the Alamo he seemed like such a dick!” ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/10 "2014-12-12T14:10:35Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I was just having a conversation about this with Cher and Pele. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/11 "2014-12-12T14:14:23Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Not just “Santa”. > > Yes, I know I sound like a crotchety old coot, and language evolves, yadda yadda. But it sounds dumb to me without the “Claus”, and besides: what do kids today think Santa’s wife’s name is? I haven’t taken a poll but I’ma guess the answers would be split between Mrs. Claus and Mrs. Santa. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/12 "2014-12-12T14:29:33Z")
Edith? ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/13 "2014-12-12T14:35:19Z")
It’s Klaus, because it’s German! Which means it should be Weihnachtsmann, so get it right! ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/14 "2014-12-12T15:03:18Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > “Santa left presents under the tree!” > Nobody is going to say “Gee, that’s nice. When he laid siege to the Alamo he seemed like such a dick!” Oh, I know there’s no amiguity in context if people just say “Santa”, which is a great linguistic explanation for why it is happening. I just don’t like how it sounds–to me, the “Claus” is, somehow, where the warmth of the name resides. But that may well just be me. I also tend to like the older Xmas tunes from Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Brenda Lee, etc. (It’s not that I’m that old: those were all released way before I was born.) One that comes to mind is “Here comes Santa Claus”. Do the kids these days listen to those songs? (Mine do, because I play them, but YKWIM.) Do they even know there is/was a “Claus” appended to the name? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/15 "2014-12-12T15:08:49Z")
The War on Claus ™ has begun. These slackabouts are robbing all meaning from our secular traditions. Next time you see someone on the street, greet them with a hearty HOHOHO and say “May Santa Claus be with you. He is the reason for the season.” Post this on Facebook if you agree. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/16 "2014-12-12T15:09:17Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Do they even know there is/was a “Claus” appended to the name? When people say “Jesus”, do you wonder if they mean their gardener, Mr. Garcia or that Christ fella? I imagine that in both these cases, the context would give it away. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/17 "2014-12-12T15:10:10Z")
It’s spelled S-A-N-T-A, but it’s [pronounced ‘Santy’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-TGnBOZj1U). ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/18 "2014-12-12T15:11:26Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > to me, the “Claus” is, somehow, where the warmth of the name resides. Yes. Just as with Claus Von Bulow and Klaus Barbie. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/19 "2014-12-12T15:19:58Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Yes. Just as with Claus Von Bulow and Klaus Barbie. **Little Girl:** _Mom!_ I wanted a _Malibu_ Barbie for Christmas! **Mom:** Malibu Barbie doll, [Klaus Barbie doll](http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs37/i/2008/260/a/e/Nazi_Ken_by_georgshadow.jpg)… You got your doll! ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019/20 "2014-12-12T15:31:11Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The War on Claus ™ has begun. These slackabouts are robbing all meaning from our secular traditions. > > Next time you see someone on the street, greet them with a hearty HOHOHO and say “May Santa Claus be with you. He is the reason for the season.” > > Post this on Facebook if you agree. LOL, nice one. My Facebook feed is serenely free of such spam, but I get the joke because my wife has some right wing relatives and she shows me these things sometimes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-santa-claus/707019.md?page=2)