# names of female characters in Bond movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 1999, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033 "1999-11-19T23:34:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 1999, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/1 "1999-11-19T23:34:00Z")
In particular, Goldfinger. The heroine’s name is (ahem) Pussy Galore. Did her first name have the same common (vulgar) meaning in 1964 as it does today? * * * La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit. H. de Livry ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 1999, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/2 "1999-11-19T23:43:00Z")
Yes, it certainly did. ## I enjoy the Bond movies but I always found the names a little too much. More appropriate to Austin Powers, really, and they are always very noticeable in parodies. It’d be okay if they were only onscreen for one scene but to have to call someone “Pussy” over and over again is just embarassing. “Vandelay!! Say Vandelay!!” ---
**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 1999, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/3 "1999-11-19T23:47:00Z")
of course. * * * We live in an age that reads to much to be wise, and thinks too much to be beautiful–Oscar Wilde ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 1999, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/4 "1999-11-19T23:48:00Z")
I don’t know…I always thought it was kind of cute the way Sean Connery would say “Poosey.” ---
**Author:** ![heretic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/46a35a/32.png) [@heretic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heretic)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/5 "1999-11-20T00:08:00Z")
Much more appropriate to Austin Powers? GrrrrrrrAUUUUGHHHH. Or something. Try to think about the order in which the two came into being, and something of what the creators of Austin Powers were thinking while they were so doing. Sheesh. ben ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/6 "1999-11-20T00:43:00Z")
What does the order the two came into being have to do with it, heretic? I think the point was, Austin Powers is a total parody; James Bond was a bit of a self-parody. Self-parody can be fun but sometimes it is too much. I think that was the opinion being suppressed. I personally don’t really like self-parody and thus don’t really like James Bond. I prefer straight forward parodies. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/7 "1999-11-20T00:59:00Z")
I wasn’t trying to imply that the Austin Powers movies came up with the idea – just that the “dirty” names match more closely the general tenor of bathroom and/or sexual humor in the Mike Myers films. It just seems to me that although the sexy good/bad girls and the wry humor and the erotic title sequences all fit the tone of the Bond movies, the frankly childish “potty mouth” female character names (Plenty O’Toole?) seem crude in comparison. There is a certain pretence of sophistication in the films which is punctured by the descent into pre-adolescent humor. ## I know, I know, it isn’t Cubby Broccoli’s fault – the names were already there in the Fleming novels – but they don’t have to make such a big deal out of them. “Vandelay!! Say Vandelay!!” ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/8 "1999-11-20T01:11:00Z")
From IMDB, two fun facts about Pussy: Pussy Galore introduces herself to Bond, who replies “I must be dreaming.” The original script had Bond replying “I know you are, but what’s your name?” This was deemed too suggestive. In the novel, Pussy Galore is a lesbian, which is why she gives Bond the cold shoulder to start with. * * * Back off, man. I’m a scientist. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/9 "1999-11-20T01:16:00Z")
The obligatorily beautiful scientist in the film _Moonraker_ was named “Holly Goodhead”. And let us not forget _Octopussy_, which is another name coined by Ian Fleming. In the new film, the obligatorily beautiful scientist is “Christmas Jones”. Not offensive, but still kinda silly. * * * Fighting my own ignorance since 1957. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/10 "1999-11-20T04:44:00Z")
Ian Fleming made up plenty of crude childish sexual jokes, when naming his female characters. However, in the short story “Octopussy,” the title referred to a genuine 8-legged octopus. There was no girl in the story at all. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 1999, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/11 "1999-11-20T11:16:00Z")
I saw The World Is Not Enough last night, pretty good. As for one of the cracks Brosnan made last night… Christmas only comes once a year… I always liked Tiffany Case. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 1999, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/12 "1999-11-23T06:24:00Z")
Thank you for the information. I always thought it a little strange that a major studio american film (in 1964!) would give one of the main characters a name synonymous with “vagina”. I know it’s in the novel, but I would have expected a Hollywood screenwriter to change the name. * * * La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit. H. de Livry ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 1999, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/13 "1999-11-22T19:25:00Z")
What was the Bond Girl’s name in Goldeneye? I don’t remember. I do, however, remember the name of a woman Bond meets early in the film. She’s Anna Onnatop. 🙂 * * * “I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 1999, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/14 "1999-11-22T20:42:00Z")
Honor Blackman (who played Pussy Galore) also played Cathy Gale in _The Avengers_. (She was the predecessor to Diana Rigg.) Shortly after _Goldfinger_ was released, there was an episode where Steed mentions getting a letter from Gale and wonders what she is doing in Fort Knox. There is also an episode of _The New Avengers_ in which Steed and Gambit solve a problem by releasing hundreds of cats into a room. The two step in and look around and Gambit says “pussy” to which Steed replies “galore!”. * * * “Drink your coffee! Remember, there are people sleeping in China.” Dennis Matheson — [dennis@mountaindiver.com](mailto:dennis@mountaindiver.com) Hike, Dive, Ski, Climb — [www.mountaindiver.com](http://www.mountaindiver.com) ---
**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:** [November 23, 1999, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/15 "1999-11-23T04:47:00Z")
You ought to know that in the Star Trek: DS9 takeoff on the James Bond series (“Our Man Bashir”), the female characters’ names were Colonel Anastasia Komananoff and Professor Honey Bare. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 1999, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/16 "1999-11-24T01:15:00Z")
This doesn’t really have much to do with the topic at hand, but I can’t resist. There’s an Asian restaurant near where I live called “Panda West.” I always thought that sounded more like a Bond girl’s name than a restaurant. * * * The Dave-Guy “since my daughter’s only half-Jewish, can she go in up to her knees?” J.H. Marx ---
**Author:** ![MAEDBH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed8c4c/32.png) [@MAEDBH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MAEDBH)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 1999, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/17 "1999-11-24T13:48:00Z")
FUNNEEFARMER…pls don’t give the lines away it’s not released here for another 2 days! All of you should remember that Plenty O’Toole was named after her father of course…no harm in that… ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 1999, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/18 "1999-11-24T22:25:00Z")
My apologies, should’ve claimed spoiler ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 1999, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/19 "1999-11-28T06:15:00Z")
Diceman - nearly - it was Xenia Onatopp Some other names… Honey Ryder (Dr No) Sylvia Trench (Dr No) Kissy Suzuki (You Only Live Twice) Plenty O’Toole (Diamonds Are Forever) Tiffany Case (Diamonds Are Forever) Mary Goodnight (The Man With The Golden Gun) Holly Goodnight (Moonraker) Fatima Blush (Never Say Never Again) Molly Warmflash (The World Is Not Enough) ## The tacky character names are now as much a Bond tradition as the semi-porn opening credits. [X marks the spot] ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 1999, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033/20 "1999-11-29T14:46:00Z")
Diceman–the bad Bond Girl in “GoldenEye” was Xenia Onatop; the good girl was Natalya Simonova. “Goldfinger” did play down Pussy’s lesbianism, but it’s still there. When Bond first tries his sex appeal on her, she tells him “your charms are lost on me.” Pussy’s pilots are all women and, according to Ms. Galore, are equally resistant to Bond’s charms. Finally, when Bond is told that PG was the one who narked on Goldfinger, his smart-ass reply is, “I must have appealed to her maternal instincts.” “Austin Powers” did pay homage to Pussy Galore, with the character Alotta Fagina. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-female-characters-in-bond-movies/5033.md?page=2)