# Omar **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2010, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415 "2010-07-03T12:16:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/81 "2010-07-06T22:29:01Z")
A dude I know named Omar. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/82 "2010-07-06T22:37:44Z")
…the tent maker! ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/83 "2010-07-07T03:50:31Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > See Posts #32 and #57. Oops! Saw Omar Moreno in post #31, but somehow missed Vizquel in the one right after it. It still surprises me that only one post out of 82 mentioned him (post #57 is a recap). ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/84 "2010-07-07T06:42:44Z")
I guess I’m a terrible person, because first thing I thought was ‘terrorist.’ At least the second thing I thought of was some sheikh or caliphate. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/85 "2010-07-07T13:18:03Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > Oops! Saw Omar Moreno in post #31, but somehow missed Vizquel in the one right after it. > > It still surprises me that only one post out of 82 mentioned him (post #57 is a recap). The reason I included the recap was to show that a “find on this page” search for “Vizquel” would have brought either of those two posts to light. Of course, now that you’ve mentioned Vizquel yourself, he will make the next summary of the greater-than-one-mention group. 🙂 At the rate the thread is going, top of next page will be a good place for a full recap. Way more people have an opinion on “Omar” than I would have predicted. I’m just glad that the one I started the thread for, Omar Little, is on most people’s minds. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/86 "2010-07-07T13:30:05Z")
Jamie Farr as “The Shiek” in Cannonball Run ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/87 "2010-07-07T13:51:50Z")
Omar (ben Sadek), one of the travel companions of Kara ben Nemsi in the Orient cycle (of Karl May), trying to avenge his murdered father. [German link](http://karlmay.agerth.de/wiki/index.php/Omar_Ben_Sadek) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/88 "2010-07-07T14:12:49Z")
Aside from these multiple-mentioned names from the first 86 posts ========================================= Omar Little, The Wire (19) Omar Sharif. (14) Omar Khayyam (8) “Omar the Tentmaker.” (7) General Omar Bradley comin’! (3) Omar Epps (3) Omar and the Howlers (2) Second was a cognate - the Caliph Umar. (2) # My favorite Omar: Vizquel. (2) I’m thinking we need some groupings by type where specific names are less the issue than types of names. Pets Personal acquaintances Historical figures out of the mainstream and perhaps others. The personal anecdotes have made for great reading and I have been impressed with the breadth of the responses. If you have spotted some categories beyond those I just mentioned, what could we use to summarize the posts beyond what I’ve suggested so far? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/89 "2010-07-07T14:45:42Z")
The Wire first. Second, Omar Khayyam… …[Ravenhurst](http://jubal.westnet.com/hyperdiscordia/lord_omar_biography.html). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/90 "2010-07-07T15:05:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > …[Ravenhurst](http://jubal.westnet.com/hyperdiscordia/lord_omar_biography.html). Outstanding! ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/91 "2010-07-07T15:23:37Z")
An acquaintence’s spoiled-rotten son. Quickly followed by Mr. Sharif, a figure in many of my adolescent dreams. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/92 "2010-07-07T15:34:29Z")
The character from _The Wire_. I’m guessing I’m in the majority here. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/93 "2010-07-07T15:38:04Z")
Omar Vizquel. Yeah, I’m into baseball. #2 is Omar Bradley. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/94 "2010-07-07T15:42:48Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > To many years writing crossword clues, my first thought was “Sharif or Epps.” Off topic: One of the finest crossword clues I’ve ever seen was “He shot _The Sheriff_ but he did not shoot _The Deputy_.” The answer was DAVIDRICH – who was the Director of the 1971 movie _The SHeriff_ (starring Ossie Davis) but not the 1959 movie _The Deputy_. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/95 "2010-07-07T18:41:05Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Outstanding! (Strangely, I’m serious–and it’s a little embarrassing that I thought of Mr. Ravenhurst before thinking of Omar Khayyam). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/96 "2010-07-07T19:29:09Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > (Strangely, I’m serious–and it’s a little embarrassing that I thought of Mr. Ravenhurst before thinking of Omar Khayyam). Yes. I can see how you would. Before _The Wire_ I could imagine myself thinking of Sharif, Bradley, Epps or Khayyam more or less at random depending on what else was going on at the moment the question was asked. But Omar Little is so much in my consciousness these days, while I’m in the midst of watching all five seasons of the show, and while I’m marveling at the way this character tends to dominate the other characters in the show, that his face hops out at the mention of the name Omar. Omar _fits_ him! But having read that link, I could imagine moving Ravenhurst up a notch or two. Maybe not over Little, but probably on equal footing witrh those other four I named. I’m also more likely to think of Tentmaker nowadays! ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/97 "2010-07-07T20:11:18Z")
1. Sharif. Don’t like it. Rock the Casbah. 1. Bradley ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/98 "2010-07-08T19:24:50Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Without looking any further, before seeing what others may have said, what’s the first thing to pop into your mind when you think of “Omar”? Omar Shariff. For some reason, also, Akbar & Jeff. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/99 "2010-07-08T19:29:50Z")
Omar Little for me too. I’ve watched all of _The Wire_ at least three times over. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415/100 "2010-07-08T19:30:31Z")
I might as well ask in this thread, is/was the name Omar common in the US? It strikes me as a tad strange that a US General of his generation was called Omar Bradley. Any story behind him name, was it a family name? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omar/545415.md?page=6)