# Sock monkey = herkomer

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 12, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123 "2013-05-12T03:11:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123/1 "2013-05-12T03:11:19Z")

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I’m keeping the grandkids this weekend. I was at the store getting some kid friendly snacks and grabbed a small sock monkey on a lark thinking they would like it. About the time I was checking out an elderly woman behind me was admiring it and remarked that when she was a child these things were referred to as herkomers (sp?). The check out lady chimed in that she did as well.

At home I googled herkomer + sock monkey and got nothing. Has anyone here hear heard sock monkeys referred to a herkomers?

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123/2 "2013-05-12T03:26:04Z")

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No, but Herkomer made one of the finest defensive vehicles of all time, the Herkomer Battle Jitney.

Actually, it looks like it’s Herkimer, not Herkomer.

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**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123/3 "2013-05-12T04:45:29Z")

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> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> No, but Herkomer made one of the finest defensive vehicles of all time, the Herkomer Battle Jitney.

And completely non-lethal.

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**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123/4 "2013-05-12T04:56:07Z")

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In fairness, so are most sock monkeys.

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sock-monkey-herkomer/658123/5 "2013-05-12T13:04:50Z")

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She may have been remembering [Herkimer the Homely Doll](http://m.mp3bear.com/holloway-sterling-herkimer-the-homely-doll) from watching Captain Kangaroo.