# Star Trek TOS question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549 "2009-05-06T15:56:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/21 "2009-05-06T22:14:53Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Actually, Sulu didn’t even have a first name in the original series. Vonda McIntyre gave him the name “Hikaru” in the novel “The Entropy Effect.” And it wasn’t spoken on-screen until Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. So it’s one of the few things from the novels that have made it into official canon. But you’re right, it could also be Starfleet tradition. Scotty never called McCoy “Leonard” or “Bones” even though they’re supposed to be drinking buddies off-duty. I know about the origins of Hikaru. McIntyre was clearly in love with Sulu and wrote him well. Hell, I’d pay good money to read the adventures of Mandala Flynn and Captain Hunter. > [@](#): > > As for TNG, different century. Maybe the culture of Starfleet changed in that regard. It was common for Picard to call Riker “Will.” Or maybe it was the culture of the particular group of officers on the Enterprise-D. There were families on the “D,” so maybe things on board were just generally more relaxed despite Picard’s reputation for sternness. I don’t remember Picard COMMONLY calling Riker by his first name. It was an occasional thing: generally in a “Dude, I’m about to send you on an away mission that has a really good chance of getting you raped, eaten,and murdered, unfortunately in that order.” And generally it was in the privacy of the ready room. But as for the rest, you’re right, at least for characters of approximately the same place in the hierarchy. Crusher Sr. & Riker were “Will” and “Beverly” off-duty. Riker and Troi probably used first names most of the time. Data & Worf clearly don’t count. And everybody called LaForge Geordi – even his junior engineeringstaff, , which I thoguht was a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/22 "2009-05-07T18:08:48Z")
Thank you for answering my unasked (implied) question as well as the one I asked.😃 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/23 "2009-05-07T20:50:32Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > In short, continuity is like the Prime Directive. We can respect it, but we don’t really have to follow it. It’s funny because it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/24 "2009-05-07T20:51:43Z")
Just blame everything on the Temporal Cold War. Crewman Daniels did it. Or a wizard. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/25 "2009-05-07T21:03:57Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > As for TNG, different century. Maybe the culture of Starfleet changed in that regard. It was common for Picard to call Riker “Will.” Or maybe it was the culture of the particular group of officers on the Enterprise-D. There were families on the “D,” so maybe things on board were just generally more relaxed despite Picard’s reputation for sternness. But Star Trek is based at least partially on the military model. (Roddenberry was an Air Force, or Army Air Corps Officer if I recall correctly.) And in the military, seniors generally refer to junior Officer by their first names, esp. on staffs. Operationally, it’s more a mixed bag, but still common. Enlisted personnel are still referred to by their rank or last name, but not Officers. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/26 "2009-05-07T22:08:08Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I don’t know that I can get too hung up on canon with TOS. Both Kirk and McCoy were mystified by where Spock’s internal organs were located, that he had mind-melding abilities, and, most famously, how he mated. The last was pretty clearly established as something Vulcans don’t like to acknowledge among themselves, much less reveal to offworlders. Their personal familiarity with Spock was irrelevant except insofar as it made Spock just barely willing to tell Kirk the truth – and that’s an argument for, rather than against, long acquaintance. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/27 "2009-05-07T22:19:36Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > that’s an argument for, rather than against, long acquaintance. No, that’s an argument for deep friendship. It argues against long acquaintance by suggesting strongly that they did now know each other 7 years prior. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/28 "2009-05-07T23:01:25Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The last was pretty clearly established as something Vulcans don’t like to acknowledge among themselves, much less reveal to offworlders. Their personal familiarity with Spock was irrelevant except insofar as it made Spock just barely willing to tell Kirk the truth – and that’s an argument for, rather than against, long acquaintance. Also, I don’t recall McCoy ever being mystified about Spock’s anatomy. He just found it amusing to make jokes about. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/29 "2009-05-07T23:09:28Z")
I seem to remember him being surprised that his heart is where a human liver is. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/30 "2009-05-07T23:11:06Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I seem to remember him being surprised that his heart is where a human liver is. I remember him COMPLAINING about where Spock’s heart was. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/31 "2009-05-07T23:12:17Z")
I think that McCoy’s comments on Spock’s internal anatomy have to be filtered through the knowledge that Spock’s internal anatomy (as a Vulcan-Human hybrid), may very well be unique to him. That said, I don’t remember him ever being confused, surprised, or any of that. He just took every chance he could to needle Spock about it, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/32 "2009-05-07T23:12:38Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Also, I don’t recall McCoy ever being mystified about Spock’s anatomy. He just found it amusing to make jokes about. He didn’t know about the extra eyelid from the time Spock got attacked by the scrambled eggs monster on his ass. > **[Spock is attacked by pancake (he didn't do the cooking by the book)](https://pancakewentcrazy.ytmnd.com/)** > > Spock didn't do the cooking by the book and the cake ended up crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549/33 "2009-05-07T23:22:53Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > He didn’t know about the extra eyelid from the time Spock got attacked by the scrambled eggs monster on his ass. > > [http://pancakewentcrazy.ytmnd.com/](http://pancakewentcrazy.ytmnd.com/) You know, back when I was constantly threaten to conquer the Earth and unleash radioactive bees on my enemies and force Robin Meade to deliver the news naked while skipping rope, people didn’t point out how full of shit I am quite so much. It makes me sad. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tos-question/495549.md?page=1)