# TV Wives Addressing Husbands By Last Name **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472 "2009-08-24T05:23:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/1 "2009-08-24T05:23:06Z")
I was watching _Barney Miller_ and I noticed Bernice addresses her husband as Fish and not Phil. I also notice that Trixie, from _the Honeymooners_ will address her husband as Norton, often, though she does call him Ed too. Any other TV wives that address commonly address their husbands by their last names? Any TV husband address their wives that way? ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/2 "2009-08-24T10:19:52Z")
Haven’t seen it much on TV, but I have in real life. I think it’s something southern (US) women do, sort of a term of endearment. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/3 "2009-08-24T10:35:56Z")
Not TV, but an odd example in literature is in **House of Leaves**. One of the main characters is named Will Navidson, and not only does the wife and others address that character by his last name or by a nickname version, “Navy”, but so does his own brother, who shares that last name. The brother is called by his first name, Tom. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/4 "2009-08-24T11:08:10Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > Haven’t seen it much on TV, but I have in real life. I think it’s something southern (US) women do, sort of a term of endearment. I always refer to my husband by his last name. If I use his first name, it is a Very, VERY Serious Discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/5 "2009-08-24T12:39:13Z")
Fairly common here - it’s pretty common for guys to be known by their surname or a diminutive of it amongst their mates, and some of their wives do the same. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/6 "2009-08-24T14:04:46Z")
Even after Fran and Max of **the Nanny** got married in the last season they’d sometime slip back into calling eachother “Miss Fine” and “Mr Sheffield”. Usually this happened when she did one of her zany schemes which resulted in him getting mad at her. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/7 "2009-08-24T14:24:36Z")
Well, not TV, but radio: Molly always called Fibber “McGee”. As in, “'tain’t funny, McGee.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/8 "2009-08-24T14:58:21Z")
I have a friend who we have referred to by his last name forever. When he and his wife met, he was introduced that way, and she started calling him by his last name too. She still does, most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/9 "2009-08-24T15:40:09Z")
On **Hill Street Blues** Joyce Davenport called Frank by his last name (Furillo) a great deal of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/10 "2009-08-24T18:30:25Z")
Scrubs. Carla addresses Turk as Turk, only Christopher when she’s angry or they’re having sex. “Are you mad when we’re making love, baby?” “Sometimes.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/11 "2009-08-24T18:33:43Z")
Even Susan Silverman didn’t use Spenser’s first name. Did he have one? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/12 "2009-08-24T18:50:26Z")
**Mr. Ed** and Wilbur’s first neighbors, the Addisons, did like that. Roger and Kay Addison, but she called him “Addison” or “doll.” They were old-school charming wags - like they were Nick and Nora or something. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/13 "2009-08-24T19:03:18Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Well, not TV, but radio: Molly always called Fibber “McGee”. As in, “'tain’t funny, McGee.” Now how could I forget that one - LOL, I just LOVES dat man… (oops wrong character)… Yeah feel free to throw in any other example from movies, OTR or books ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/14 "2009-08-24T19:41:57Z")
Do neighbors count? Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor’s neighbor Wilson had only half a face and no first name. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/15 "2009-08-24T20:09:50Z")
No, his name was Wilson Wilson, IIRC. I can’t think of any examples. \ ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/16 "2009-08-24T20:11:01Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Do neighbors count? Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor’s neighbor Wilson had only half a face and no first name. Of course he had a first name. It was [“Wilson.”](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0044497/) ---
**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:** [August 24, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/17 "2009-08-24T22:09:04Z")
Mulder and Scully continued to call each other by their last names even after they had a kid together. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/18 "2009-08-24T22:17:14Z")
Somebody already mentioned Mulder and Scully, so I’ll reply to this: > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Even Susan Silverman didn’t use Spenser’s first name. Did he have one? He does. A few times in the books, the following exchange will occur, or something close to it: > [@](#): > > “So, do you have a first name?” she asked. So I told her. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/19 "2009-08-24T22:45:57Z")
[Rumpole of The Bailey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Rumpole) is known as Rumpole to associates, including his wife, ‘She Who Must Be Obeyed.’ ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-wives-addressing-husbands-by-last-name/507472/20 "2009-08-24T23:22:09Z")
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