# What two people or things do you always confuse?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 14, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312 "2008-04-14T15:38:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/81 "2008-04-22T02:06:22Z")
[QUOTE=Napier]
I always confuse Karen Allen and the one that isn’t Karen Allen. If I’m even spelling it right. One of them was in the Indiana Jones movies, I think. Looked a little like Karen Carpenter, who isn’t the one that isn’t Karen Allen. Well, before Carpenter died, I mean. In fact, a while before she died, to be on the safe side. Who was the one who played the female interest in Scrooged? Was that Karen Allen, or the one who isn’t Karen Allen? I know it wasn’t Karen Carpenter, forget I mentioned Karen Carpenter.
[/QUOTE]
Karen Allen was in _Scrooged_. For me, the main Karen Allen lookalike is [Jessica Harper](http://www.nndb.com/people/016/000024941/harper.jpg), but I don’t know whether she’s your nonKaren.
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### Author:  [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/82 "2008-04-22T07:40:27Z")
One that just occurred to me because of a recent Onion AV Club article: Norman Mailer and Arthur Miller. This is compounded by the fact that I always picture playwright Arthur Miller as consumer/legal advisor for WCVB-TV Boston [Arthur Miller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_R._Miller) (at least that’s where I knew him from). Knowing what I do about Mailer, few things would probably infuriate him more than being confused with a short bookish Boston lawyer with glasses and a nasal voice. And that amuses me a great deal.
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### Author:  [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/83 "2008-04-22T14:30:43Z")
[QUOTE=Surok]
Dustin Hoffman/ Al Pacino/ Robert De Niro.
[/QUOTE]
I have Dustin Hoffman sorted all right, but I’ve long since decided that Al Pacino and Robert de Niro are actually just one guy named Albert De Paniro. You know, the guy who was in _The Godfather_, _Taxi Driver_, _The Deer Hunter_, and _Scarface_.
It just makes it easier.
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### Author:  [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/84 "2008-04-22T14:43:34Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]
Office Depot and OfficeMax. It doesn’t help me at all that the closest ones to me are across the street from each other.
[/QUOTE]
It’s even worse when you’ve worked at one of these stores. I used to work at OfficeMax and people always got us confused with Office Depot, whose store was at the other end of the complex. Some of the more persistent (i.e. pain in the ass) customers would insist that our store had a particular item in stock that only the other store carried, only to finally have it dawn on them that they were thinking of Office Depot instead.
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### Author:  [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/85 "2008-04-22T15:39:27Z")
[QUOTE=Peak Banana]
I have Dustin Hoffman sorted all right, but I’ve long since decided that Al Pacino and Robert de Niro are actually just one guy named Albert De Paniro. You know, the guy who was in _The Godfather_, _Taxi Driver_, _The Deer Hunter_, and _Scarface_.
It just makes it easier.
[/QUOTE]
Don’t you mean, The Goddriver, Taxi Hunter, Deerface, & Scarfather?
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### Author:  [@phil417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phil417)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/86 "2008-04-24T07:42:55Z")
I find myself confusing Holly Hunter (“Saving Grace”) and Helen Hunt (“Mad About You”)
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/87 "2008-04-24T07:50:26Z")
[QUOTE=Little Plastic Ninja]
Francis Drake: Sailed for Queen Elizabeth.
Francis Bacon: Member of Parliament for Queen Elizabeth, violently against alchemy.
Roger Bacon: Alchemist.
[/QUOTE]
You forgot Roger Drake, violently against sailing.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/88 "2008-04-24T07:55:43Z")
[QUOTE=Napier]
I always confuse Karen Allen and the one that isn’t Karen Allen. If I’m even spelling it right. One of them was in the Indiana Jones movies, I think. Looked a little like Karen Carpenter, who isn’t the one that isn’t Karen Allen. Well, before Carpenter died, I mean. In fact, a while before she died, to be on the safe side. Who was the one who played the female interest in Scrooged? Was that Karen Allen, or the one who isn’t Karen Allen? I know it wasn’t Karen Carpenter, forget I mentioned Karen Carpenter.
[/QUOTE]
How about Nancy Allen?
😃
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### Author:  [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/89 "2008-04-24T18:55:54Z")
All my life I’ve confused rhubarb with rutabaga. Something about the opening “roo” sound causes me to mix them up. Just the other day I was talking about the few kinds of pie that I don’t like, and I said that I didn’t care for rutabaga pie. As soon as I said it, I realized that I meant rhubarb. Although I imagine that rutabaga pie would be pretty dreadful, too.
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/90 "2008-04-24T19:15:26Z")
[Jenna Bush](http://www.boredmonkeys.net/boredmonkeys/files/u1/Voetbalnext.jpg)/[Jenna Elfman](http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/945/55111805.JPG)/[Jenna Fisher](http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/716/jennaelfman019vp.jpg)/[Jenna Jameson](http://www.aolcdn.com/aolpolltool/jenna-fischer-sexy-time)/[Jameson whisky](http://whitenoiseinsanity.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/judge-jenna-bush.jpg)
Richard Jeni/Bruce Jenner/Richard Crenna
But I’m sure everyone has this problem.
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### Author:  [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/91 "2008-04-24T21:17:30Z")
[QUOTE=Death of Rats]
I always confuse [Charles Durning](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001164/) and [Kenneth McMillan](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573299/)
[/QUOTE]
For me, just name-wise anyway, it’s always been Durning and [Brian Dennehy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001133/). They’re only similar in build, so that’s what has to trip me up, but it’s infuriating when I want the one and the other gets in the way. Add to it that they _both_ should be named Charles regardless…
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/92 "2008-04-24T21:26:26Z")
Jenna Elfman and Jeri Ryan. Those two should be cast as sisters.
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### Author:  [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/93 "2008-04-24T21:49:19Z")
Borders and Barnes & Noble. I recently agreed to to meet some folks at B&N, but then went to Borders, which is clear at the other end of town. I know I’m not the only one with this problem, as someone else in the group did the same thing.
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### Author:  [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/94 "2008-04-24T22:20:44Z")
On a related note, isn’t there another red-headed Kathy beside Griffin? If so, I always confuse those two too. Help!
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### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/95 "2008-04-25T18:00:40Z")
[QUOTE=Hilarity N. Suze]
Principal/principle
.
[/QUOTE]
A lot of people get mixed up on this one. ‘Principle’ should be a noun, and ‘principal’ should be an adjective. But for Americans at least, the first one we ever run into is the ‘principal’ of a school, and that’s obviously a noun.
It helps to remember that title ‘principal’ was originally a short form of ‘principal teacher’. There, now it’s an adjective like it should be.
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### Author:  [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/96 "2008-04-25T19:17:23Z")
I always picture Hugh Jackman’s face when someone mentions Gene Hackman. That one’s kinda weird.
March and May. I often say one when I mean the other, so they become: “MarchimeanMay” and “MayimeanMarch.”
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### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/97 "2008-04-25T19:52:59Z")
Budapest and Bucharest. One is the Hungarian capital, the other the Romanian capital. And as usual I can’t remember which at this moment.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/98 "2008-04-25T21:16:22Z")
[QUOTE=beanpod]
I always picture Hugh Jackman’s face when someone mentions Gene Hackman. That one’s kinda weird.
[/QUOTE]
> [@Wolverine](#):
>
> You were picking your toes in Poughkeepsie! But I’d have done it better! \>snikt\<
😃
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-two-people-or-things-do-you-always-confuse/445312/99 "2008-04-26T04:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff]
Jake Gyllenhaall: [http://imdb.com/media/rm4172389632/nm0350453](http://imdb.com/media/rm4172389632/nm0350453)
and
Toby Maguire: [http://imdb.com/media/rm3937508608/nm0001497](http://imdb.com/media/rm3937508608/nm0001497)
[/QUOTE]
They’re going to play brothers in their next movie. Called, interestingly enough, [Brothers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765010/).
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