# What's the Deal With Polonium Spark Plugs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686 "2005-12-30T04:50:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/21 "2005-12-31T11:00:34Z")

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If we’re going to cite songs, I should mention Tom Lehrer’s [_The Elements_](http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html) (clever flash animation version).

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**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/22 "2005-12-31T21:25:24Z")

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> [@dtilque](#):
>
> … epotopes[sup]1[/sup] (things named after geographic names) …

Toponyms, surely?

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**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/23 "2005-12-31T22:23:07Z")

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I always wish that I could remember the elements in their correct order, rather than in Lehrer’s. 🙂

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/24 "2005-12-31T22:26:37Z")

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> [@Una Persson](#):
>
> Mine came while I was in England.
> 
> A few variations of uranium minerals (nice yellow ones too), some radium, and a couple of thorium minerals.

Now’s the time for that Paul Lynde line (said with a sneer) “Think yer smart, doncha?” Hell, I’ve lived my whole life surrounded by radioactivity. 😉

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-polonium-spark-plugs/337686/25 "2006-01-01T05:58:23Z")

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> [@Steve Wright](#):
>
> Toponyms, surely?

Toponyms are place names, not things named after place names. Eponyms are things named after people, so I combined the first three letters of both eponym and toponym to come up with epotope (the final E was added to make the last O long).

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