# When you hear the phrase form ("Person) and the (x)" what does it bring to mind? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557 "2025-01-04T18:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/21 "2025-01-04T21:03:39Z")
If someone prompted me with just ‘[someone] and the [something]’, I think I’d probably go to Freebie and the Bean (a movie title from 1974), for no particular reason. However, if the prompt was _Lucy Worsley and the princes in the towers_, it would evoke Harry Potter titles - _Harry Potter and the Difficult Chair_ or whatever they’re called ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/22 "2025-01-04T21:18:47Z")
Grace Foster and The Milkman It’s a reference to an I Love Lucy episode and is a long standing joke in my family. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/23 "2025-01-04T21:19:04Z")
“Nanny and the Professor” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/24 "2025-01-04T21:21:42Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Now that I’ve seen the OP’s examples (and a few of the others in the thread), I’m wondering how common it is to use the “Main Character and the Thing In Question” pattern for the entries in a series of books or movies, and who did it first. Here’s the TV Tropes page: > **[Character Name and the Noun Phrase - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CharacterNameAndTheNounPhrase)** > > This is a standard way to name individual works in a loosely-linked series; it is currently most common in children's books. Frequently the noun phrase in question will be of The X of Y form. A common variant is to use the possessive instead of " … ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/25 "2025-01-04T21:44:26Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Here’s the TV Tropes page Thanks. TVTropes says that Tom Swift is “probably the Ur-Example,” but those are mostly “Tom Swift and His…” rather than “Tom Swift and the…” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/26 "2025-01-04T21:50:55Z")
Hootie and the Blowfish. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/27 "2025-01-04T22:45:09Z")
Red Dworcas and the Opal City Poker Chips. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/28 "2025-01-04T23:35:06Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Lead singer and the sidekicks. That’s what I thought of before even opening the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/29 "2025-01-04T23:49:28Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Benny and the jets. > > (B-b-Benny! Benny!) That was the first one I thought of as well. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/30 "2025-01-05T00:08:47Z")
The first one to come to mind for me was, “Jem and the Holograms”. Not sure why. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/31 "2025-01-05T01:00:29Z")
Pinky and the Brain was what came to mind just looking at the title of the thread. “Lucy Worsley and the princes in the towers” sound more Harry Potter-esque, though. ---
**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:** [January 5, 2025, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/32 "2025-01-05T03:15:24Z")
I thought of bands, too, like Drimble Wedge and the Vegetation. If I ever formed a band, I thought I’d call it Singular and the Plurals or Individual and the Collectives ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/33 "2025-01-05T03:33:58Z")
Morning drive-time DJs. “Barry and the Raptor, weekday mornings on KZYQ!” or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/34 "2025-01-05T04:23:36Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Pinky and the Brain Yeah, me too, despite never having read it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/35 "2025-01-05T04:25:42Z")
But I do apparently get to be the first person to mention Bennie and the Jets! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/36 "2025-01-05T04:34:22Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > But I do apparently get to be the first person to mention Bennie and the Jets! Alas, beaten to the punch: > [@Moriarty](#): > > Benny and the jets. > > (B-b-Benny! Benny!) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/37 "2025-01-05T04:49:09Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@Moriarty](#): > > > > Benny and the jets. > > > > (B-b-Benny! Benny!) > > That was the first one I thought of as well. Seconded. Fall in line, AHunter3. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/38 "2025-01-05T04:53:05Z")
No love for Harold and the Purple Crayon? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/39 "2025-01-05T16:18:48Z")
For some reason, the question reminded me of the children’s novel [“David and the Phoenix”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_and_the_Phoenix). I’m sure my answer would have been different on another day, or even at a different hour of this one. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557/40 "2025-01-05T16:21:40Z")
Oh, that was a good book. 🥰 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-hear-the-phrase-form-person-and-the-x-what-does-it-bring-to-mind/1012557.md?page=3)