# Whence Pluto's moon "Charon"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 22, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638 "2022-06-22T15:56:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2022, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638/41 "2022-06-24T21:50:17Z")

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> [@md-2000](#):
>
> I did four years of physics and did not pick up on this.

Thank goodness you didn’t study chemistry.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638/42 "2022-06-24T23:28:12Z")

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Is that “chemistry” pronounced “K-emistry” or pronounced “ch-emistry” like Ch-ambord or like Ch-ervil? 🙂

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**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638/43 "2022-06-25T13:52:52Z")

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I always assumed it was the hifalutin explanation: Pluto= King of the Underworld, Charon= ferryman to the underworld (don’t forget to tip him - two obols should suffice)

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**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638/44 "2022-06-25T19:35:03Z")

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Speaking of mispronunciations: I don’t often use the word “meme” in everyday language, so when I do use the term, I forget and mispronounce it as “mɛm” (with a short e).

Well, dad gum it, a second after I make that blooper I get the heebie-jeebies because I know my rug rats will be on my case like white on rice, calling me a old coffin-dodger…or worse, a geezer. 🥵

Why can’t those ankle bitin’ young’uns just git off my lawn and mind their bees wax?!?

I gotta skedaddle now and see a man about a horse.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2022, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-plutos-moon-charon/966638/45 "2022-06-26T03:54:05Z")

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It might help to remember that the word meme was coined based on the word “gene,” describing how it spreads. It’s the genetics of an idea instead of, well, genes.

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