July 12 2011
Harmonious Handles
Here’s a gewgaw to deputise for this week’s lack of Storm (with an all-new, all-tempestuous contest slated to begin next week, once I get my land legs back). The query comes from an SBS viewer, and cryptic apprentice called Geoff Griffey. Over to you, Geoff:
You may notice the initial of my surname is the same as my first name, is there a word for this? (Last year I was managing an apartment building where 5 out of the 8 permanent staff where “same same"or "sama sama"as the Indonesians say. There was Samir Shakya, Sabine Schmidt, myself, Adrienne Andersen and Chloe Courtouis…
Echogram? Duonym? What do we call the James Joyces and Lancelot Links of this world? Is there a particular name for this practice, or the name itself, aside from alliteration?
And who can make the best (or longest) list of a thematically related bunch of people? I’d lose my monocle if anyone could extend a group beyond 18.
Comments
DC — 12 July at 08:58AM
Alliterative alias?
For good (and bad) examples, turn to the world of the comic book -- and Marvel's Stan Lee in particular. There's a scene in the show Big Bang Theory devoted to this concept.
Here's a list I came up with, with some research.
Peter Parker (Spiderman)
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jameson (his son, a superhero)
Reed Richards
Sue Storm (of the Fantastic Four)
Bruce Banner (the Hulk)
Matthew Michael "Matt" Murdock (Daredevil)
Wally West (The Flash)
Lex Luthor
Lois Lane
Lana Lang
Vicki Vale (Batman equivalent)
Scott Summers (first X-Man)
Dinah Drake (Black Canary)
Otto Octavius (Doc Oc)
Cassandra Cain (Batgirl)
Kate Kane (Batwoman)
Linda Lee (Supergirl)
Zatanna Zatara
Dan Dreiberg (Niteowl)
Mark Medula (an Australian version)
and more.
JD — 12 July at 09:27AM
Iso-initial? Duogram?
The ABC FM playlist has a good supply. To name a few:
Anton Arensky
Benjamin Britten
Carl Czerny
George Gershwin
Modeste Muggorsky
Richard Rogers
Stephen Sondheim
Thomas Tallis
William Walton
DC — 12 July at 10:06AM
My list is of course all fictional, which may or may not be kosher. At least I avoided the likes of Wonder Woman, Green Goblin and Silk Spectre.
On a scarier note, there is a serial killer case from the 1970s, wherein each victim shared initials with the town they were found in.
Carmen Colon, Churchville
Wanda Walkowicz, Webster
Michelle Maenza, Macedon
Just two months ago a man called Joseph Naso was arrested for similar crimes (Roxene Roggash, Pamela Parsons, Tracy Tofoya and a different Carmen Colon), and is being investigated for connection to the original 'Alphabet Murders'.
LR — 12 July at 06:32PM
Twinitials.
Nib — 12 July at 10:14PM
^ I like Twinitials.
J K Rowling also has a literative litter of alliteratives:
Bathilda Bagshot
Bellatrix Black
Broderick Bode
Bertie Bott
Cho Chang
Colin Creevey
Dedalus Diggle
Dudley Dursley
Filius Flitwick
Florean Fortescue
Gregory Goyle
Gellert Grindelwald
Godric Gryffindor
Helga Hufflepuff
Luna Lovegood
Minerva McGonagall
Mad-Eye Moody
Nearly-Headless Nick
Pansy Parkinson
Padma Patil
Parvati Patil
Peter Pettigrew
Poppy Pomfrey
Quirinus Quirrell
Rowena Ravenclaw
Stan Shunpike
Salazar Slytherin
William Weasley
RM — 13 July at 06:02PM
I thought it was Bellatrix Lestrange?
I'm won't be queueing up at the cinema tonight to watch the 8th movie, but I will be there sometime this weekend.
DC — 13 July at 07:42PM
Black was her maiden name; she is Sirius' cousin.