Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-13

| the nick in the Grand Duke Nicholas?' So
! IL goes only worse than that. IL possible.
Whoever has punnable name knows how
! II Is. Mr.. Shott for instance, or Mr. Wiley;
but especially a man with a name that can
be compared, like Long, longer, longest or
Swift, swifter, swiftest. Kline's lot is easier
there is more variety: in-Kline re-Kline
de-Kline
Stone knocks" Wood
Consider such conversation as this:
Good morning Mr.. Stone. How are Mrs.
Stone and all the little pebbles?"
Good morning Mr.. Wood And how are
Mrs. Wood and all the little splinters?"
clear case Of knocking wood.
Andy Jackson, In a law case once on n
time, is said to have quoted from Bacon
that he had bought at the butcher shop.
Upon close scrutiny Of my bacon" he be-
gan.
Jackson reminds me that in school
learned how some OF our family names origi-
nated-JaclSs son, Wills son, ct cetera. And
what a valiant sound had Shakespeare!
But puns-and pseudo puns!
Wasn't It Nick Longworth's father who
entertained the poet Longfelow on that oc-
casion when somebody remarked on the
similarity Of names and Henry w. quoted
Pope:
Worth makes the man. and want of IT the feiiowr
l wouldn't call that pseudo pun.
Then there are the inevitable nicknames.
Cook is-or used to be-caled DOC" Claus.
of course, is Santa" Murphy is sure to
be hailed as "Spud," unless Murphy is
neither good natured nor smaller than you
are. You want to look out for Murphy. Re-
member his nationality.
Hooks Seasonable Puns
Theodore Hook and Thomas Hood ex-
changed many a quip on their names. Hook
was a member Of a little party invited one
evening to the home of one William Pepper
1t is reported and greeted his host with
these relishabe words: "How happy you
must be. Mr.. Pepper to see your friends all
mustered" An impromptu verse of Hooks
containing another seasonable pun-was in-
spired by the report OF a servant that tax
collector named Winter was at the door
The servant was probably too we'll accus-
toned to his masters ways to be much
astonished when Hook answered.
Here comes Mr. Winter, collector of taxes
advise you to pay him whatever he axes
You had much better pay him without any num-
Though winters his name. his proceedings are
summary
In the days Of CromwelPs Protectorate, the
adherents of Charles would sometimes drink
together, eating a crumb of bread with a
draught Of wine and uttering the pious wish,
God send his crumb we'll down"
There was once a man named Knightley
who was fond Of decanting on the antiquity
OF his family. Escaped from his presence,
his victims sang or maybe they did:
And Knghtley to the listening earth
Recounts the story of his birth.
Prettu hard m old Addisop oFto, Ill
had written in encouragement Of punning
But other familiar quotations have been
utilized in a similar way. There's not the
least shadow Of doubt that the senior Sem
ator from Massachusetts not seldom devout-
ly wishes that nobody had ever written that
imperishable line:
Oh. for a lodge in some vast wildernessI
But he might like to be there neverthe-
less.
The interest In names, however does not
depend on punning. Long names furnish a
great deal OF amusement, I am told. Take
the other name of Webster Lake, in Massa-
chusetts - It's Chargoggogogmanchaugg
ogchabungungaumaugg. Wonder how news
paper readers would like to have the theatre
OF war transferred to Wales, where thrives
the peaceful town of Observation-Disclosures
chwyrndrobwllllantys tysiliogogogogoch. Would
not that help Webster Lake to set the world
agog? few weeks ago the State archeol-
oglst over in New Jersey discovered Quee-
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Creek. But those are
place names, not personal. Personal names
of course are the names that people call one
another. Though doubt If anybody out in
Moline, Ill, ever called Demetrios Pappathe-
thorokoummountorgeoto of 625 18th
street, by his right name. II looks musical,
however. You might try 1t on your piano.
Smiths "Much Tribulation"
The pension roll of Australia contains the
name of Through Much Tribulation We En-
ter the Kingdom of Heaven Smith. Fate
couldn't conceal this man by naming him
Smith, But when anybody, in discussing
peoples names, gets TO the Smith family he
ought to stop. But even Smith has some
advantage over Specknoode. You all know
the old story. I won't tell It. I've tried to
tell 1t at home several times, but my young
son always asks me to tell my other one
Two college chums. you remember. A visit
Grandmother. Deaf. Introduction. Grand
mother asks to have name repeated. Grand
son shouts, "Specknoodlel" Shouts II several
times Grandmother gives up. Says, Sounds
to me Just like specknoodle" But that's a
chestnut. How would you like TO have a
name like Nutt2