We had to giggle this morning when we read an item about new regulations under Quebec’s consumer laws about selling used cars. The giggling had nothing to do with the new rules – it was induced by this:
“Now we’re all working with the same rules, we’re all in the same boat,” noted Richard Cliche, head of the provincial group of used-vehicle merchants.
Cliche no doubt went on to say that when used car salesmen ‘give you lemons, make lemonade.’
*sting*
Anyway, this got me to pondering that phenomenon of people whose last names match their occupations. For instance, the doctor who delivered me was Dr. Borne. The guy who writes the birdwatching column in the Gazette is David Bird. And so on. (I am aware that Cliche matches his statement, not his profession, but I’m hoping the logic leap is obvious.)
Is there a name for this name/profession thing? And more importantly, got any examples for me?
I ran across this one a few weeks ago and I scrambled to find it when I read this post.
Laughing my ass off – no pun intended 😉
Nominative determinism.
Like there’s apparently a hocky coach named Playfair. And one of my co-workers has a vet named Dr. Barker. 🙂
All from Pratt & Whitney:
Chief librarian: Elizabeth Reader
Finance department: May Banks
and my favourite, in the Instrumentation group: Yves Lemesurier
From Vanier:
Patricia Hall, Admissions; Cathy Stock, Services;
Kim Ferenczi, Anthropology;
Lisa Sparkes, Biology;
Shirley Fee, Commerce; and
Jacques Labelle, Music.
From City of Ottawa Forestry Department: Doug Flowers.
Gosh, I wish I would have had that informtaion earlier!
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