Official Names Puzzle

You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette. And joining us now is our quiz guy, John Chaneski.

John, what ho?

What ho? I’m ho. I’m right here. And ho.

Hi ho. Hi ho. Hey ho.

Hi ho. It’s off to work we go. And no, here’s a quiz. No, let’s say hi and how you guys doing.

What have you been reading lately, John? What’s on your bedside table?

You know, it’s funny you should mention that. I have right in front of me now Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Seriously?

Really? Yeah. I’m trying to fill in some holes in my experience that I haven’t.

I’ve never read Pride and Prejudice. I just finished Love in the Time of Cholera.

OK, great stories. Yeah. And they’re both just fantastic.

John, what do you have for us?

What I have for you, I have a really nice little quiz for you.

As evidenced by the fact that I’m, you know, reading books, I enjoy learning about new things.

I much enjoy learning about places and things that go by common names but actually have official names.

For example, here’s one that most people do know.

The monument called Liberty Enlightening the World is popularly known as what?

The Statue of Liberty.

That’s right, Statue of Liberty.

Now, I’ll give you the official names of some places and things, along with some clues, and you tell me what they are popularly known as.

How’s that?

Wow, that sounds exciting.

Good.

We’ll start with some easy ones.

Here’s the first.

The Academy Awards of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Really?

That’s what they call the Oscars?

That’s the official name of the Oscars, yes.

That’s awesome.

You can see why they shortened it to Oscars, yeah.

Here’s another.

The Great Bell of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster.

Oh, wow.

For real?

That’s Big Ben?

That’s Big Ben, yes.

Huh.

The bell is actually Big Ben, but commonly people refer to the Clock Tower and the clock.

Yeah, that’s what it is.

That’s Big Ben, right.

Here’s the next one.

The Volstead Act.

Prohibition.

Prohibition.

Right.

Right.

And similarly, if I refer to the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Star Wars.

Star Wars is right.

Yeah.

I also like to think of these as ways to really be a jerk around people.

You know, if you really want to say like, well, yes, I’ve studied the Volstead Act instead of, you know, prohibition.

You can just use the more formal term.

And you think Grant and I need tips on that?

Well, no, but there might be somebody out there.

How about this?

This is more of a medical one.

Abdominoplasty.

Lipo?

No.

Stomach stapling.

Stomach stapling is a little less, but it’s more commonly known as?

Gastric bypass?

No.

No, it’s actually not stomach stapling.

Banding?

No, it’s not inside.

It’s more outside.

Tummy tuck?

It’s a tummy tuck.

Oh, there we go.

Very good.

Abdominoplasty.

The doctor’s setting is inside.

That’s right.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

The doctors are all cringing.

That’s true.

What?

What do you mean?

Inside, outside?

What are you talking about?

They’re both inside.

They’re both outside.

These next ones are a little more challenging, I hope.

Rapa Nui.

Rapa Nui?

Was that the animated film with the little mouse?

No.

Yeah, that’s an island, isn’t it?

Yes, it is.

Oh.

I don’t know which one, though.

Oh.

I’ll give you a hint.

Okay.

This island was named by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen on a Sunday in 1722.

Must be something Domingo then.

Easter Island.

Easter Island is right.

Rapa Nui.

I’ll go Domingo.

I thought it was appropriate to talk about an island with big heads, considering the three of us.

Yeah, right.

Yeah.

Here’s the next one.

Naval Support Facility Thurmont.

What’s that last word?

Is that a place?

It’s a name, T-H-U-R-M-O-N-T, Thermont.

Oh, man.

Or Thermont.

And there are going to be all these Navy people who are just screaming at the radio.

Yeah, they know.

Of course they’re part of their world.

It’s not part of mine, though.

I don’t know, John.

I have no idea.

What’s a famous name?

Is it NORAD?

I’ll give you a little hint.

Let’s just say you were the President of the United States and you wanted to go away for a few days.

You might go to Naval Support Facility Thermont.

Camp David?

Camp David, that’s right.

Oh, how about that?

That’s good.

Who knew?

How did you find all this stuff?

Got us good with that one, John.

Well, okay, here’s the next one.

The more popular name for sildenafil citrate.

Oh, Viagra?

Viagra, very good.

Boy, you were right on that one, Grant.

How did you know that one?

Because I worked for a company when Viagra was, before it was even launched, that was doing the advanced marketing on it.

Really?

Wow.

Did you come up with the name Viagra?

I did not.

No, actually, for a long time, most of the people on the inside pronounced it differently.

They did not pronounce it as Viagra.

What did they say? Are you allowed to say?

They said it like Jay Leno still says it, which is Viagra or Viagra or stuff like that.

All right, here’s the last one.

Can you tell me the more popular name of Arrangement and Gray and Black, number one, the artist’s mother?

Yeah, that’s Whistler’s mother.

Whistler’s mother, yeah.

That’s Whistler’s mother, right.

This icon of American art is rarely seen in the U.S. as it is owned by the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

I’ve got one for you. It’s pretty simple, I think.

Car allowance rebate system.

That’s what they call it again, cash for clunkers?

Yeah, that’s right.

Cash for clunkers.

Although now I think they’ve passed some little resolution saying that cash for clunkers counts as being the official name of the program.

Okay, guys, I’m going to Rapa Nui.

I’ll see you later.

All right.

Bye-bye.

Well, if you want to talk about language, call us 1-877-929-9673.

That’s 1-877-WAYWORD.

Or send an email to words@waywordradio.org.