Comments on: And that's why they call me "Adjective Noun" Surname.

Question: And that's why they call me "Adjective Noun" Surname.

capricorn — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:17:18 -0800

Can anyone think of examples of well-known fictional characters or historical figures whose names fit the format [Adjective / Number] [Noun] [Surname]?

This is a trope I associate with the Western genre, but I can't think of any concrete examples of characters or people, except for one example from a Neil Gaiman story, Augustus "Two Feathers" McCoy, which is a) not particularly well known and b) imperfect because the given name is still present.

By: TheNewWazoo

TheNewWazoo — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:22:59 -0800

Well, there's always Maj. Major Major Major, which I guess fits that mould.

By: littlesq

littlesq — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:24:50 -0800

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson?

By: littlesq

littlesq — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:25:50 -0800

erm, sorry I meant General "Stonewall" Jackson.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:27:18 -0800

Not clear to me how your example is "imperfect": Is it because "Two Feathers" is not his real name, or because he's always/typically referred to with his first name included?

If the latter, then Three Finger Brown. If the former, though, he did have a "real" first name (Mordecai), so I guess it's imperfect too.

Also, I would suggest looking at Native Americans, some of whom combined the "Sitting Bull" or "Running Elk" kind of thing with surnames.

By: themanwho

themanwho — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:28:32 -0800

Quick Draw McGraw

By: dd42

dd42 — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:30:27 -0800

Looking through Wikipedia's list of Old West gunfighters (and associated lists, e.g. of cowbows and cowgirls) might find some examples. I saw:

Harry "Sundance Kid" Longabaugh
Laura "Della Rose" Bullion
Ben "Tall Texan" Kilpatrick
Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan

By: Specklet

Specklet — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:30:34 -0800

Blind Lemon Jefferson.

By: mochapickle

mochapickle — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:31:30 -0800

Cool Hand Luke?

By: Sunburnt

Sunburnt — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:34:06 -0800

Hoping to strike gold, I checked out wikipedia's list of notable Native Americans, and found that those listed are/were famous under their (translated or not) given name (Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Pontiac, Sacajawea) or have a Western first name, and a family name which is a translated, and sometimes fused into a single word, like Donald Two-Rivers or Clayton Lonetree, or have that pattern plus the tribe name, such as or Joe Medicine Crow.

So, basically a fruitless search, but interesting.

By: themanwho

themanwho — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:34:47 -0800

"Hot Lips" Houlihan

By: Sunburnt

Sunburnt — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:37:09 -0800

Fictional: Keen Eddie [Arlette]

By: katemonster

katemonster — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:37:41 -0800

In fact, lots of bluesmen fit the pattern. In addition to Blind Lemon, there's Big Boy Crudup, Hound Dog Taylor, and Sonny Boy Williamsons I and II, among others.

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:44:50 -0800

Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels have several: Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler (often just "Throat") and Twoflower come to mind.

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:48:09 -0800

"Bleeding Gums" Murphy

By: ceribus peribus

ceribus peribus — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:53:59 -0800

On the Indian reservation Topper Harley was reborn as Tukachinchilla, "Fluffy Bunny Feet".

By: jph

jph — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:55:02 -0800

It's a tiny little stretch because the adjective and noun have been combined, but Goodluck Jonathan.

By: Pudhoho

Pudhoho — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:00:54 -0800

Coffin Ed and Grave Digger Jones

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:26:17 -0800

Baby Face Nelson

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:27:49 -0800

Optimus Prime could be interpreted as adjective/number, methinks.

in the adjective / noun category:
Snidely Whiplash (technically an adverb)

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:33:20 -0800

Wild Bill Hickok?

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:37:21 -0800

Seven of Nine, perhaps?

Wild Bill Hicock

Big Jim Slade (and the capital of Nebraska is Lincoln!)

By: fingersandtoes

fingersandtoes — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:38:44 -0800

Long John Silver?

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:39:58 -0800

Fatty Arbuckle almost works.

Which leads me to "Shoeless Joe Jackson", although that's merely a nickname, albeit a strong one.

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:40:14 -0800

Edward "Black Beard" Teach?

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:41:01 -0800

One more:

Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson

By: fingersandtoes

fingersandtoes — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:41:56 -0800

what about all the famous mafiosi like Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano?

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:45:59 -0800

Gypsy Rose Lee.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 22:47:46 -0800

Dick Tracy villains ought to be fertile territory for this kind of thing.

By: TheSecretDecoderRing

TheSecretDecoderRing — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:08:33 -0800

Three Finger Brown came to mind too.

I think it technically uses a "noun adjunct," but I had to throw out my all-time favorite sports nickname, Oil Can Boyd.

There's also the old-time NFLer Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, although I don't know if the "Elroy" was usually included.

There's also Wee Willie Keeler, but I don't think that qualifies because Willie is a proper name and not a noun. I don't think.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:12:45 -0800

Squeaky Fromme

By: Azara

Azara — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:17:00 -0800

Wrong Way Corrigan

By: TheSecretDecoderRing

TheSecretDecoderRing — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:39:03 -0800

There's also (John) "Hot Rod" Williams from the NBA. And (Glen) "Big Baby" Davis.

I've perused lists of old wrestlers and am very disappointed that none seem to fit the formula exactly.

By: easy, lucky, free

easy, lucky, free — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:39:27 -0800

Ugh, sad to know these:

Blue Ivy Carter (daughter of Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z)
Seven Sirius Benjamin (son of Erykah Badu and Andre 3000)

By: unliteral

unliteral — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:55:37 -0800

Bleu Jackson

By: unliteral

unliteral — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:09:37 -0800

John Wellington Wells in The Sorcerer and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore.

By: esmerelda_jenkins

esmerelda_jenkins — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:08:38 -0800

Machine Gun Kelly

By: esmerelda_jenkins

esmerelda_jenkins — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:10:51 -0800

Leisure Suit Larry.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 01:48:36 -0800

Slim (Whitman or Pickens)

By: permafrost

permafrost — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 03:58:52 -0800

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, the English landscape architect, and the Discworld character he inspired, Bergholt Stuttley 'Bloody Stupid' Johnson.

By: Kitty Stardust

Kitty Stardust — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:24:37 -0800

Johnny "Two Hats"?

By: Obscure Reference

Obscure Reference — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:42:10 -0800

Chapter Eleven Stephanides.

By: KateViolet

KateViolet — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:44:30 -0800

John "Two Jags" Prescott

By: Infinity_8

Infinity_8 — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:59:25 -0800

Kennesaw Mountain Landis

By: capricorn

capricorn — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:33:18 -0800

Not clear to me how your example is "imperfect": Is it because "Two Feathers" is not his real name, or because he's always/typically referred to with his first name included?

Because he's typically referred to with his first name included. I forgot to include that I was looking for people who are referred to by a nickname, and not also by their real first name.

Also, with their last name: I've never heard anyone call the famous pirate "Black Beard Teach", although if they did he would fit the format perfectly, so I'm not trying to pick on you in particular, trip in a half.

I've best answered the ones that fit the format perfectly so far. Thanks all!

By: Adridne

Adridne — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:35:12 -0800

Number 10 Ox from Bridge of Birds?

By: capricorn

capricorn — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:36:47 -0800

Oh, and other answers which while close, are not quite what I'm asking for (again, not to pick on people, just to steer answers in the right direction): "Wild Bill Hickock" includes the first name, "Leisure Suit Larry" includes the first name at the exclusion of the last name. "Bloody Stupid Johnson" is Adverb Adjective Lastname.

By: dywypi

dywypi — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:39:03 -0800

Another from Gaiman: Low Key Lyesmith.

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:40:07 -0800

Nine Fingered Frodo

Iron Pants Johnson (I love that name)

By: kitty teeth

kitty teeth — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:41:41 -0800

Pretty Boy Floyd

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:54:47 -0800

Some more fun ones -

Tin Legs Bader (WWII British fighter ace)

Turkey Neck Crawford (WWII US sub captain.)

Mush Mouth Morton (Ditto)

Wooden Box Pine-Coffin (Honest to Christ I'm not making that one up.)

By: Smallpox

Smallpox — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:01:32 -0800

Old Dirty Bastard / Big Baby Jesus.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:14:02 -0800

Half-cocked Jack (from Neil Stephenson's Quicksilver trilogy)

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:53:07 -0800

Jelly Roll Morton (Jazz musician, real last name was LaMothe, tho.)
Liver-Eating Johnson (old west Mountain Man, Noun-adjective, may not fit.)

By: kitty teeth

kitty teeth — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:11:14 -0800

Big Mama Thornton

By: Sunburnt

Sunburnt — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:24:44 -0800

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

By: mule98J

mule98J — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:41:23 -0800

Gabby Hayes

Pussy Galore

California Carlson

Minnesota Fats

By: usonian

usonian — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:45:15 -0800

Half Cocked Jack

Honorable mention for Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson?