Which word is not an eponym?
An eponym is a person, place, or thing for whom or for which something is named, or believed to be named. Boycott, guillotine and milquetoast are all examples of eponyms.
The word boycott (to avoid trade or dealings with) was named after Charles C. Boycott, an English land agent who was ostracized in 1880 for refusing to reduce rents.
The word guillotine (a machine for beheading) was named after Joseph Guillotin, a French physician who proposed its use in 1789 as a more humane punishment than hanging.
The word milquetoast (timid, unassertive person) was named after Casper Milquetoast, a comic strip character created by cartoonist Harold Webster in 1924.
More Info:
www.wikipedia.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
49 Comments
Lynne Zeman
Dolores Wieland, He is not very bright if he looked it up BEFORE responding. But I, myself have looked things up after responding. Just to get a visual or more complete information. ibeleive - check ONLY after you answer. Otherwise you are just a disgusting cheat.
Dolores Wieland
ibelieverom.623, Isn't that cheating?
Jah's-Friend
Helen LoBosco, I know, right? Such a harsh judgement of a person you don't even know... 😁
Teryann58 Mapes
BUMMER..didn't get right answer🙄
Linjustson Louis
It's very good
Jackie
I have not heard of Milquetoast but guessed it right based on the rest.
Armadillo
Thought it was a fishy question...had never heard of an eponym.
homeducater
homeducater, sorry, I was wrong.
Etymology. From the character Caspar Milquetoast of the comic strip The Timid Soul, created by American cartoonist Harold Tucker Webster (1885–1952) and first published in 1924; the character was named after the American dish milk toast (“a food consisting of toasted bread in warm milk”).
mrsteve
claudia galvez, it's an English word
claudia galvez
Milquetoast???? Is that an English word??? I get that we now say "milk toast" but geeze....
johnedaura
So something named after a person is both the person's namesake and an eponym.
Carl Moore
Carl Moore, And by the way, this Guillotin was not guillotined, but a Guillotin with a similar name was.
Carl Moore
Remember, Guillotin did not INVENT the guillotine.
agoldtrout
Never heard that word before, so I got the answer wrong sniff sniff, but hay, eye lernt a nu werd
Helen LoBosco
Lynne, Glad I don't have to work with you.
James Kaighin
Lynne - like you, I do not look up the answer before answering! As you quite correctly say, you are cheating only yourself by that conduct. 🙀
skipsmart
I guessed and got it right. We sure weren’t taught what an eponym was when I was in elementary or junior high school.