Namely, 6

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

6: braille: a writing system comprising raised dots that represent letters. It allows blind or visually impaired people to read. (Louis Braille, 1809–52, himself blind since childhood, invented the system still in use today; first use of the word in 1853.)

She learned to read and write in Braille—

Determined she would never fail.

She mastered it—determined to

Succeed in what she wished to do.

She wrote some books—they were a hit.

(She never really bragged of it.)

An inspiration she’s become—

Her life’s become a vibrant drum

Whose beat excites all those who hear—

Its message, animating, clear.

Namely, 5

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

5: boycott: the withdrawal of support, or the refusal to buy or use something, as a form of protest or activism; (also a verb). (From Charles C. Boycott, 1832–97, English land agent, who was ostracized by the Irish for refusing to reduce rents—from 1880)

I didn’t know this word had once

Been some dude’s actual name.

So I don’t think I’ll ever view

This word, well, quite the same.

For now I’ll always think about

That very stingy dude

Whose actions were supremely gross—

Oh, far much more than crude.

A warning then emerges from

The forming of this word:

Be careful what you do: Your name

Could otherwise be heard

Whenever people have some bad

Things that they want to say—

A future foul—forever cursed

In our most human way.

Namely, 4

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

4: bobby: a police officer (informal, British English) (named for Sir Robert Peel, 1788–1850, who organized the London police force)

The bobby didn’t smile at me—

He needn’t smile at me, of course.

He caught me in a felony,

And though he just had joined the force,

He recognized a burglary;

He recognized the home, the spouse.

And so he didn’t smile at me,

For I was robbing his own house.

Namely, 3

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

3: atlas: a book of maps (from Atlas, a Titan condemned to holding the world on his back after losing the Titans’ war with the gods)

In days before our GPS—

We used a map—or had to guess—

Where we were going (what a mess!).

An atlas helped when we were lost—

But atlases we sometimes tossed

Because they never did exhaust

The many possibilities.

Some roads were missing (what a tease!)—

And towns and rivers—things like these.

But GPS has helped a lot—

Though is it perfect? It is not!

But … for right now? The best we’ve got.

Namely, 2

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

2: aphrodisiac: a food or other substance that triggers sexual arousal or makes sexual encounters more pleasurable (source: from Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty)

He was a kind of maniac

To think some aphrodisiac

Would make him feel such great desire—

Like some great raging forest fire—

When he was so far past his prime

That all he’d do was pantomime

The feelings from his fiery youth.

In one his age, it seemed … uncouth.

They found him there, the EMTs,

All curled near death, a final wheeze

Escaping from his foolish mouth.

He died—and journeyed to the south

To find out what his life had bought:

A place that was forever … hot.

But he was glad—he didn’t care—
For Aphrodite wasn’t there!

Namely, 1

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

1: Adam’s apple: the lump of cartilage surrounding the larynx at the front of the human neck—most noticeable on adult men (source: back to 1625; one possible idea for the source: when Adam swallowed the apple, it stuck)

His Adam’s apple—huge and thick—

Made those who looked at him feel sick.

“But I can’t help it!” (So he cried.)

But no one listened—thought he’d lied.

Eventually, he found a wife—

A lucky man—it saved his life.

No more did he just wail and grieve,

For now he’d married his own Eve.

Namely, Introduction

NAMELY

EP-oh-nimz

a word based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2

Introduction

Yes, eponym’s a funny word—

A word that one day came

From some important person, who

Contributed his name.

Or hers. And there are a lot of words

That once were born like this,

And we will visit some of them—

But please don’t boo and hiss.

Another journey! Off we go!

I’ll use no sleight of hand.

So have your boarding passes to

Dear Dictionaryland!

We’ll spend some fall and winter months

Pursuing eponyms—

Those words we have which long ago

Were names of hers and hims.