Unfortunate Last Names

by Robert Koehler on September 2, 2009

So, a coworker of mine is reading a copy of “Teach Yourself Japanese” by Stefan Kaiser and a one H.J. Ballhatchet.

I cringe in abject horror imagining what medieval English profession led to the coining of that surname…

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Seth Gecko September 2, 2009 at 12:58 pm: Ballhatchet, ouch!

Here’s another (a certain Candian recording artist, popular in the 80′s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7vCww3j2-w&feature=related
2 Hatch SZ September 2, 2009 at 1:17 pm: Chief Mininster of Delhi: Sheila Dikshit
3 red sparrow September 2, 2009 at 1:20 pm: There are a few pretty obvious choices for what the “H.J.” stands for.
4 Seth Gecko September 2, 2009 at 1:43 pm: There are a few pretty obvious choices for what the “H.J.” stands for.

Nice!
5 aaronm September 2, 2009 at 3:09 pm: Why does “Iheartblueballs’” avatar spring to mind when I read this?
6 slouching_tiger September 2, 2009 at 3:15 pm: no worse than the surname “Trampleasure” imho. are you still cringing in “abject horror” at the thought of this profession?
7 Benicio74 September 2, 2009 at 4:34 pm: Went to school with a kid who had the surname “Cockermouth”.
Very unfortunate!
8 Brendon Carr September 2, 2009 at 4:42 pm: I know a number of Korean judges and attorneys named “You Suck”. The lengths to which they go to romanize their names in an attempt to avoid that pronunciation!
9 cmm September 2, 2009 at 5:02 pm: nothing beats 범유석, when written family name last.
10 gbnhj September 2, 2009 at 7:08 pm: Years ago, while travelling in the Annapurna region of Nepal, I spent a night in the samll village of Baggarachap. I didn’t sleep well.
11 jefferyhodges September 2, 2009 at 8:03 pm: “I cringe in abject horror imagining what medieval English profession led to the coining of that surname . . .”

Probably just a guy who tossed his wife all the right balls . . . even if she did fail to catch them. At least, he had his left ones left, or he’d have no descendent named “Ballhatchet.”

Jeffery Hodges

* * *
12 Sperwer September 2, 2009 at 9:07 pm: #10 at least it wasn’t buggerachap.
13 JK September 5, 2009 at 1:50 am: There was a Korean Ph.D student in my dorm at college named “Suk Won.” Fortunately, the poor guy was always at his office doing research, so he avoided a teasing.
14 Arghaeri September 5, 2009 at 4:10 pm: Graham norton on the same topic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1md5VTYn8Rs&feature=PlayList&p=A4B464A33560EB0B&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5