Can You Tell Which of These Things Were Named After People?

Question: Which word comes from the name of an 18th-century German physician who suggested that invisible fluid in the body reacts to the laws of magnetism?

Answer: The word mesmerize (meaning to captivate or hypnotize) comes from the name of Franz Mesmer, an 18th-century German physician who suggested that invisible fluid in the body reacts to the laws of magnetism. Physicians and other experts of the day labeled Mesmer a fraud.

Question: Which weapon was named after its inventor, a British artillery officer?

Answer: Shrapnel is named after British artillery officer Henry Shrapnel, who invented the weapon in the late 18th century. Shrapnel is the collective projectiles, typically small shot but also fragments of shell casing, that are scattered by an explosive charge.

Question: Which nut, indigenous to Australia, was named after a regarded chemist, medical teacher, and politician?

Answer: The director of the Royal Botanical Gardens and National Herbarium of Victoria, named the macadamia nut after his good friend and colleague, John Macadam, a regarded chemist, medical teacher, and politician.

Question: Which food was named after the nickname of the maître d’ who first served it?

Answer: Nachos were named after the nickname of maître d’ (or possibly chef, details vary) Ignacio Anaya García, who first created and served the dish to a group of military wives visiting Piedras Negras in 1943.

Question: Which word is partially derived from the name of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell?

Answer: The word decibel (a unit for measuring the intensity of sound) is partially derived from the name of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. The bel in decibel comes from his name.

Question: Which word derives from the name of a rancher who famously let his unbranded cattle roam free?

Answer: The word maverick derives from the name of Samuel A. Maverick, a rancher who famously let his unbranded cattle roam free. Over time maverick became a word for unbranded cattle, though today it more commonly means a person who acts individually rather than with a group.

Question: Which comes from the name of its creator, who designed this instrument for use by military bands and orchestras?

Answer: The term saxophone comes from the name of Adolphe Sax, who patented the instrument in France in 1846. Sax created the saxophone for use by military bands and orchestras.

Question: Which word comes from the name of the developer of the flexible, unbreakable plastic polyethylene?

Answer: The brand Tupperware gets its name from Earl Tupper, who developed a flexible, unbreakable plastic called polyethylene, which he used to manufacture lightweight containers with airtight lids similar to those found on paint cans.

Question: Which food is named after a 19th-century clergyman known for promoting coarsely ground wheat flour to improve health?

Answer: The graham cracker is named for Sylvester Graham, a 19th-century clergyman known for promoting coarsely ground wheat flour to improve health. He invented the cracker in 1829.