Naming names

Slap your name on it: Discover the wonderful world of eponyms

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Not all words are created equal. Some are meant to name something, and some others are meant to name someone, or someplace. We call the latter ones names. But, sometimes, the people behind those names end up being associated with particular things that, in turn, inherit the names of those individuals. Did you know that Sandwich was a man who invented the meal? Or that Braille was an individual who created the reading method used by blind people? Take a look at these 12 cases of eponyms. Which ones did you already know about?

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Let’s get this one right out of the bat, in case you are getting hungry. John Montagu was the 4th Earl of Sandwich, and he, supposedly, asked for meat between two slices of bread so he could keep playing cards without getting greasy fingers.

His invention proved successful, and since then, his name has been associated with the delicious and practical treat.

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The diesel engine is named after German engineer Rudolf Diesel, who invented it in the 1890s. It works by using heat from compressed air to ignite fuel, which is why it's also called a compression-ignition engine.

Diesel's invention was a major leap in efficiency over steam engines. He even imagined it running on vegetable oil: an idea that helped inspire modern biodiesel.

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The second food entry in our list, though not the last, belongs to the beef patty. James H. Salisbury was an American doctor who promoted a meat-heavy diet to treat digestive issues. He called his recommended dish "muscle pulp of beef."

The name Salisbury steak has been used since 1897 for a ground beef patty, though today’s version differs from his original recipe.

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The name Jacuzzi comes from a family of Italian immigrant brothers who founded the company in 1915. Originally focused on aviation and agriculture, they later shifted to water systems, inventing the first submersible pump in 1925.

In 1968, Roy Jacuzzi created the first self-contained whirlpool bath, called the Roman. Though Jacuzzi is a trademark, the name is often used generically for jetted tubs and hot tubs.

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Perhaps not the most luxurious cracker, but a trusty one, indeed, the graham cracker is named after Sylvester Graham, a 19th-century preacher and health reformer who promoted a diet of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Graham created a coarse, bland cracker made from graham flour as part of his health-focused diet. The snack was meant to support clean living and became a symbol of his nutritional ideals.

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Braille is a reading and writing system for the blind, created by Louis Braille in the early 1800s. It uses raised dots in a 6-dot cell to represent letters, numbers, and punctuation.

Braille lost his sight as a child and later improved on a complex night writing code. He simplified it and published his system in 1829, which became the global standard for blind literacy we know today.

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The cardigan sweater is named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British officer known for leading the Charge of the Light Brigade.

He was said to wear a knitted, front-opening sweater under his uniform during the Crimean War, inspiring the name of the now-classic garment.

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The Fahrenheit scale is named after German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, who introduced it in 1724. It gained popularity in the British Empire and is still used in the U.S. today.

Fahrenheit set 0°F as the freezing point of brine and 96°F as body temperature. The scale was later adjusted to place water's freezing point at 32°F and boiling point at 212°F, creating 180 degrees between them.

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The word boycott comes from Captain Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland. In 1880, locals refused to work with or speak to him to protest unfair rents and evictions.

This method of social and economic isolation was so effective and unique that his name became the term for it. Today, a boycott is used worldwide to describe similar protests.

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Mausoleum comes from the grand tomb of Mausolus, a Persian ruler in ancient Greece. His burial site, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Its fame led to the use of a mausoleum for any large, impressive tomb built to honor important people.

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The name of the Zeppelin aircraft comes from Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a German general who led the development of rigid airships.

His airships were called Luftschiff Zeppelin, and his name itself traces back to the town of Zepelin in Germany.

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Leotard comes from Jules Léotard, a 19th-century French acrobat known for his trapeze acts. He originally called the garment a maillot.

Over time, the tight, one-piece outfit he wore became linked to his name, and the leotard became the standard term for this kind of clothing.

Furry instincts

When animals flee, take cover: 10 chilling early warnings from nature

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Long before radar and satellites, animals have relied on their sensory superpowers to detect natural disasters. From elephants hearing through the ground to ants reacting to tremors and storms in advance, many creatures exhibit behaviors that hint at impending doom—often hours or even days before it hits. Here's a list of 10 real ways animals are believed to detect and respond to natural disasters.

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Elephants can detect low-frequency seismic vibrations through their feet, known as infrasound. These sounds travel great distances through the ground, giving elephants an early warning system for earthquakes.

Field studies in Sri Lanka and Thailand have recorded elephants moving to higher ground hours before tsunamis and quakes.

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Dogs often display signs of anxiety—pacing, whining, hiding—before storms or earthquakes. In some cases, they have even alerted owners to seizures or cardiac events.

Their acute sense of smell and hearing allows them to detect subtle changes in barometric pressure and even the scent of ozone that precedes a thunderstorm. In quake-prone areas, dogs have been reported barking frantically seconds before tremors strike.

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Sharks can detect shifts in barometric pressure, allowing them to dive deeper before hurricanes strike.

In 2001, tagged bonnethead sharks in Florida were observed diving rapidly in response to Hurricane Gabrielle’s approach. Their pressure-sensitive lateral lines function like an early-warning system for dangerous storms.

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Ants have been observed to alter their foraging behavior and nest structure before earthquakes. Scientists believe they react to changes in soil gases and vibrations.

In addition to earthquakes, ants can also detect approaching storms. Changes in barometric pressure and humidity can cause ants to become more active or retreat deeper into their nests.

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As one would expect, birds are highly responsive to changes in air pressure. Many species change flight paths or stop migrating if a storm is coming.

In 2014, golden-winged warblers abruptly left Tennessee days before a deadly tornado outbreak, only returning after the threat passed. GPS trackers on some of the birds confirmed the sudden 900-mile round-trip escape.

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Fish have been recorded jumping out of the water just before earthquakes, possibly reacting to pressure or specific chemical changes.

In Japan, koi and eels exhibited panic-like thrashing and leaping before the 2011 Tōhoku quake. Researchers suggest their specialized senses can detect subtle pressure waves or dissolved gas anomalies in water.

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Rats often leave urban areas en masse before major flooding events. Sewer vibrations or scent cues may warn them of the incoming danger.

In India and Bangladesh, mass rat migration has historically preceded flash floods. Their survival relies on quickly identifying danger zones, and some believe their whiskers help detect water movement and even vibrations deep underground.

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Dolphins may be able to detect algal blooms (red tides) from miles away and often swim clear of affected areas.

Scientists believe their acute echolocation could help them sense chemical changes or detect developing dead zones. In Florida, dolphins have been observed avoiding regions impacted by Karenia brevis blooms long before any visible changes appear in the water.

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Frogs may alter their calls ahead of seismic activity, responding to low-frequency vibrations.

Researchers in Japan recorded changes in frog croaking patterns in the days before the 2011 quake. The frogs emitted less frequent and lower-pitched calls, suggesting discomfort from environmental shifts.

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Crickets often go silent ahead of disasters. This curious behavior may be linked to their sensitivity to ground vibrations and air pressure changes.

Studies in Indonesia noted decreased cricket chirping before tsunamis. The silence has been proposed as a natural indicator, potentially tied to shifts in humidity or ground tension.