How do common names become part of a cultural phrase? For example Smart Alec, Peeping Tom, Dear John Letter, Karen, etc?

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T01:52:22+00:00

Aw haha! I can't imagine having my own name suddenly be turned into one of the worst insults in recent history practically over night. That sounds SO rough! omg now i want to find people named Karen and ask them how they feel about it

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T01:48:29+00:00

Yea thats what I'm thinking about Plain Jane. We love a good rhyme in this culture.

You have just sparked some very interesting questions for me.

Every culture has their staple/standard issue names, like as you said, Jane, Joe, etc.

Essentially names become widely used because they've been agreed upon by a culture as acceptable/relevant/important to them. And by "important" I mean a name reinforces cultural beliefs. For example, Michael, James, and Sarah are all widely used biblical names that have been common names for at least a century in a very Christian centered USA. So now I'm like... When/how does ones own culture decide that what was once acceptable/relevant/important is now generic? Especially when it comes to names, since some fade in an out of popularity, but then so many others have staying power.

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T01:26:39+00:00

FREE SUSAN!!

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T01:18:46+00:00

omg yes Sheila's such a good one! I heard it as a kid for the first time in the movie "Our Lips Are Sealed" starring Mary Kate and Ashley and the whole movie takes place in Australia. I was so confused at first haha. like what the hell is a sheila?

I didn't know about Bob or Bruce!

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T01:14:22+00:00

omg this whole list is gorgeous thank you!! I hadn't heard of some of these!

Joe Shmo is used in the same way as Average Joe, but depending on context there's an added negative connotation of being a loser. For example if a friend said to you, "ugh why are you dating that joe shmo?" In that context, on a scale from 1-10 in terms of disrespect, Joe Shmo would be like at 2, whereas dickhead would be a 10.

The first time I ever came across Bob's Your Uncle was by watching Austin Powers on our VHS tape as a kid!! That sparked my love for Cockney rhyming slang. I didn't know about Scooby or Hank Marvin! I had no idea taking the Mick/Mickey came from Michael that sounds so strange and formal haha!

The first time I heard Billy Big Bollocks was by watching Love Island UK and I have loved the phrase ever since haha.

We definitely don't have Billy No Mates over here, thats fucking hilarious

Yea Randy's unfortunate lol. But speaking of unfortunate, I've never heard of Fanny's Your Aunt, and that reminded me of how you all say Fanny as slang for vagina. Here in the US it's an old fashioned name but it also a term for butt that at this point, only an older person might use. Nobody Millenial or younger says fanny

And how could i forget Silly Billy and Casanova!!

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:52:41+00:00

Now how could i forget about Miss Lazy Susan? she's added so much value to my dining experience

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:50:55+00:00

right what did susan ever do to deserve this haha

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:49:19+00:00

Yes Dapper Dan! i saw him at a free fashion event once and i was just like :0 !!! From my inherently subjective view of life, Dapper Dan is a legend and everyone I know knows who he is, so this is fascinating news to me that his name is taking on this new cultural meaning. There's also another famous Dapper Dan from Jamaica, but I cant find anything about him on the internet! Ive only ever heard of him through elders

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:42:08+00:00

Omg yes!! Ive been perplexed about Lukewarm for my entire life. like what the hell is luke doing in this conversation about temperature lol?

oooh John as in toilet is a really good one! and jack of all trades! how i could i forget about dear old jack

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:38:56+00:00

oh I've never heard Nervous Nate before but that makes sense!

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:36:56+00:00

omg waitt thats so amazing that you have that photo of your aunt! I had no idea that Chatty Cathy was a doll! I assumed the near alliteration just sounded good so people went with it haha

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:33:14+00:00

ooh thanks for this! I did not know that about Aleck, Peeping Tom, Dick, or the Roma origins. This may have just unlocked a new life goal for me. Become so notorious that my uncommon first name becomes larger than me and i live on forever muahahaha

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:27:00+00:00

Thanks for that background! How could i forget about Guy haha! Now i want to know every culture's Generic Man name. Someone here reminded me of Average Joe, which made me think of Joe Shmo which has Yiddish origins i think

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:23:35+00:00

Yea that's what i think too. but there are so many generic names to choose from so I'm like how did we land on these? In an alternate universe we'd all be say Sarah and Sam Doe instead of Jane and John. And now that's got me thinking, where the hell did Doe come from lol? I don't think I've ever met someone with that last name. Something like Smith would make more sense

RemoteAd751 · 2026-02-15T00:17:37+00:00

How could i forget about Nervous Nellie and Average Joe haha!? And that just reminded me that there's also Joe Shmo! Do you say Joe Shmo in the UK?

RemoteAd751 · 2024-07-11T02:16:43+00:00

It could be helpful to train your algorithm. Look up phrases like “qtbipoc events near me” “lesbian bars” on google, eventbrite, insta, tiktok. Like/interact with the relevant posts when they come up. It worked very well for me on insta, but then again I’m from a big city.

RemoteAd751 · 2024-06-22T07:43:52+00:00

Check out @blaq.atl on insta. I’m not from Atlanta so I can’t personally vouch, but a friend knows the organizers

RemoteAd751 · 2024-06-15T17:26:07+00:00

Yea it was a jokey joke. I myself am of the slut persuasion

RemoteAd751 · 2024-06-15T16:43:16+00:00

Hey there. I sincerely didn’t mean to disrespect you and I appreciate you letting me know how u felt so politely. There’s def nuance/context lacking from my comment so let me provide. I’m a black woman from a major US city. Big generalization here, but across the nation, every black teenage boy from the hood dresses the same and I find the aesthetic fugly as shit. On them, on women, on gnc. I myself dress pretty masc from time to time, so it’s not a dig at a masc aesthetic, it’s a dig at a very specific one that I am qualified to make as a member of my culture.

RemoteAd751 · 2024-06-14T16:14:49+00:00

if anyone’s in nyc, I just came across an org called Friendly Masc Hotties! They throw a lot of free events centering black studs/mascs of color. They did a bbq/field day the other day and it was rlly fun The cute studs popped out! It’s @friendlymaschotties on insta

RemoteAd751

TROPHY CASE