META
title: The letter X is named for its inventor, Malcolm X
published: 0

I'm often amused by silly things, and one class of silly things that
often amuse me is the one represented by the claim that the cutting
board was named for its inventor, James B. Cutting.


Similarly, the transistor radio is named for James B. Transistor, the
telephone for James B. Telephone

glass was invented by James B. Glass, 

Many things, of course, really are named for the person who invented
or discovered them, so there are many claims of this type that aren't
jokes.  The diesel engine was named for its inventor, Rudolf Diesel;
the Franklin stove was named for its inventor, Benjamin Franklin.  And
there are some funny-sounding examples that are nevertheless true:

* The boysenberry was named for its inventor, Ralph Boysen

* The saxamaphone was named for its inventor, Adolphe Saxama

* The fallopian tubes were named for their discoverer, Gabriele Falloppio

* The guillotine was named for its inventor, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin

* The boycott is named after noted boycott target Charles Boycott

* The stent (medical device) is named for its probable inventor,
  Charles Thomas Stent

The joke is often soured, for me, by the long history of men, and
especially white men, taking credit for everyone else's discoveries.
If I suggest that coffee was discovered by James B. Coffee, I'm just
abetting another injustice

(Need example here.)
(Perhaps the most absurd example being
Realdo Columbo's notorious claim to have discovered the clitoris, a claim
which even in 1559 was widely ridiculed.)

The movie _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure_ has an excellent
version of this joke.  Bill and Ted are introduced by time-traveling
Rufus to the greatest thinkers in human history: Socrates, Beethoven,
and so on.  One is a scraggly-haired woman dressed in animal skins.
Rufus explains that this is the most brilliant inventor of all time:
she invented the wheel.

“Whoah!” exclaim Bill and Ted, and ask her what her name is.

“WHEEL!”)

More examples:
Sideburns.
Sandwiches.
The Poynting vector
The bowler hat
Bluetooth
Southern blot test (and not-similar western blot test)
Saxaphone / Sousaphone
Caesarian delivery
Shrapnel

The doily is supposedly named after some guy named Doiley.
  (Can't verify this.)

Women examples:
Wheel
Melitta filters
Bloomers

My fault:
Data marshaling

Silly:
Bouillon cubes are named for George Boole
Scallion pancakes are named for Antonin Scalia.
Barbarian hordes are named for James B. Barbar.
Ovarian cancer is named for James B. Ovar.
Metric spaces are named for James B. Metric
Gasoline engines are named for Anton Gasolin.

(Paper punch) chads are not so-called because there was an innovative
    chadless punch invented by Mr. Chadless.

Another list of things unexpectedly named after people:
   https://notes.rolandcrosby.com/posts/unexpectedly-eponymous/

The corn dog was actually named for James H. Corn:
https://www.tumblr.com/counter-facts-i-just-made-up/724771760488300544/this-is-actually-a-common-misconception-while-the

Maybe see also:
* lang/Boolean.blog
* https://recurse.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/388954-etymology/topic/Things.20unexpectedly.20named.20after.20people/near/422945995