Mom grew up near a family with the last name of Outhouse. Considering that was the 1920’s the kids took an awful lot of teasing. They all charged their last names when they grew up. They didn’t pick the same last name. Try tracking that in Ancestry.com
My Dad told me this story of the origin of the name, Thornapple: He was trying to think of a name that fit his Born Loser title character and he was stumped. So he took a long drive out in the country, beyond our hometown of Cleveland, to be alone with his thoughts. He passed a street sign with the name, Thornapple Lane, and thought that was just what he was looking for. I figured nobody would ever guess the source of the unusual name he settled on. Several years later, when I went away to college, I met a classmate who turned out to become one of my best friends. His family lived on that very same Thornapple Lane! When he learned my dad was the cartoonist for The Born Loser, he wanted to know how he came up with such an unusual name that happened to be the same as that of his short street out in the country, outside Cleveland. Small world! If you would like to see more behind the scenes stories about The Born Loser, like and follow The Born Loser Facebook page. I plan to regularly post stories like this there.
I live near Pine Tree Apple Orchard, and I always wondered how they get such good apples off of those pine trees. And they don’t sell pineapples either! But we get really good apple donuts there every autumn.
oldpine52 over 4 years ago
When I was growing up, there were some Thornapples living in our town.
stellanova87 over 4 years ago
There are so many surnames that are worse than Thornapple. I heard of this family with the last name of Hogg and the father named his daughter Ima.
fuzzbucket Premium Member over 4 years ago
It is what you make it.
nosirrom over 4 years ago
I had neighbors with the surname of Sweat. Fortunately none of them were named Willy, Kenny, or Desi.
Skeptical Meg over 4 years ago
I knew a guy who took his bride’s name when he wed. His was “Bullwinkle” and she said no way.
dorotheac928 over 4 years ago
My minister’s wife’s college roommate was Ramsbottom. She couldn’t wait to get married and ditch the name. Then she fell in love with a Lipshitz!
rhpii over 4 years ago
Mom grew up near a family with the last name of Outhouse. Considering that was the 1920’s the kids took an awful lot of teasing. They all charged their last names when they grew up. They didn’t pick the same last name. Try tracking that in Ancestry.com
Michael G. over 4 years ago
https://www.israellycool.com/2011/04/22/lord-have-mercy-on-sister-schmuck/
ChessPirate over 4 years ago
I remember a couple of Chessplayer names – Hertneck and Grosspeter… ☺
Bob. over 4 years ago
Our coroner was named Croake. I went to Dr. Butcher.
adrianrune over 4 years ago
I use to work with a woman whose maiden name was Crapson.
fix-n-fly over 4 years ago
I can’t help my name – the cartoonist gave it to me :-)
Brutus P. Thornapple creator over 4 years ago
My Dad told me this story of the origin of the name, Thornapple: He was trying to think of a name that fit his Born Loser title character and he was stumped. So he took a long drive out in the country, beyond our hometown of Cleveland, to be alone with his thoughts. He passed a street sign with the name, Thornapple Lane, and thought that was just what he was looking for. I figured nobody would ever guess the source of the unusual name he settled on. Several years later, when I went away to college, I met a classmate who turned out to become one of my best friends. His family lived on that very same Thornapple Lane! When he learned my dad was the cartoonist for The Born Loser, he wanted to know how he came up with such an unusual name that happened to be the same as that of his short street out in the country, outside Cleveland. Small world! If you would like to see more behind the scenes stories about The Born Loser, like and follow The Born Loser Facebook page. I plan to regularly post stories like this there.
Lightpainter over 4 years ago
While using ancestry.com, I found an ancestor in the 1700s named “ Waitstill Death”. I was creeped out! This was a female.
walstib Premium Member over 4 years ago
I live near Pine Tree Apple Orchard, and I always wondered how they get such good apples off of those pine trees. And they don’t sell pineapples either! But we get really good apple donuts there every autumn.