They are all found in this fascinating compendium of eponyms-words named after people- product names, song lyrics and real-life namesakes of fictional characters. 

The author reveals, through bite-sized bits of biography, the real-life people and events lurking behind the words and phrases we use every day. From nursery rhymes and song lyrics to Barbie dolls and brands of beer, Laura Lee delivers an intriguing gallery of stories to accompany a wide array of names-names that we will never see in quite the same way. 

While most of us dream of having something named after us, some people, such as Joseph Hooker, and Thomas Lushington 
(the original "lush") may wish they hadn't. These humorous, accessible stories illuminate lives that have become fossilized in popular language, only to be dug up and dusted off for our convenience and amusement. Never again will anyone have to worry if there really was a Dr. Pepper, Calamity Jane, or James Bond. The Name's Familiar: Mr. Leotard, Barbie, and Chef Boy-ar-dee provides all the answers to questions about words we never thought to ask. Author Laura Lee has amassed a formidable amount of linguistic trivia in her search for interesting and unusual facts for her "Tuesday Trivia" radio program.  Though no longer a radio personality, Ms. Lee's love of eponyms grew into this entertaining tome. 

In the words of the Midwest Book Review: "After reading this book, if you had to perform a Heimlich maneuver because of a Rubik's Cube, you might not be prepared to save a life, but you could thoroughly educate the victim." 

312 pp. 51h x 81/2  ISBN: 1-56554-394-7

About the Author