People with a middle initial that does not stand for a name

1. Ulysses S Grant. Union Army general and 18th President of the US. Originally called Hiram Ulysses Grant but an error when he went to West Point military academy left him with this name.

2. Harry S Truman. Thirty-third President of the US. Given the S on his birth certificate by his parents as a compromise between two grandparents, Shipp and Solomon. 

3. J K Rowling. Born Joanne Rowling, when Bloomsbury first published her they wanted two initials on her book rather than her first name, so as not to put off boy readers. She chose K for Kathleen, from her grandmother, the name she now uses for formal purposes. 

4. Iain M Banks. Published The Wasp Factory and two more books without the initial, then used the M for his science fiction titles. His parents intended Menzies to be his middle name but made a mistake registering him.

5. Booker T Jones of the band Booker T and the MGs. Named for Booker T Washington but in his case the T stands for no name.

6. David O Selznick. Producer Gone with the Wind. Born with no middle initial he added one because he fancied it.

7. Benoit B Mandelbrot. The B is a maths joke. Mandelbrot invented the word fractal to describe patterns that repeat themselves infinitely. 

8. ‏Michael J Fox. There was already a Michael Fox registered with the Screen Actors Guild and Fox didn’t like his real middle initial, A for Andrew.

9. Russell T Davies. The re-inventor of Doctor Who was born Stephen Russell Davies. The T was chosen at random to distinguish him from the Radio 4 presenter. 

10. Harry H Corbett. Played the son in Steptoe and Son, and added the H, which he said stood for “Hennyfink”, to avoid confusion with the other one, creator of the glove puppet Sooty.

PS Johnny Cash was christened John R Cash but the R was dropped when he served in the military.

The New Testament Figure Barnabas

1. He was a Jewish man
2. He was from the priestly tribe of Levi
3. His name was Joseph
4. He was nicknamed Barnabas (son of encouragement) by the Apostles
5. He was wealthy but generous; he sold a field and gave the proceeds to the Apostles
6. He was from Cyprus but moved to Jerusalem
7. He was cousin to John Mark
8. He was a pastor in Antioch
9. He was the one who went to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch
10. He accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey

Poets Called John

1. John Keats ("Beauty is truth, truth beauty,”– that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know)

2. John Dryden (Happy the man, and happy he alone, He who can call today his own)

3. John Clare (Language has not the power to speak what love indites: The soul lies buried in the ink that writes)

4. John Donne (Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, tolls, It tolls for thee)

5. John Gray (The garrulous sparrows perch on metal Burns. Sing! Sing! they say, and flutter with their wings)

6. John Masefield (I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky; and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by)

7. John Betjeman (Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough! It isn't fit for humans now, There isn't grass to graze a cow. Swarm over, Death!)

8. John Milton (They also serve who only stand and wait)

9. John Updike (The sky is low. The wind is grey. The radiator Purrs all day)

10. John Newton (That I am hers, and she is mine, Invites my feeble lays; But Saviour, that we both are thine, Demands my highest praise)

Football Teams that play in black and white stripes

1. Notts County
2. Newcastle United
3. Grimsby Town
4. St Mirren
5. Dunfermline
6. Juventus
7. Santos
8. Botafogo
9. Borussia Munchengladbach
10. Beşiktaş

Bands with Latin names

1. Status Quo (The existing state of affairs, Rock band)
2. Desideratum (What is needed or wanted, Brazilian metal band)
3. Oasis (Fertile spot in a desert, Rock band)
4. Carpe Diem (Seize the day, French Progrock band)
5. Ipso Facto (By that very fact or act, Goth influenced psychedelic band)
6. Mea Culpa (My fault, US Punk band)
7. Rigor Mortis (Stiffening of the joints of a body after death, US Thrash metal band)
8. Vice versa (In reverse order, Electronic rock band)
9. The Cortinas (Curtained, used for such a phenomenon on some mushrooms, Punk band)
10. Procol Harum (Misspelt, Far from these things, Latin name for Blue Burmese cat, Rock band)

(Based on a Craig Brown idea. Perhaps Madonna and Muse fit)

Scavenger type words

There was a news article recently about mudlarks. It got me thinking of these various terms.

1. Beachcomber (someone who walks along a beach looking for valuable or interesting items)
2. Mudlark (someone who scavenfes in river mud lookiung forobjets of value)
3. Scavenger (someone who searches for and collects discarded items)
4. Forager (someone who searches widely for food or provisions)
5. Treasure hunter (someone who searches for suken, buried, lost or hidden treasure and other artifacts)
6. Scrounger (someone who searches about and turns up something needed from whatever source available)
7. Rummager (someone who searches for soemthingdifficult to find among other things)
8. Gatherer (someone who collects things or forages for them)
9. Collecter (someone who collects objects togerher, ususally becasue they are valuable or interestng)
10. Hoarder (someone who collects large amouonts of something and keeps it for themselves, often ina secret place)

(A detectorist is someone whose hobby is usinga metal detector to locate lost coins, etc)

Items to collect on a fool's errand

George Orwell's Coming up for air includes a list of items for a fool's errand (new apprentices, etc). He only gives four examples. I start with his and then add others.

1. Ha'porth worth of penny stamps

2. Rubber hammer (my dad was sent for one of these and actually got one as they do exist, a glass hammer is a better alternative)

3. Left-handed screwdriver (or hammer or spanner)

4. Striped paint (also available in tartan)

5. A new bubble for the spirit level

6. Sparks for the grinder

7. Bucket of steam

8. Straight hook

9. Long weight/wait

10. Skirting board ladder

(Bags for a Dyson is more modern; sky hooks is an old one)