There Once Was a Man Named Leotard: People Who Became Nouns
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Photograph by Hulton Archive/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Before there were silhouettes, there was a French fellow named Silhouette. And before there were Jacuzzi parties there were seven inventive brothers by that name. It’s easy to forget that some of the most common words in the English language came from living, breathing people. Explore these real-life namesakes courtesy of Slate’s partnership with LIFE.com.
Jules Leotard: Tight Fit
French acrobat Jules Leotard didn’t just invent the art of the trapeze, he also lent his name to the skin-tight, one-piece outfit that allowed him to keep his limbs free while performing. (He’s also the inspiration for the song, “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.” )
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Photograph by Imagno/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Etienne Silhouette: Shadow of a Doubt
French finance minister Etienne Silhouette was an unpopular figure in 18th-century France, and when it became known that he was a fan of the cheap art of cutting out figures of people instead of drawing full portraits, the craft took on his name.
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Photograph by George Doyle via LIFE.com.
The Jacuzzi Brothers: Hot Stuff!
Italian immigrants and former aircraft manufacturers, the Jacuzzi brothers (seven of them) started on the path to inventing, making, and selling whirlpool-treatment hot tubs in 1948 because Candido Jacuzzi's son suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Now they’re known to the public simply as jacuzzis.
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Photograph by Trago/WireImage via LIFE.com.
Earl of Sandwich: Take a Bite
John Montagu, the fourth earl of Sandwich, was a notable political and military figure in 18th-century Britain, but he’s probably best remembered for being the namesake of the sandwich, which he legendarily had a valet invent for him so he could eat meals while hunched over work at his desk. Here: The earl’s descendant, John Montagu, the 11th earl of Sandwich, digs in at Disneyland Paris.
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Photograph by Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Leonhart Fuchs: Pretty in Pink
The pioneering 16th-century German botanist had a flowering shrub—the fuchsia—named after him over a century after his death. The color of that flower (a pinkish or reddish purple) is also called “fuchsia.”
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Photograph by Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Osman I: Giving Beauties a Place To Rest
Osman I founded the dynasty that created the empire that bore his name (the Ottoman Empire). The Ottoman Empire in turn became known for its luxurious reclining furniture, and lent its name in the West to a kind of large, plush stool you can rest your feet or Marilyn Monroe on.
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Photograph by Staff/AFP/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Ferdinand von Zeppelin: Stairways to Heaven
German engineer Ferdinand von Zeppelin spent more than 40 years of his life working on the airship to which he gave his name. He also lent his name, of course, to the classic-rock band Led Zeppelin. Ramble on!
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Photograph by Dave Hogan/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Guy Fawkes: Hey, Dude
The Catholic conspirator who tried to blow up Parliament in 1605 didn’t just give us creepy masks and V for Vendetta; he’s also the origin of the use of the word “guy” to mean any random man. Here’s how: After Fawkes was thwarted and hanged and quartered, the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot became an annual celebration in England. The most popular way to celebrate it? By lighting fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes. “Guy” became slang for effigies in general, and then for men wearing unusual clothes, and then just for men in general.
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Photograph by Sean Sexton/Getty Images via LIFE.com.
Related: More Men and Women Who Became Nouns. See the man called Spooner and the bearded wonders who gave life to the words cardigan and sideburn at LIFE.com.
Update Aug. 15, 2011: This gallery originally included an entry for Joseph Hooker. We have removed that slide because it is almost certainly a myth.
Charles Boycott: No Sale
The English army captain and hated land agent for Lord Erne in County Mayo, Ireland, became persona non grata when he attempted to evict 11 tenants. His neighborhors heeded Charles Parnell’s call to ostracize and avoid business with people like Boycott, instead of resorting to violence. “Boycott” now means to refuse to do business with someone for political reasons.