A game?

[ginny_t]

Today, a well-known geneticist was mis-identified as a physicist. In defence of the error, the geneticist is best-known as an environmental activist rather than geneticist. It got me thinking of the linguist who's better known as a political commentator.

So the game: let's try to come up with as many similar situations as we can. I thought about making it a guessing game, but y'all are smarter than me and have a really diverse background in the aggregate. So, cough up the names, too.

Yes, I'madork. Shut up.

Edit: As strayfish points out, I broke my own rules. The geneticist is David Suzuki; the linguist is Noam Chomsky. Okay now, go!

Comments

[strayfish.livejournal.com]

ie Noam Chomsky (for the second one)?

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Ding ding!

I guess I ought to play by my own rules, eh? *hides*

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

How about a warmonger who's better known as the current leader of the liberal party?

....

OKAY I MAY BE MORE BITTER THAN I NEED TO BE HERE. I read today's paper, is all.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

*petpet* I'm afraid that one's disqualified. I suggest you go to the penalty corner, where you'll be served tea and little iced cakes.

[gruberman.livejournal.com]

Alan Turing! Famous for the Turing Test, and to a lesser degree, some important work in theoretical computer science.

Should be better know for basically winning World War 2 before being mercilessly persecuted by the British Government for his sexuality.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

He is better known for Enigma. How many eople even know what the Turing test is?

[gruberman.livejournal.com]

Really? I polled around and most people I asked had heard the phrase Turing Test but didn't know anything else about him.

[hymnia.livejournal.com]

A philologist who's better known as a novelist. That one's easy enough to guess, I think. There's also a whole club of pastors who are better known as political commentators. *rolls eyes*

(I admit I'm not sure how to play the game. What qualifies as the "real" identity vs. what they are famous for? Is the "real" identity what field they make a living in? What field they had the most training/education in?)

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I was thinking trained in one field but famous/notorious for work in another.

So, who's the philologist?

So far, there's an overwhelming number of "X turned novelist". I'm cool with that. ^_^

[gruberman.livejournal.com]

Oh philologist is Tolkien, I think.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Oh crap. I just lost serious geek points on that one, didn't I? *hides*

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Art historian better known as a novelist - Anita Brookner
Semiotician better known as a novelist - Umberto Eco
Governor General better known as a novelist - John Buchan
Bishop better known as a cricketer - David Sheppard

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

You're the reason it wasn't a guessing game. You have mad skillz. ^_^

[edg.livejournal.com]

Ornithologist better known as a British spy: James Bond.

(Yes, I jest. ;)

[jonofthewired.livejournal.com]

Electrical engineer and programmer better known as an absurdly wealthy business man and mayor of New York -- Michael Bloomberg

Oh, good one!

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

...among other things.

(I think a lot of people are surprised when they find out he's no stock market expert [if such a thing exists!]. I know I was.)

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

You can guess these two:

Banker better known as painter

Orientalist better known for Greek paleo-linguistics

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

OK here you go:

Gauguin

Martin Bernal

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I don't even know who Martin Bernal is. Quick! To wikipedia. ^_^

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

He's timely given RaceFail 09

[serpentrose.livejournal.com]

Here's one for you to identify:

A mathematician better known as a writer of children's books.

[gruberman.livejournal.com]

Lewis Carrol.

Easy-peasy :P

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

beat me to it!