[X] My Assistant

[dvandorn]

Bruce, I was watching a special on modern China the other day and a China specialist was pontificating on several points. His name was Bill Moomaw.

Now, you're the first person I ever ran across with that last name, so I figure it can't be all *that* common. Is this fellow some relation of yours?

-the other Doug

[elakdawalla]

It's Indian (my husband's a Parsi). "walla" is a term for a seller of something, so you see all kinds of -wallas among his community; Motiwalla, Daruwalla, even, and I am completely serious about this, Sodawaterwalla. Stupid British; the Parsis didn't have surnames until the British came in and said "What! What! Of course you must have surnames." The Parsis made up surnames either from their cities of origin or their occupations (There are also lots of "Contractors" and "Engineers" among the Parsis). "Lakdawalla" is timber-merchant; the Parsis were majorly into shipbuilding. I have heard what may be urban legends about the surnames "Waysidepetrolstationwalla" and even "Sodawaterbottleopenerwalla". I can't vouch for the veracity of those but I have actually met a Sodawaterwalla.

--Emily

[lyford]

"walla" is a term for a seller of something

Thank goodness the English never encounted a realtor from this town.

Though "Lyford" is apparently a corruption of the Welsh for "Crossing Where The Flax Grows."

Bruce, I was watching a special on modern China the other day and a China specialist was pontificating on several points. His name was Bill Moomaw.

A Moomaw pontificating? What are the odds? (I KID THE NICE PEOPLE!!!!)