this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1

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Nominative predeterminism?

Edit: word

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[–] TragicNotCute@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I mean, it’s their names.

In 1869, Goldman Sachs was founded by Marcus Goldman in New York City in a one-room basement office next to a coal chute. In 1882, Goldman's son-in-law Samuel Sachs joined the firm.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 32 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Goldman for "son of gold".

And Sachs as the same Germanic root of "Saxon" one of the groups who conquered England.

Two insanely wealthy old money names.

When they say "started next to a coal chute" it makes it sound like it was a small business...

But Goldman was insanely wealthy and the company's first investments were "IOUs".

It was basically a loan racket, the "office" was where the poor people were who needed high interest loans because a bank wouldn't loan.

They "started from the bottom" as much as Drake did when he went into rapping.

[–] woop_woop@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Son of gold would be "goldson". "Goldman" would be a moniker for someone who worked with gold (miner, jeweler, gilder) or possessed/wore a lot of it.

[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

Drake raps? I thought he just gets bored and starts mumbling and someone records it and puts it to music.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

Being their real names doesn't keep it from sounding like a joke name.

[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

That doesn't really make it any less crazy.

Imagine working at a smithy called Smiths run by Joe Smith, who is a Smith. That's at least as wild.
It's so on the nose that if you read it in a book you'd roll your eyes and call it lazy writing

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's actually the origin of several last names like Smith. Carpenter, Miller, Cooper, waller, Fisher, Chandler, Carter, black, and barker are believed to have originated from professions.

[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm aware, that's pretty common knowledge.

I'ma write a book about someone who works for a tailor named Taylor Tailor at their tailor shop called Tailor's Tailoring which is run out of a trailer. It'll be tailor Taylor Tailer's Tailor's Tailoring tailoring trailer. It will be a very serious book, because none of this is in the least but funny.

[–] meekah@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Please actually do. Somehow I feel like it would be a delight to read. I guess I just like dry humor

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 week ago

Many surnames were introduced by profession.

[–] xylogx@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I once had a coworker named Fanny Weiner.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

I had a professor who went by Bill, because he was a William Williamson.