A few days ago
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How (or why) did the name “Tom” become associated with so many things?

tomcat

tomboy

tomfoolery

TomTom (that navigation system)

Peeping Tom

(I know Doubting Thomas is different, but i’m sure I’m missing other tom-related words.)

Top 7 Answers
A few days ago
Expat Mike

Favorite Answer

In the 1500s and 1600s, Tom was considered to be a generic man’s name much like we use “Joe” or “John” today, and it was put on the beginning of many words to denote the average man or something male. For instance, a tomcat is merely a male cat and Tomfoolery came from “Tom Fool”, a slang term for a stupid man. It fell out of favour as a generic man’s name something in the 18th or 19th century, but as you noted, its remnants live on.
4

A few days ago
anobium625
The OED gives as its first definition:

1. With capital T: a familiar shortening of the Christian name Thomas; often a generic name for any male representative of the common people; especially in Tom and Tib (cf. Jack and Jill); Tom, Dick, and Harry, any men taken at random from the common run; Blind Tom, blind-man’s buff. Shakespeare (‘Love’s Labour Lost’) is cited as the first example of the usage.

Shakespeare invented thousands (thousands!) of English words. The definition of Tom with its usages requires three columns of very small print!

1

A few days ago
Anonymous
Peeping Tom is a character in the Lady Godiva story…
1

A few days ago
pir8
because whoever made up all those stupid sayings about a non-existent guy named Tom obviously wasn’t that bright, and Tom was the easiest name for him to spell ….

just kidding. ;O)

you got some good answers though

1

A few days ago
zim_8
Good question.

The best I can come up with is that it is a short, common strictly male name.

1

A few days ago
craz34jason
I’m not sure. lol.

You forgot TOM from myspace. LOL =)

1

A few days ago
Anonymous
tom

time

of

month

its an easy name i guess..

1