Meet the Parents

Question

In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which means one that brings bad luck. Why would you call a cat that you like "Jinx"?

Then The father asked Greg "Shirt fit Okay? Greg" after the mom went to find some shirt for Greg after Greg got spit on by a baby. Should the father say "Shirt fits okay?" since 'Shirt' is the third person singular here.
When Jack suspects that Greg do pot, he says,"if I find that you are trying to corrupt my firstborn child, I'll bring you down, I'll bring you down to Chinatown."? What does "bring someone down to Chinatown" mean here?
Pam's folks call Pam "Pamcake", Pam's ex calls Greg "Gregger". How do people come up with these different callings? For its sake, can Jennifer be called Jenny or Jen?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which means one that brings bad luck. Why would you call a cat that you like "Jinx"?[/nq]
Jinx is a common cat name... cats are associated with luck after all.

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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which means one that brings bad luck. Why would you call a cat that you like "Jinx"?[/nq]
Because you didn't believe in bad luck, which would make "Jinx" a type of joke name?
I'm reminded of a Superman episode from the '50s television program, "The Lucky Cat," in which a group of businessmen met regularly at a club called "The Anti-Superstition Society," whose purpose should be obvious from the name. Among other things, they began each meeting by taking a hammer and breaking a mirror.

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which ... Why would you call a cat that you like "Jinx"?[/nq]
[nq:1]Because you didn't believe in bad luck, which would make "Jinx" a type of joke name? I'm reminded of a Superman episode from the '50s television program, "The Lucky Cat," in which a group of businessmen met regularly at a club called[/nq]
Make that, "I'm reminded of the episode 'The Lucky Cat' from the '50s Superman television program.."
[nq:1]"The Anti-Superstition Society," whose purpose should be obvious from the name. Among other things, they began each meeting by taking a hammer and breaking a mirror.[/nq]
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I'm reminded of a Superman episode from the '50s television program, "The Lucky Cat," in which a group of businessmen met regularly at a club called "The Anti-Superstition Society," whose purpose should be obvious from the name.[/nq]
They thought ants were bad luck and couldn't spell?

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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which means one that brings bad luck. Why would you call a cat that you like "Jinx"?[/nq]
Cats get called all sorts of names.
[nq:1]Then The father asked Greg "Shirt fit Okay? Greg" after the mom went to find some shirt for Greg after Greg got spit on by a baby. Should the father say "Shirt fits okay?" since 'Shirt' is the third person singular here.[/nq]
The father is abbreviating the question, 'Does the shirt fit okay?' ('Shirt fit okay'? is informal speech. Not strictly correct - but commonly heard. It is less acceptable in writing.)
[nq:1]When Jack suspects that Greg do pot, he says,"if I find that you are trying to corrupt my firstborn child, I'll bring you down, I'll bring you down to Chinatown."? What does "bring someone down to Chinatown" mean here?[/nq]
I have no idea.
[nq:1]Pam's folks call Pam "Pamcake", Pam's ex calls Greg "Gregger". How do people come up with these different callings? For its sake, can Jennifer be called Jenny or Jen?[/nq]
They are called nicknames. Often a person is called something other than his real name. For instance, tall people are often called Lofty. Nicknames are often formed from peoples proper names, such as Jen for Jennifer. Jenny is more of an abbreviation of the real name.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]When Jack suspects that Greg do pot, he says,"if I ... Chinatown."? What does "bring someone down to Chinatown" mean here?[/nq]
[nq:1]I have no idea.[/nq]
Perhaps it's mainly supposed to be a funny rhyming phrase, a way of giving emphasis to the statement "I'll bring you down". Chinatown in New York (Largest City in America) has long been thought of as a place where there are violent gangs battling each other. I'm reminded too of Donald Fagen's song "Green Flower Street", the lyrics of which appear to describe a cross-cultural romantic affair in the midst of a violent Chinatown in some imaginary city. So I think there's some suggestion of "I'll bring you down in a particularly violent way, so that you will suffer a fate like that of the hapless victims of gang violence in Chinatown".
[nq:2]Pam's folks call Pam "Pamcake", Pam's ex calls Greg "Gregger". ... For its sake, can Jennifer be called Jenny or Jen?[/nq]
[nq:1]They are called nicknames. Often a person is called something other than his real name. For instance, tall people are often called Lofty.[/nq]
Often? "Stretch" I can see. But another common theme in nicknames, maybe less so nowadays than a few generations ago, is the ironic nickname. For example, a guy with a shaved head, like Jerome Lester Horwitz of Bath Beach, Brooklyn (Fourth Largest City in America), might be called "Curly".

Usenet · Answer

I've never heard stretch. (But I once knew a bloke called 'Horse'. Got a helluva suprise when I saw why.)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Then The father asked Greg "Shirt fit Okay? Greg" after the mom went to find some shirt for Greg after Greg got spit on by a baby. Should the father say "Shirt fits okay?" since 'Shirt' is the third person singular here.[/nq]
The remark is an informal ellipsis. The full form might well be "Does the shirt fit OK, Greg?". (OK can be spelt OK or okay; they're both OK. However, the question mark should go at the end of the sentence.)
[nq:1]When Jack suspects that Greg do pot, he says,(snip)[/nq]
Forgive me for being picky here, but the grammar of that when-clause is wrong. One right way to write it is:
"When Jack suspects that Greg is doing pot, "
[nq:1]Pam's ex calls Greg "Gregger".[/nq]
Perhaps his given name really is Gregor. (Greg can be short for Gregor or Gregory.)
From http://www.jackasscritics.com/movie.php?movie key=27
[nq:1]Ole Owen lays down his lines halfway between arrogance and blasé. Hecalls >Greg ?Gregor' (for whatever reason) For its sake, can Jennifer be called Jenny or Jen?[/nq]
It depends entirely on the individual, by what familiar form, if any, she wants others to use. I knew a Jenny who, when others referred to her as Jennifer, would say "that's not my name".

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which means one that brings bad luck. Why would you call ... "Gregger". How do people come up with these different callings? For its sake, can Jennifer be called Jenny or Jen?[/nq]
How do they come up with these different questionings? You must be a very patient teacher.

john

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In "Meet the Parents", the cat is called Jinx, which means one that brings bad luck. Why would you call a cat that you like "Jinx"?[/nq]
There was a famous cartoon cat from 50 years back called Mr Jinx (aka Jinxie). He sued to chase the meeces Pixie and Dixie. The film family might be imagined to have named their cat from him.
[nq:1]Should the father say "Shirt fits okay?" since 'Shirt' is the third person singular here.[/nq]
It's short for 'Does the shirt fit OK?'
[nq:1]When Jack suspects that Greg do pot, he says,"if I find that you are trying to corrupt my firstborn child, I'll bring you down, I'll bring you down to Chinatown."? What does "bring someone down to Chinatown" mean here?[/nq]
It's just adding a rhyme for emphasis - one of Jack's little tricks. There's a phrase 'My way or the highway' meaning 'Do as I say or leave'. Jack turns it into 'My way or the Long Island Expressway'.
[nq:1]Pam's folks call Pam "Pamcake", Pam's ex calls Greg "Gregger". How do people come up with these different callings? For its sake, can Jennifer be called Jenny or Jen?[/nq]
Nicknames can be made out of given names by all kinds of wordplay. Adding 'er' or 'ers' is pretty common. So is adding 'y'. In Australia they often add 'o'. So I could be Johnners, Johnny or Johnno. Jack is itself a nickname for John as well as a name in its own right. It could become Jacker, Jacky or Jacko.
Then you can add new words to part of an existing name - Pam Cake, Pam sandwich, Pam-kitten and many more too nauseating to enumerate. There are no standard 'rules'. People say what they feel like saying. My wife is called Helen and I never turn that into a nickname, never have never will. But at University lots of people called her Hel, at work there was a guy who called her Aitch and others who called her Helly or Elly. Jennifer can be Jenny or Jen. Or Jenni or J or Jenna. People can have different nicknames in different situations. Years back I had a friend I knew as Bob. I guessed his given name was Robert but was surprised when I met his family to find they called him Rob.
John Dean
Oxford

Meet the Parents

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