"gomer" (was: Air Force Language (1962); Medical Slang (1994))

[David M. Robertson]

Fred Shapiro wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Jul 2001, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
> > I seem to recall rustic--or non-rustic--simpletons also being dubbed
> > "Homer" (well back before Homer Simpson, whose dubbers may have
> > exploited this tendency).
>
> I believe the major characters on the Simpsons are named after members of
> Matt Groening's real-life family.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> -

I have heard that Groening named Homer Simpson after the main character in
Nathanael West's "Day of the Locust" because he admired that book (as do I).
Donald Sutherland played that Homer Simpson in the movie version, which was
OK.

   Snake