penname: a made up name that an author sometimes uses
maiden name: a woman’s last name before marriage
nerd: a person who seems overly intellectual and/or socially awkward
honorary: earned without the usual requirements
Dr. Seuss Was Not A Doctor-Dr. Seuss 不是博士
Dr. Seuss, one of the world’s best-known children’s story writers, was not a doctor. He did, however, receive an honorary doctorate from Dartmouth University in 1956. The writer’s penname “Seuss” came from his mother’s maiden name. According to some stories, Dr. Seuss’s father wanted him to be a doctor. The writer’s real name was Theodor Geisel, and he also wrote under Theo Lesieg, which was his last name in reverse. In addition to making up many names for himself, Dr. Seuss invented many words. While many of his made-up words did not stick, the word “nerd” is one that has stood the test of time. The first recorded instance of the word “nerd” was in Dr. Seuss’s book “If I Ran the Zoo”.