A Middle Name That Starts With 'G'

Question

The name that you seek is both first and last.
It was once more popular in the past
Many who are famous have enjoyed the name
But whoever possessed it never took the blame.

Whether painters, drivers, murderers, or geographers,
Doctors, lawyers, chemists, or hooks,
Politicians, sociologists, astronauts, or books,
All seemed normal, just like a cook.

Sooo... off to the store you must go
To find the clues that will lead to success
For projections are the key to solving this riddle
And it will be in a place that has a hearth and no bell.

You will laugh and cry as you search the anals
For the past holds the key and it ain't in Google.
So gird thy loins for task at hand
Cause it might even have something to do with a band.

I wish you luck as you embark on the quest
And I hope that you will finally be the best.
For it has been many years since task was last tried
But thankfully back then no one died.

Best of luck folks. This link is to reddit where I have also posted the clue. The answer is a middle name that begins with a G, but is extremely obscure.

https://www.reddit.com/r/riddles/comments/51d1ri/a_middle_name_that_starts_with_g/

Answer 1

How about

GORDON?

The name that you seek is both first and last.

Both first and last.

It was once more popular in the past

I would say it sounds quite old-fashioned as a given name.

Many who are famous have enjoyed the name
But whoever possessed it never took the blame.

See below for famous people; not sure about the "blame" line (maybe just for flavour?).

Whether painters, drivers, murderers, or geographers,

Painters, drivers, murderers, or geographers.

Doctors, lawyers, chemists, or hooks,

Doctors, lawyers, chemists, or hooks.

Politicians, sociologists, astronauts, or books,

Politicians, sociologists, astronauts, or books?

All seemed normal, just like a cook.

One of the most famous Gordons is a cook.

Sooo... off to the store you must go
To find the clues that will lead to success

Possibly just flavour text?

For projections are the key to solving this riddle
And it will be in a place that has a hearth and no bell.

Not sure about these lines yet.

You will laugh and cry as you search the anals
For the past holds the key and it ain't in Google.

Another reference to the fact that Gordon is an old-fashioned name.

So gird thy loins for task at hand

"Gird" is almost "gord", the first part of Gordon.

Cause it might even have something to do with a band.

I found a few different bands with links to the name Gordon.

I wish you luck as you embark on the quest
And I hope that you will finally be the best.
For it has been many years since task was last tried
But thankfully back then no one died.

Probably all just flavour text.

Answer 2

**My answer is:

Garak , from ST:DS9**

The name that you seek is both first and last.

- Yes, he states his name is 'Just Garak'

It was once more popular in the past

- Yes, more popular in Cardassian Occupation times when he had an active role in the Obsidian Order

Many who are famous have enjoyed the name

- Agreed. The producers were impressed with Robinson's performance as Garak, and decided to develop the character after Robinson agreed to return as the character for future episodes. The decision to incorporate Garak into more of the series actually resulted in Garak becoming a pivotal character—transforming him from a simple one-time character to one of importance and unusual complexity and resonance.

But whoever possessed it never took the blame.

- He was not blamed for any oppressive actions of the Obsidian Order. He was 'just a tailor'.

Whether painters, [...] just like a cook. -

DS9 inclusdes all the above mentioned, the context makes a lot of sense.

Sooo... off to the store you must go To find the clues that will lead to success For projections are the key to solving this riddle And it will be in a place that has a hearth and no bell. -

"Wikipedia's store ?" In the third season of Deep Space Nine, during the joint Romulan/Cardassian attempt to destroy the Founders' home world, Garak is given the opportunity to return home by proving himself to Tain as a trustworthy operative of the Obsidian Order. As a result, Garak is assigned to interrogate and torture Deep Space Nine's chief of security, Odo, whose people had founded the Dominion. Although reluctant, Garak agrees to do so, both to demonstrate his loyalty to Tain and to prevent anyone else from taking the assignment instead. During the interrogation, Garak is surprised to discover that he no longer has the stomach for cold-blooded torture and horrified with how far he takes it before Odo reveals his secret. (heart and no bell)

You will laugh and cry as you search the anals For the past holds the key and it ain't in Google. So gird thy loins for task at hand Cause it might even have something to do with a band.

The band = the circular layers/rings of DS9.

I wish you luck as you embark on the quest And I hope that you will finally be the best. For it has been many years since task was last tried But thankfully back then no one died.

This can be related directly to the Obsidian Oder, which did not have the objective of killing but of obtaining information. No deaths, just interrogations, and the usual 'missing' people any such agency was practicing.

Answer 3

His middle name is... wait for it...

Garth

Problems I'll state up front: not that obscure, projection?, and what astronaut? Otherwise, my better reasons, ignoring what I believe are ornamentations.

The name that you seek is both first and last.
It was once more popular in the past

Definitely used as both a first and last name.

Many who are famous have enjoyed the name

Here are a few.

But whoever possessed it never took the blame.

Lots of people didn't take blame. Ornamental. It could mean since their parents named them they didn't have a choice.

Whether painters, drivers, murderers, or geographers,
Doctors, lawyers, chemists, or hooks,
Politicians, sociologists, astronauts, or books,
All seemed normal, just like a cook.

Cook is the most important, but other occupations are covered; from the wiki link "This led to the word being given as a last name to people who worked in or near a garden. Later it came to be used as a first name."

Sooo... off to the store you must go
To find the clues that will lead to success
For projections are the key to solving this riddle
And it will be in a place that has a hearth and no bell.

Garth rhymes with hearth without a 'ding' G. But... I have to say... projection? Having difficulty with that. But hearth here could be another cook (e.g. garden?) reference.

You will laugh and cry as you search the anals
For the past holds the key and it ain't in Google.
So gird thy loins for task at hand
Cause it might even have something to do with a band.

Garth Brooks or Garth Hudson who was a member of The Band

I wish you luck as you embark on the quest
And I hope that you will finally be the best.
For it has been many years since task was last tried
But thankfully back then no one died.

Just a final comment, I think this history teacher (indicated at Reddit), probably took some liberties to make the rhyme and content interesting at the expense of perfect clues. Things like, hooks (which is probably just humorous), and drivers - neither of which would be verifiable for a name (or rather, significant, and also why it may just be that there isn't an astronaut either... maybe), and possibly the entire last verse.

But, they probably also didn't foresee a level of scrutiny seen here (they were just handing it out to a class for fun). Given that, I would expect that not all the clues fit, or fit perfectly. Hopefully, they will unveil their identity soon.

Answer 4

How about:

Ghehanna

first and last:

Ends with the first and last syllable of the Greek alphabet Alpha and Omega

hearth but no bell:

Hell? Ghehanna is another name for hell

Something to do with a band:

Slipknot had a song calls Gehanna