Blog Name

So, it has come to my attention that there are questions as to where the name of my blog originated. As a (former) English teacher, I feel it is my responsibility to answer the question (basically, I want everyone to realize I am not an idiot).

First off, "doppelganger" is my favorite word, and it has been so for over twenty years. The definition I remember from middle school is "evil twin." I guess as a teenager I wished I had an evil, cool twin, as opposed to my dorky self (in other words, a guy who could get a date for a Saturday night as opposed to the nerd cruising the mall in my friend's mom's station wagon, embarrassingly named The Goodie Wagon for her home business).

The following are more informative definitions/explanations of the word doppelganger:

A formal definition is available found on-line at Merriam-Webster's website:
Main Entry: dop•pel•gäng•er
Variant(s): or dop•pel•gang•er \ˈdä-pəl-ˌgaŋ-ər, -ˌgeŋ-, ˌdä-pəl-ˈ\
Function: noun
Etymology: German Doppelgänger, from doppel- double + -gänger goer
Date: 1851
1 : a ghostly counterpart of a living person
2 a : double 2a b : alter ego b c : a person who has the same name as another

Wikipedia's entry states: A doppelgänger is the ghostly double of a living person, a sinister form of bilocation. In the vernacular, the word "doppelgänger" has come to refer (as in German) to any double or look-alike of a person. The word is also used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed at oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection. They are generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a person's friends or relatives portends illness or danger, while seeing one's own doppelgänger is an omen of death. In Norse mythology, a vardøger is a ghostly double who precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance.

Clearly the word doesn't bring to mind butterflies, ponies, triple word scores that contain the letters "Q" and "Z", and doughnuts with sprinkles. You can't deny it's a cool word though.

The word doppelganger has gained recognition over the years (most notably due to Celebrity Doppelganger Week on Facebook). Unfortunately, there are some who only associate the word with the film starring Drew Barrymore (1993). This soft-core horror film is, well, let's say it's not Drew's finest cinematic performance, and if it's all you think of when you hear the word doppelganger, it's probably time to take off your Star Trek t-shirt and move out of your mom's basement.

Now that you know WHAT a doppelganger is, I know you are anxious to know where "duplicitous" came from? Well, I like alliterations, so I was thinking of an adjective to pair with doppelganger. I came up with something I liked, but didn't love, and my intelligent wife (who is the REAL English teacher of the family) said, "Why don't you call it The Duplicitous Doppelganger." I loved this. Not only is this an alliteration, but both words also have four syllables! Ah ... to be an English nerd ...

What I realized when I named the blog, is that some would simply see the term as a double negative. This is not the case however. As my wife just stated, a doppelganger doesn't necassarily have to be innately duplicitous. So, what is a duplicitous doppelganger? Well, according to me, and this is MY BLOG, it's defined as: "a deliberately deceptive alter ego." I began to write a blog to be creative, and to escape into a world where I wasn't known for who I am, but who I could be (a famous film critic!) The problem is, since the majority of my readers (wait, did I just type the phrase "majorioty of my readers"? - Who am I kidding?) know me on a personal level, so I am neither deceptive or my own alter ego ... or am I ... ?