Ming the Clam, a Contemporary of Shakespeare.

By gail in Everything Else on Oct 29, 2007 at 5:30 pm

The BBC reports:

A clam dredged up off the coast of Iceland is thought to have been the longest-lived animal discovered.

Scientists said the mollusc, an ocean quahog clam, was aged between 405 and 410 years and could offer insights into the secrets of longevity.

Researchers from Bangor University in north Wales said they calculated its age by counting rings on its shell.

The clam has been named Ming. Twenty extra points to anyone who knows how to pronounce quahog.

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Keri
Oct 29th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
ko-hawg! But since the advent of Family Guy, I would think it might be more commonly known.
DrJones
Oct 29th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
quahog…isn’t that the home town of the Family Guy characters?

Quahog (pronounced “koh-hawg”, IPA /koh??/, “kwag”, or “kwa-HOG”, IPA /kw?h??/)

Wiki ftw!!
DrJones
Oct 29th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
quahog…isn’t that the home town of the Family Guy characters?

Quahog pronounced “koh-hawg”, IPA /koh??/, “kwag”, or “kwa-HOG”, IPA /kw?h??/

Wiki ftw!!
DrJones
Oct 29th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
quahog…isn’t that the home town of the Family Guy characters?

Quahog pronounced “koh-hawg”, IPA koh??, “kwag”, or “kwa-HOG”, IPA kw?h??

Wiki ftw!!
gail
Oct 29th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Yes, it’s the Family Guy town. Named after some relative of Ming the Clam, no doubt.
Alex
Oct 29th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Quahog? Isn’t that Scully’s dog (from the X-Files)?
kid icarus
Oct 29th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
does no one else find it sort of sad that a 407 year old animal was dredged up? i mean….407 years old….damn!
D
Oct 29th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
That clam must be well tasty!
Trevorb
Oct 29th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Quahog! dur haha tv showz heha!
Brandon
Oct 29th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
“coe” – “hog”
sandra
Oct 29th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Scully’s dog was Queequeg, named after the harpooner in Moby Dick. Intersting though, Queequeg and Quohog, both odd sea-going names beginning with Q! (And on a pathetic note, that I remember the name of Scully’s dog.)
sandra
Oct 29th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
OK, one more comment. Mulder’s mom lived in Quonochauntog, RI. (KWAN-a-ka-taug to locals, or just plain kwanny) Another factoid that sticks with me because I’m almost a local!
sam
Oct 29th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Ming was the name of Oprah’s Vagina in a south park episode. I find that strangely ironic.
PJ
Oct 29th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Waaaiiiit a minute here, something deeper than family guy is going on here. Ever notice how everything in the town of quahog on the tv show everything is clam based?
Mr Pudifoot
Oct 29th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Is the clam merciless?
gail
Oct 29th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
That’s what I thought, Mr Pudifoot. Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon.
gail
Oct 29th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
As to pronunciation, people on my blog have suggested “gooey duck” and “Bob.”
lDAVE
Oct 29th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
The Family Guy is based on Rhode Island which has the mighty Quahog as it’s unofficial “State Bird” (local joke).

actually there is a local cartoonist who has been making fun of the local “Culcha” surrounding the Quahog for 25 years now. Meet Don Bousquet.

http://www.donbousquet.com/yankeedec2001.html
Iris
Oct 29th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Yeah, it’s koh-hawg. Ming makes me wonder how old the ones off Point Judith could get if Vo Diluners didn’t have a taste for stuffies.
Danielle
Oct 30th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Yeah.. I’m from Rhode Island.. Land of the quahogs.. It’s pronounced qwah hog.
ted
Oct 30th, 2007 at 7:24 am
Clams are the official mollusk of Scientology. In fact, Ming the Merciless could be seen as a variant of Xenu, the mysterious evil overlord of Scientology secret lore.

I sense a conspiracy here.
Sid Morrison
Oct 30th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Hail Xenu! Hail Ming!
Ryan
Oct 30th, 2007 at 8:28 am
No Sam Minge was the name of Oprah’s minge.
brayden
Oct 30th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
and anyway, that wouldn’t be ironic.

literally.
Q
Nov 3rd, 2007 at 7:27 am
Why did they name a dead clam?
Poor Sancho
Dec 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Just ran across this post, and I know its real old, but i am reading moby dick right now, and the owner of the Peaquod keeps calling Queequeg the wrong name, and the last time he calls him “Quohog” wonder if that is the answer?

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