Doubting Thomas

[FangFang]

Hello,
"Is he a doubting Thomas?"

The sentence above is every easy to understand, but I wonder if there is any story concerning Thomas? Why not say , "Is he a doubting Tom?"?

Thanks
F.F

[Yankee]

Hi FangFang

There's a religious background to this expression:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/doubting_Thomas

Amy
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Pamela]

Hi FF
Additional expressions for characterising a person:

" Nosy Parker,smart alec, butter-fingers, wet blanket, a hanger-on"

[Yankee]

.
And Tom (not Thomas) is used in the expression "peeping Tom".
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Conchita]

Since we're at it, here are a few more:

lazy Susan
spinning Jenny
Jack-of-all-trades
Jolly Roger
Tom, Dick and Harry
teddy boy
Hooray Henry
silly billy
Joe Bloggs
Old Nick
John Doe
John Bull
John Hancock
Dear John
Joe Public
right charlie
Handy Andy (?)

[Tamara]

Also,

Tommy (Tommy Atkins)
Jerry - for German soldiers (WW II)
(Victor) Charlie - Vietnam
Ivan - Russians
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Yankee]

[Conchita]