F. Scott Key

This afternoon I listened to a presentation on teaching The Great Gatsby to non-English-speaking Italian high school kids. Interestingly, the presenter referred to the author as "F. Scott Key Fitzgerald".

Now it's true that Fitzgerald's full name was Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. But no Americans call him "F. Scott Key"... he's either F. Scott, or just plain Scott, Fitzgerald. This speaker, though Italian, had a markedly British accent, and I'm willing to bet that she learned English either in the UK or from British teachers. And that she thinks his last name is "Key Fitzgerald".

I've noticed that Brits occasionally get three-named Americans wrong*. For instance, I've heard them refer to "Wendell Holmes" or "Luther King" or "Foster Dulles" in contexts where the plain surname was used for others. I think they think these are double-barreled surnames (like Conan Doyle). But "F. Scott Key Fitzgerald" is the oddest thing I've heard in a while.

*On the other hand, I remember hearing the Australian golfer Ian Baker-Finch say that the first time he played in Houston, everyone called him "Ian Baker", thinking that was his given name...