In fairness to McEvoy, it should be pointed out that he only said "Santa," NOT
"Santa Claus" -- and thus entertaining different implicatures.
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Father
Christmas, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure of Western culture who is
said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved ("good" or "nice") children on
Christmas Eve (24 December) and the early morning hours of Christmas Day (25
December).
The modern Santa Claus grew out of traditions surrounding the afore-mentioned
historical Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of
Myra, the British figure of Father Christmas, the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas
(himself based on Saint Nicholas), the German figure of the Christkind (a
fabulized Christ Child), and the holidays of Twelfth Night and Epiphany and
their associated figures of the Three Kings (based on the gift-giving Magi of
the Nativity) and Befana. Some maintain Santa Claus also absorbed elements of
the Germanic god Wodan, who was associated with the pagan midwinter event of
Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky.
Ceteris paribus, the implicature of "Santa" is "Santa Claus," but this is
easily cancellable, as implicatures go (and come, in fact).
Cheers,
Speranza
The name of the song is called "HADDOCKS' EYES."'
'Oh, that's the name of the song, is it?' Alice said, trying to feel interested.
'No, you don't understand,' the Knight said, looking a little vexed. 'That's
what the name is CALLED. The name really IS "THE AGED AGED MAN."'
'Then I ought to have said "That's what the SONG is called"?' Alice corrected
herself.
'No, you oughtn't: that's quite another thing! The SONG is called "WAYS AND
MEANS": but that's only what it's CALLED, you know!'
'Well, what IS the song, then?' said Alice, who was by this time completely
bewildered.
'I was coming to that,' the Knight said. 'The song really IS "A-SITTING ON A
GATE": and the tune's my own invention.'
