I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with "The Don"

About this time last year justjim commented that in honour of Roland we should have a Proper Noun round. I don't think we ever did, so this is it!

A big white bird? ( or don't pub names count?)

Thanks for the honour (1), jim and rodney.
It hasnʻt thus far brought any
noun to mind.

After googling, this I knew
That Ptolemy said there were two:
Scythica and Serica.

#2 Hey, that's just down the road from my house, but I've never been there! Not "The Swan". (They're largely black here.)
#4 Is A Don? Not Issedon.

// And before any one gets too focused, the rhyme is just with "on", stressed or unstressed.

The first name of the world's prime hoopster?

#6 Lauren doesn't quite rhyme - oh... maybe you mean LeBron!

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron
Alpha not: Issedon, LeBron, The Swan

Made a pitching a comeback when his chances were slim;
ANd now thereʻs an operation
named after him!
First name: __ __ __ __ __,
and his last name, too,
Is a common first name well known to you.

#8 Flanneled fools, and Tom Willis game
are my forte, if its all the same.
I'll trade Tommy John for Dennis Lillee-
made Dennis Amiss look quite silly.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John
Alpha not: Tommy John, Issedon, LeBron, The Swan

The author, perhaps, of the great "Dead
Man walking"? (for itʻs been said
That "__ __ __ __ __ __ __" should be
Pronounced "__ __ __ZHON"
and not as you and me
(not native speakers of French)
Would pronounce it:("GENE", you see).
Hence the rhyme with "The Don" will work*,
And the metric dilemma I did not shirk.

*only more or less,
I confess.

I will accept that Helen Prejean
rhymes with "The Don"
and that the total feet
in her name is the same
as the way most would greet
the aim of this game.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean
Alpha not: Tommy John, Issedon, LeBron, Helen Prejean, The Swan

Is there a tumbleweed connection?

#12 Not Grimy Gulch, nor Tucson neither.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson
Alpha not: Tommy John, Issedon, LeBron, Helen Prejean, The Swan, Tucson

Site of a South Korean/U. S. victory, 09/50,
in the Korean War ?

By #12 I meant Reg Dwight,
But I reckon that's not right.
Does this new guess have a basis—
The author of an Anabasis?

As a classicist,Iʻm glad to see
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, (15) everybodyʻs favorite war-monger get a citation.

How about:

It couldnʻt be the cap-
-ital of the UK? (Mayhap
It COULD!)
Or would that be too fac-
-ile? If so, Iʻm out of gas.

#14 Not Inchon
#12 Not Elton John
#15 nor Xenophon
#16 nor London.

Crambo is an individual with a three syllable surname, and is North American

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson, Inchon, Elton John, Xenophon, London
Alpha not: Inchon, Issedon, Elton John, Tommy John, LeBron, London, Helen Prejean, The Swan, Tucson, Xenophon

Could it be a French-but not-Quebec-
Liberationist prime minister? the sec-
-ond of syllables is a good
Rhyme for "the" (or I should
Say "for one pronunciation
of "the",the final syllable, a nas-
-al one: not so good, I always
Give a hint a try, in any case.
Will this land me in 1st Place?

#18 Hmmm... Not Louis St. Laurent, I suspect.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson, Inchon, Elton John, Xenophon, London, Louis St. Laurent
Alpha not: Inchon, Issedon, Elton John, Tommy John, LeBron, London, Helen Prejean, Louis St. Laurent, The Swan, Tucson, Xenophon

South of the 45th (49th?) parallel. Ignore the "The".

18>19 St. Laurent

A French Canadian name (forename + surname: 3 syll.),
but not ending in "-enT".

One of this American essayists' collections was named after a Beatles record; another draws its name from the last line of "The Second Coming."

#21 Wow - that took a fair bit of detective work! Not Joan Didion, but I'll also rule out Marilynne Robinson.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson, Inchon, Elton John, Xenophon, London, Louis St. Laurent, Marilynne Robinson
Alpha not: Inchon, Issedon, Elton John, Tommy John, LeBron, London, Helen Prejean, Marilynne Robinson, Louis St. Laurent, The Swan, Tucson, Xenophon

Culture is good, but not literature.

// Culture is good, but not literature.
// Wondering if this is a horrible (aka delectable) pun on behalf of a chemist...

This contralto was the first African-American to perform at the White House. She also sang a famous concert at the Lincoln Memorial and at JFK's inauguration.

// Ooopps - I think I almost got banned from LT!

The suggestion of Marian Anderson has several correct aspects. I can't find any evidence of Crambo's person performing at a presidential inaugural - I don't know what their political leanings were - but a performance at JFK's inauguration Gala was feasible. There is an nominal Kennedy connection.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson, Inchon, Elton John, Xenophon, London, Louis St. Laurent, Marilynne Robinson, Marian Anderson
Alpha not: Marian Anderson, Inchon, Issedon, Elton John, Tommy John, LeBron, London, Helen Prejean, Marilynne Robinson, Louis St. Laurent, The Swan, Tucson, Xenophon

Would "a nominal Kennedy connection" mean "a Kennedy connection IN NAME ONLY?"

I was trying to be oblique, but yes, but not in popular use.

It don't mean a thing if there ain't any Crambo!

Weʻve had the "__ __ __ -"
prefix already in one
guess. Another might be fun:
If it had the French for "wine"
Attached to it and yielded a fine
Composerʻs name, but unfort-
-unately, I almost have to "torch"
The guess because his first nameʻs a syll-
-able too long. Leave the guess in? Guess I will!

#28 I'm in a sentimental mood - but not for André Previn.

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson, Inchon, Elton John, Xenophon, London, Louis St. Laurent, Marilynne Robinson, Marian Anderson, André Previn
Alpha not: Marian Anderson, Inchon, Issedon, Elton John, Tommy John, LeBron, London, Helen Prejean, André Previn, Marilynne Robinson, Louis St. Laurent, The Swan, Tucson, Xenophon

A The Graduate character named "Mrs.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __", whether hisses
Or cheers greet her, was impress-
-ive but becomes awkwardly a guess,
Though her name is a syllable or so
Too long, and her surname, you know,
Appears already in a previous guess,
So this oneʻs unlikely, I confess.

She was a sophisticated lady that Mrs Robinson, or was she?

Not: The Swan, Issedon, LeBron, Tommy John, Helen Prejean, Tucson, Inchon, Elton John, Xenophon, London, Louis St. Laurent, Marilynne Robinson, Marian Anderson, André Previn, Mrs Robinson
Alpha not: Marian Anderson, Inchon, Issedon, Elton John, Tommy John, LeBron, London, Helen Prejean, André Previn, Marilynne Robinson, Mrs Robinson, Louis St. Laurent, The Swan, Tucson, Xenophon

Based on #27 and #29, it's clearly the gentleman whose first two names were Edward Kennedy--arguably the greatest musician of the twentieth century--but nobody knows him by his given name. I'm getting ready to leave on a trip (though in general I don't get around much anymore), so I can't host next, but I don't want to leave you in a mood indigo. So I won't say do nothing till you hear from me. Come Sunday I'll be back, but maybe someone else could pose the next word.

Just in time - it's almost midnight in Paris! Well done Jim - yes, Duke Ellington was the proper noun in question. Anybody up for taking over?

May I suggest a word that rhymes with'great?'

Sure - all yours - go for it!