Thanks for the info about the origin of the phrase "Chevy Chase." Like most of us in the US, I knew only about the suburb of Washington DC, and later the comedian/actor who undoubtedly took his nickname/stage-name from the town name. (Chevy Chase, MD, has long been a very prestigious and desirable address, one of DC's toniest and most affluent suburbs.)

I'm sure that many Americans, especially those younger than about 40, knew of the actor first, and may or may not know about the town at all. And, of course, we cannot possibly hear or read the word "Chevy" without thinking immediateyy of the automobile brand-name "Chevrolet" and its very common short-form.