Antonin Scalia Called His Bestie Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'Goldberg'

Weird but true: Jezebel idol and baddest Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is very good friends with Antonin Scalia, the guy who thinks women using “the F word” are ruining America. That—and the fact that they’ve worked together for 22 years—makes it moderately surprising that he called her by the wrong name earlier today.

The Hill reports that Scalia referred to Ginsburg as “Goldberg” while reading a decision earlier:

While delivering the decision in the immigration case Kerry v. Din on Monday, Scalia listed the justices who dissented from the opinion and, instead of saying “Ginsburg,” said “Goldberg.”

Chief Justice John Roberts leaned over and whispered in his ear, to presumably notify him of the error.

“What did I say?” he asked Roberts, drawing laughter from spectators and members of the press in the courtroom.

After his colleagues told him what he said, Scalia shook his head and apologized to Ginsburg.

“Sorry about that Ruth,” he said.

The Hill speculates that he was thinking of Justice Arthur Goldberg, who served for three years in the early 60s. That kind of makes no sense, given that Scalia didn’t start serving until 1986. But you know what else doesn’t make sense? That RBG and Scalia are buddies who used to celebrate New Years Eve together with their spouses every year.

Given how generally dry SCOTUS proceedings are, and the fact that they’re still not televised, this constitutes Big News from the bench. It’s also, weirdly, as Irin Carmon points out, not the first time a Supreme Court Justice has messed up Ginsburg’s name in exactly that way:

Also weird: that Ginsburg and Scalia are best freaking friends. I can’t… I just can never get over it. Do you think they talk on the phone?

Image via AP.