# Another "why is this funny" question - spelling one's name "Letter as in \[subsequent letters\]" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 22, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395 "2021-03-22T03:24:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/1 "2021-03-22T03:24:46Z")
In a sitcom or stand-up routine someone will spell their last name like: “Bakerfield: B as in Bakerfield, A as in Akerfield, K as in Kerfield, E as in Erfield, etc.” It was strange the first time I heard it and boring/unfunny all the subsequent times. Was it ever a funny thing? Is there a certain stereotype of person who’s more likely to do it? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/2 "2021-03-22T04:48:20Z")
Insofar as this is the first I’ve heard of it, I can confirm that it is more strange than funny on first encounter, although it was a bit amusing for the first couple letters, downhill from there. And I can similarly confirm that it’s unlikely to hit me as funny if I ever encounter it again. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/3 "2021-03-22T05:44:31Z")
I’ve never heard it before, which is always a plus for any joke. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/4 "2021-03-22T06:08:51Z")
I have also not heard this joke before and I confirm: mildly funny the first time, probably not that funny subsequent times. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/5 "2021-03-22T06:10:05Z")
Heard some gag using just the first letter, never like the OP. Doing the whole name would be tedious. The joke is over after the 2nd letter. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/6 "2021-03-22T07:23:01Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Doing the whole name would be tedious. Family Guy did it best. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d20uMuwfkic) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/7 "2021-03-22T14:46:23Z")
My father had a funny variant. “P as in Pneumonia.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/8 "2021-03-22T14:49:21Z")
Like I said. Stopped watching after O. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/9 "2021-03-22T14:54:12Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > My father had a funny variant. “P as in Pneumonia.”- I made up a whole phonetic alphabet for scambaiting that includes several instances like that. The rest are words that are highly unlikely any scammer will be familiar with. And every word is at least 3 syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/10 "2021-03-22T16:38:57Z")
I seem to recall that I once saw that very thing only without the three syllables requirement. I’ve been unable to find it for quite a while, but I’d love to see your version. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/11 "2021-03-22T16:45:26Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > I seem to recall that I once saw that very thing only without the three syllables requirement. I’ve been unable to find it for quite a while, but I’d love to see your version. - A-Apprehensive B-Bibliomania C-Comprehensive D-Disobedient E-Eucalyptus F-Fiduciary G-Gymnasium H-Hydrostatic I-Initializations J-Jackanapes K-Knowledgeable L-Loquaciously M-Misunderstand N-Neighborhood O-Osteoarthritis P-Pterodactyl Q-Quesadilla R-Ritz (Pronounced like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab7NyKw0VYQ&t=11s)). S-Somnolence T-Trustworthiness U-Unsophisticated V-Vasoconstrictor W-Wholesome X-Xylophone Y-Yeastiness Z-Zygomorphic ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/12 "2021-03-22T16:51:48Z")
Because of this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1Ar79EC2I90/hqdefault.jpg "Carl LaFong") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ar79EC2I90) It’s funny because the guy saying it is a complete asshole (it’s set at about five a.m. when Fields is desperate to get some sleep). Anything else is just a reference to this scene. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/13 "2021-03-22T17:19:14Z")
It’s not new. This scene from “Friends” is immediately what I thought of, from 2002: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Eraf8MSGXuI/hqdefault.jpg "Phoebe spells her name") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eraf8MSGXuI) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/14 "2021-03-22T20:02:25Z")
I just remembered that about forty years ago in a bar I mentioned my friend MK. A self-absorbed guy who’d crashed our group sneered “What kind of name is that, Emmgay?” “No, MK!” everyone said (in not-quite-unison, which meant it was barely intelligible). “En-GAY? That’s gay.” Silence. So I said: “No, no. M as in Mnemonic, K as in Knife.” Then good ol’ Chucko said “Nnnnn nnnn…” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/15 "2021-03-22T23:57:41Z")
I knew a guy whose last name was Franklin. His schtick was to introduce himself with “That’s F as in Philadelphia, r, a, n, k, l, i, n.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/16 "2021-03-23T02:05:59Z")
The English-language version of “Tintin” gave us “Thompson, with a P, as in ‘psychology,’” and “Thomson, without a P, as in ‘Venezuela.’” ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/17 "2021-03-23T16:17:55Z")
Can you share it ? Please ! I’ve been trying to devise an a-phonetic alphabet for years. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/18 "2021-03-23T16:19:05Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Can you share it ? > Please ! > I’ve been trying to devise an a-phonetic alphabet for years. - Post 11. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/19 "2021-03-23T16:20:30Z")
doh! too eager! cheers. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395/20 "2021-03-26T01:29:10Z")
A as in Are C as in Cue E as in Eye S as in Sea W as in Wye Y as in You [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-why-is-this-funny-question-spelling-ones-name-letter-as-in-subsequent-letters/938395.md?page=2)