# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 80
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1582 "2024-05-31T14:37:16Z")
My surname is not uncommon, but there are at least 3 possible spellings that it could be. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1583 "2024-05-31T14:48:14Z")
My name is an uncommon variant of a common name, and it is spelled with English orthographic rules (each syllable is a common English word). People rarely get it right. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1584 "2024-05-31T14:53:26Z")
My first name has a rather common long form that my parents decided not to use because everyone would call me by the short name anyway. So people often assume that my actual name is the long one, and occasionally I am forced to correct them. In casual conversation, it is usually insignificant, but a lawyer recently had to reprint a bunch of documents for me to sign because they used the wrong name. It might not matter, but it is not my legal name.        My surname appears on a particular range of products, as the company name. It is not highly prevalent, but many people know of the company. But there are other people who spell the name with one letter difference, and some who spell it with two letters different (which is actually a different pronunciation). For some reason, when I say my name, most people seem to choose the wrong spelling. I say it clearly enough (I think, anyway) but there is this incomprehenisble-to-me tendency to spell it the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1585 "2024-05-31T15:05:19Z")
I have a simple straightforward name, but it once caused a minor kerfluffel. I was backstage at a county fair concert hanging out with a friend who worked for RCA/BMG and her talent that day, Charlie Daniels. Charlie was a nice guy, but apparently my friend thought he was a bit slow. I was on the phone arranging for my kids to be escorted backstage. My friend asked Charlie if he could autograph an 8x10 for me. He said he’d be happy to. She told him my name was Mark. Well, Mark can also be spelled Marc, so Charlie asked my friend, “How does he spell it?” My friend began spelling, very slow and clear, M…a…and Charlie absolutely erupted, “K or C?” ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1586 "2024-05-31T15:25:43Z")
The veganism poll reminded me that next Lent I’m giving up meat (Catholic definition). If I say it here, it becomes harder to back out of next year. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1587 "2024-05-31T15:35:14Z")
My first name is a single syllable, easy to pronounce. It’s not short for anything, nor can it be shortened into anything. So no trouble there. My last name, while I wouldn’t call it _common_, is one everybody’s seen before. It’s not difficult to pronounce, but there’s a diphthong that could go one of two ways. My family pronounces it the obvious way, but people often choose the non-obvious way, possibly because there was a well-known actor who had my last name as his first name, and that’s how he pronounced it. As for spelling, people often insert an extra letter, even though I’ve never once seen that spelling in the wild. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1588 "2024-05-31T15:40:54Z")
My parents made up my first name, and therefore there is no standard spelling. They even put a capital letter in the middle, just to add to the pecularity. But there are others with my first name, because other parents had the same idea to combine two short names into a slightly longer name. And any English speaker will say my name correctly. Because it’s simple. But non-English speakers sometimes pronounce vowels differently, especially the one that is normally silent when it’s at the end. At least I have a guaranteed conversation starter. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1589 "2024-05-31T15:43:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > She told him my name was Mark. Well, Mark can also be spelled Marc While not Mark I have a name that has different spellings; get it spelled wrong probably more often than right. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1590 "2024-05-31T15:45:16Z")
I’ll miss eggs, and I’ll _really_ miss meat. But I don’t think I can live without cheese. So dairy it is. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1591 "2024-05-31T15:50:03Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I’ll miss eggs, and I’ll _really_ miss meat. But I don’t think I can live without cheese. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1592 "2024-05-31T15:55:09Z")
I’ll have to go with dairy as well. Dairy ingredients are often hidden in products you wouldn’t necessarily look for them in. This is also true for meat and eggs of course, as these are all foundational ingredients of modern convenience cuisine, but dairy just strikes me as the one I don’t want to live without. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1593 "2024-05-31T16:00:35Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > The veganism poll reminded me that next Lent I’m giving up meat (Catholic definition). If I say it here, it becomes harder to back out of next year. Reminds me of an old cartoon     Will you marry me?     _No. It’s Lent._     Oh. Well, how about when you get it back? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1594 "2024-05-31T16:38:05Z")
I feel like to participate in that sort of sham election is to approve its legitimacy. My abstention is my dissent. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1595 "2024-05-31T16:53:48Z")
I don’t. So i voted “other”. I’d seek additional help. I’d look for a rope. I’d take off my clothes and fashion a rope. I’d do something. But it wouldn’t be reaching down and trying to pull them up. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1596 "2024-05-31T16:57:56Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Why would I remove my glasses during a dental procedure? If there’s any splashing I want them in place to protect my eyes. What’s the downside to wearing my glasses? No clue. I’ve always left them on. The most recent time i went to the dentist, they offered me sunglasses, which i put on over my glasses so i wouldn’t have to wash my glasses right after. But it’s not as if washing my glasses is a big deal. I also don’t understand why you’d close your eyes. My pediatric dentist had a big mirror so i could watch. I’ve asked every dentist since why they don’t. But i still look at the dentist and the room. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1597 "2024-05-31T17:03:29Z")
As for names, my first name is unusual, and is sometimes mispronounced. (And spell check mangle’s it, but humans don’t.) My last name is incredibly common, but there are two common spellings, and people often pick the wrong one. So i voted “other”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1598 "2024-05-31T17:16:25Z")
My last name is constantly mispronounced by people who should know better. If you’re German it’s no problem, but English speakers muck it up mightily, even though pronunciation follows English rules exactly. Idjits, the lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1599 "2024-05-31T17:45:06Z")
I’m getting really tired of the ludicrous, false equivalency and barely hidden political jabs that all but become Trolley Problems that have been repeatedly thrown at us. If you want to work at this, do a thread in P&E. Further discussion would have to be in the Pit I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1600 "2024-05-31T17:54:16Z")
I have a common name that can be spelled two different ways and has what seem like a million variations of nicknames. I use a specific nickname as my default name and only use my full name on legal documents. People don’t always get it right. I’m not terribly bothered though. I kind of feel bad for people having to remember which spelling and which nickname. My last name is Italian thanks to my husband. When people haven’t heard of the Surname Family Company, they pronounce it and assume it’s French. But most people locally know the company. Or honestly, there’s so goddamn many of us, chances are they already know a few of us. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/1601 "2024-05-31T19:11:39Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > I’m getting really tired of the ludicrous, false equivalency and barely hidden political jabs that all but become Trolley Problems that have been repeatedly thrown at us. If you want to work at this, do a thread in P&E. > > Further discussion would have to be in the Pit I’m afraid. I wouldn’t be a voter in Nazi Germany. I’d have a whole shitload of other problems, if I were even alive; but deciding who to vote for wouldn’t be one of them, because they wouldn’t let me. So there’s no way I’m voting in that poll; but I’d recommend voting for the one who thinks people ought to be able to vote, not the one who thinks they should only be able to vote for him. – I know of shake’n’bake, but have never used it; but I have no idea whether I’ve ever eaten it, because I’ve gone to a number of potlucks in my life and am lucky enough to not have to ask what the ingredients are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=79) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=81)