# How would you pronounce this name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939 "2009-08-10T16:32:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/21 "2009-08-10T23:05:10Z")
I stumbled on a blog with that story a few weeks ago. The blog author said she got it from her friend who had the student in her class and the mother explained the name, complete with ghetto grammar. “The dash don’t be silent.” ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/22 "2009-08-11T01:28:39Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Lana. > > It’s a fill-in-the-blank right? Wouldn’t that be “La?a” 'course then “La\*a” could have any number of characters filled in. 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 11, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/23 "2009-08-11T03:11:05Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > The name was **La-a**. Well, as this is one of those often quoted urban legend names that no one has actually seen, the answer is: La Dasha ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/24 "2009-08-11T03:12:38Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I’d permanently pronounce it: > > LaHyphenAh > > out of spite. Me too . . . out of spite, and out of accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/25 "2009-08-11T04:48:15Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I stumbled on a blog with that story a few weeks ago. The blog author said she got it from her friend who had the student in her class and the mother explained the name, complete with ghetto grammar. “The dash don’t be silent.” The people I know in the ghetto don’t speak that way. Oh, we use ‘be’ in the ‘wrong’ way all the time, but I have never heard it used that way. Perhaps that blogger should visit more ghettos. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/26 "2009-08-11T06:09:39Z")
I don’t buy it, I think it is FOAF. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/27 "2009-08-11T15:42:05Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I stumbled on a blog with that story a few weeks ago. Heck, I think I heard this rumor a year ago. I don’t believe it for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/28 "2009-08-11T15:52:22Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Well, as this is one of those often quoted urban legend names that no one has actually seen, the answer is: > > La Dasha Dude, you’re late. Pay attention. > [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > The people I know in the ghetto don’t speak that way. Oh, we use ‘be’ in the ‘wrong’ way all the time, but I have never heard it used that way. Perhaps that blogger should visit more ghettos. Seriously. “Be” is typically used to denote something that happens on a consistent basis. Instead of “She lies,” one would say, “She be lying.” Keep up, white people! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/29 "2009-08-11T15:58:47Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Is it spelled with a hyphen, an n-dash, or an m-dash? > > La-a > La–a > La—a Just for the record, it’s spelled “en dash” and “em dash.” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/30 "2009-08-11T17:05:01Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Just for the record, it’s spelled “en dash” and “em dash.” Is anal-retentive hyphenated? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/31 "2009-08-11T17:07:33Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Is anal-retentive hyphenated? No, it’s got a colon. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/32 "2009-08-11T19:06:12Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Just for the record, it’s spelled “en dash” and “em dash.” :smack: I knew that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/33 "2009-08-12T01:58:25Z")
We registered my daughter before we’d given her a first name so her birth certificate and first passport both say - Lastname. Sometimes we call her Dash. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939/34 "2009-08-12T02:30:56Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Is anal-retentive hyphenated? I had a good snarky answer all ready, and **Marley** out-snarked me. Rats. I don’t have an answer better than his. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-pronounce-this-name/505939.md?page=1)