# I know how to say my own fucking name! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112 "2002-12-07T08:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/61 "2002-12-07T23:08:39Z")
And **Colin** doesn’t have two Ls in it, nor does it rhyme with **colon** Frikkin’ Secs of States… ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/62 "2002-12-07T23:13:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fizgig \* > \*\*Thanks, I really did get the spelling _of my own name_ correct when I filled out the name tag request. \*\* I have the same problem with my first name. It’s Lise, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten stuff back with my name “corrected” to Lisa. Damned annoying, that is. This is why I’m very careful to note the spelling/pronounciation of others’ names. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/63 "2002-12-07T23:24:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Celyn \* > **"Featherstonehaugh", anyone?** Aha, I know that one… “Fanshaw”. Nitpick though: Caitlín and Catriona are both Irish language names, which is written in the same romanic script as English, but in a totally different language (to the best of my knowledge, the names should be pronounced “kat-LEEN” and “ka-TREE-na”). Of course in an English-speaking context one shouldn’t expect them to be pronounced correctly, but then again, once educated, people should honour this. Or so my friends Siobhán and Niamh tell me. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/64 "2002-12-07T23:41:12Z")
Aaargh. My last name is “Ferrel”, which is one of many spellings of the same sounding name. Almost invariably, though, people choose to spell it “Farrell”. Usually, I correct them and it’s no big deal, but I do have my share of certificates and other things from school with my name incorrectly spelled. The worst is my college. Every semester they give us a “personal information sheet” that has information about us, our parents, our home, our interests. They give us a copy of the one they have on file and have us update it and/or correct errors. Every fucking semester so far (I’m in my 5th right now), they have handed me one with my name misspelled. It isn’t always even the same misspelling, which frightens me even more. If it were consistent, I’d could at least think that someone in whichever office takes care of this has as dim a view as I do of bureaucratic nonsense. But this way, I’m forced to come to the conclusion that there’s someone incompetent inputting our information. I should really check on my loan status… ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/65 "2002-12-07T23:41:41Z")
This is sorta like the opposite of what happens to my sister when people see her name, It’s Alison,not Allison,or Alyson,it’s Alison. Every now and then teachers and such will think she just “forgot” how to spell her name and they will actually add the extra l to stuff. I pity her,and she really hates the fact that my mom was so dead set against spelling her name the normal way, which I believe is “Allison”. MY poor sis cant get any kind of keychains or pencils or anything with her name on it,because it’s not spelled right. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/66 "2002-12-07T23:43:08Z")
Here is an amusing story, only tangentially related: my ex Éric, being Québécois, pronounces it Frenchly (ay-reek). I don’t recall how he says it when he speaks English, which is rarely. I call him ay-reek in French and errick when speaking English. Anyway, the point is that the French version of Matthew is Mathieu (mat-yeu, more or less). And he used to go _ballistic_ on people when they called me that. (_“MAT’YOU!!”_) I didn’t _mind_ being called Mathieu as long as they wrote it correctly. (Hell, I don’t mind being called Mateo in Esperanto or Spanish.) I thought it was cute. (An inexplicable, but semi-frequent mispronunciation of my name in French is Matiouse. Matthews?) I would just appreciate it if people got it right in _English. Two_ t’s. Not one. Just like the book in the Bible. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/67 "2002-12-07T23:50:05Z")
People never seem to comprehend that “Art” is pronounced just like that- Art. Not “at.” No, art isn’t my last name, but it’s the first syllable. How people screw it up is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/68 "2002-12-08T00:00:35Z")
Yeah, and people keep calling me “Jim” when my name is clearly pronounced “juh-juh-i-muh-muh”. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/69 "2002-12-08T00:20:41Z")
My name’s Joel and sometimes I’ve had people just pronounce it Joe. My mother says when I was very young, she heard all sorts of variations, people would say Joe, or Joey, etc.ect… In fact, man I have bad memory because I don’t even remember this too well, but my wife said that when she was my girlfriend and I first met her parents, after saying my name, her father asked me if anybody ever called me Joe or Joey and I said “Yes, but I don’t like it.” ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/70 "2002-12-08T00:30:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*I have never heard “Tanya” as anything but _Tahn-ya_. Ever. (Not that the alternative is wrong, I just think it’s weird that _Tan-ya_ seems to be the more common way.) \*\* It’s people using phonetic pronounciation. They see an A, they assume it’s _Tan-ya_. I’ve had people tell me I should spell it with an O if it’s pronounced _Tahn-ya_. So not only do they mangle my name, they insist I spell it differently? :wally ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/71 "2002-12-08T00:50:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hardygrrl \* > \*\*My name is Tanya. Pronounced Tahn-ya. Not Tan-ya. > > Yes, I know it’s spelled odd. Here’s my mother’s number, explain it to her. > > \*\* I don’t think that’s spelled odd. That’s how I always see Tanya spelled. And I usually hear it pronounced “Tahn-ya,” too. Tahn-ya is pretty. “Tan-ya” is so whiney-sounding, IMO. - > [@](#): > > Originally posted by fizgig \* > \*\*Thanks, I really did get the spelling of my own name correct when I filled out the name tag request. \*\*My first name is Betsey, and people _always_ correct it to Betsy. Um, yeah, thanks, but I spelled it right, okay? I know how to spell my own name. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/72 "2002-12-08T00:57:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hardygrrl \* > \*\*It’s people using phonetic pronounciation. They see an A, they assume it’s _Tan-ya_. I’ve had people tell me I should spell it with an O if it’s pronounced _Tahn-ya_. > > So not only do they mangle my name, they insist I spell it differently? > :wally \*\* I’ve never gotten the spelling “Tonya” I’ve always thought "why don’t they just spell it with an “A?” I too have never heard the pronounciation _Tan-ya_ only _Tahn-ya_. ---
**Author:** ![Azure\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@Azure\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azure_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/73 "2002-12-08T01:02:04Z")
Pshhh. Try having a Finnish name in America. My last name has four syllables and is in a language completely unrelated to English. As a special bonus, my first name (when spoken) sounds _just_ like a common English name. It is _so_ much fun. I’ve given up trying to teach people how to pronouce my last name unless they insist on knowing the correct pronunciation. Usually I just smile and nod to whatever they say. It doesn’t matter to me, especially if I will not be seeing them much or at all in the future. With my first name, people usually ask me to repeat it and then get it right. A few just assume it’s the English one, but I usually let it slide since these are usually people I never see again. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/74 "2002-12-08T01:09:54Z")
I got it, **pkbites** : next time someone “corrects” you, just tell them, “No, that’s the correct pronunciation. It’s just that my name is misspelled”. Bafflement stops 'em dead in their tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/75 "2002-12-08T01:18:26Z")
You really, really don’t want me to freak out for the zillionth time on the GODDAMN PEOPLE who persist in calling me KAYLA even after I’ve CORRECTED THEM POLITELY THREE TIMES! AAARRRGHHHH!. Dammit, too late. Oh, and Frannie? Nothing could be more wrong than Michael Jackson’s face. Why do you persist in stating such impossibilities? I think you are crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/76 "2002-12-08T01:18:42Z")
Grrr! My maiden name was “Sabatine”. Rhymed with “seventeen”. A lot of people pronounced it “Saba-teeny” **at first** , but heeded my correction. Except for this one college professor, who insisted that his pronounciation was correct “because he’d studied Latin”. Screw that! ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/77 "2002-12-08T01:38:51Z")
**pkbites** , people are probably reluctant to pronounce your name “bites” because they’re afraid you’ll think they’re insulting you. My friends Linda Seuks and Frank Bloews have the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/78 "2002-12-08T02:36:43Z")
My last names ends with “-rich.” It’s pronounced “rich,” just like it looks. Many people, thought, insist on saying “rick.” It’s not that complicated, people. My first name is Lindsay, but people usually spell it Lindsey. Or leave out the “d” because it’s silent. Or they leave out the “a,” because it’s silent too. (My name is pronounced “Linzee.” Stupid extra letters.) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/79 "2002-12-08T03:16:01Z")
When I meet someone new, and they ask me my name, if I know that they have to write it down, I spell it immediately: My name is Erika - E-R-I- **K** -A, LastName L-A-S-T-N-A-M-E (gotta keep some privacy here :)). My last name is also commonly mispronounced, but I usually let it slide, or correct it once, just quickly, and if the person forgets, then so be it. I have one professor who knows me pretty well, I’ve taken 3 classes with him, and he still mispronounces my name. I’ve stopped correcting him, because I figure at this point, it might just embarass him! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112/80 "2002-12-08T03:19:21Z")
Ever hear of the meeting of Fred Kismias and Linda Gophuque? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-how-to-say-my-own-fucking-name/141112.md?page=5)