# If you mix up your family members' names like I do, you might find this comforting **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676 "2017-01-31T18:15:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/21 "2017-02-01T16:32:30Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Nope…they’re all very close. I think it’s because his younger sister and I are fairly close in age. I fixed your coding. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/22 "2017-02-01T19:23:27Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > When you come home, your cat looks at you as if to say “Who are these people who keep coming to my house?” LOL! ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/23 "2017-02-01T20:05:38Z")
I think this is probably analogous to multilingualism. A child who learns Tagalog as a second language from the Philipina maid will become flustered and tongue tied if asked to say something in Tagalog when the maid is not present, or anyone else who understands the language. This linguistic “zoning” persists into adulthood. Your language fits like lego blocks into the linguistic milieu that you are socializing in. I talk like a Texan, I’ve lived here for ten years. But if I go back and visit my family in the midwest, and they say “Talk like a Texan”, I can’t – it would seem forced and contrived and would require a strong conscious effort… ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/24 "2017-02-02T15:45:30Z")
Yeah, interesting. On that last point, that also probably has a lot to do with the phenomenon (can’t remember what it’s called) of how two people usually come to a quick conversational equilibrium, matching each other’s speech rhythms. In the Midwest, there’s no one there to “dance” with in “Texan”. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/25 "2017-02-02T17:14:25Z")
My ex wife is a redhead and my current GF is a redhead. One time when we were arguing, I f’d up and called my GF by my ex wife’s name. Let’s just say… I won’t be making that mistake again. :o ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/26 "2017-02-02T17:25:42Z")
Yeah, I don’t think they tend to like that too well. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/27 "2017-02-02T21:11:33Z")
The only example of this phenomenon that I recall witnessing was my grandmother trying to get my sister’s attention. Grandma went through her two daughters’ names before finally getting the correct identifier – “Karen! Sharon! KATHY!” ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676/28 "2017-02-04T19:45:41Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > My dad used to call us "daughter #1, #2, #3, #4 (it was cute thing because he had four daughters, not icky). My in-laws are Chinese, and they do that too. In-family, they don’t use their names. And not just the Father (although the words are different for different family members). Eldest Son / Older Brother. Eldest Daughter / Older Sister etc. Those are often translated as “Number 1 Son” etc, so presumably that’s the literal translation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-mix-up-your-family-members-names-like-i-do-you-might-find-this-comforting/778676.md?page=1)