Yes, it is an anglicization of a Dutch name.
The book Take Her Deep (not porn, it’s about a submarine operating in the Pacific in WWII) describes the sub having crew members with the last names French and Ffrench. To avoid confusion, the latter crewman was referred to as “Double F”.
At my workplace there is someone named Sir Less and another named Sparky Toes (surname spelled different but pronounced “toes”)
There was a noodle shop in the Tacoma area (IIRC) called
Pho Queue
The joke went over my head, until I learned that Pho is pronounced “Fu…”
I once worked with a British software engineer. He had a young daughter whose name he mentioned a few times in conversation. He pronounced it something like “Zaizee”. I thought it must be a British girl’s name. Several months later I finally saw it in writing. It was “Xyzzy”. I thought, that poor kid.
Asian restaurant in La Canada-Flintridge, CA
Poo Ping Palace
Was her brother named Plugh?
No, it’s a long O, but still close enough.
I’m not sure what you mean by that. It’s not the sound that’s usually called “long O” in English (like in “boat”). Wikipedia has this recording of the pronunciation, which to me sounds more like the “fu” in “fuck” than any other English phonemes.
Both these claims require proof. This is a common tall tale.
In one of these old “names” threads someone mentioned Muthuswami Dikshitar (the famous composer). However, grepping for strings does not IMO qualify as “weird names”, though apparently it happens often enough that there is even a name for it: Scunthorpe problem
You are closer to being correct than Siam Sam. It’s from the French word “feu” as in “pot au feu” (fire pot), hence it is pronounced what I would transcribe for English speakers as “fuh.”
(Perhaps the Vietnamese/French sound changed when it was borrowed by Thai, so Siam Sam may be correct for there.)
Yea work with several first and second generation Vietnamese Americans and we have a pho place across the street where we used to eat all the time.
I’ve never heard them pronounce it anything other than “fuh” to my ears. My reproduction of Vietnamese phonology has them laughing, but it is definitely not a long o sound. In fact they laugh at anyone that pronounces it “foe” which I assume is the long o sound
It is quite possible the Thais adopted the long O and that’s what I’ve been hearing. I have spent time in Vietnam but never ate pho there, as I’m lukewarm about it at best.
Sorry, as I said, I do not work there anymore. I am not repeating a story I heard from someone. This person existed in the company directory. I was not a personal friend, but we did have a lot of Indian engineers.
Sorry, don’t believe it. It’s too common a tall tale. And “Shithead” pronounced “shi theed” is not a common name in South Asia.
Had a buddy named B.J.
Not sure what BJ stood for, but saw a piece of his mail addressed to:
B.J. Cummings
Bwa ha ha
Knew a hillbilly named Vaynard. Not sure how he spelled ot.
Knew a girl named Avaricious, or at least that was on her school ID. She said it was her real name, but I’m still not sure.
Two names from the world of sports making the news today:
Orr Limpisvasti (orthopedist advising Baker Mayfield on his shoulder injury) and Haralabos Voulgaris, former Dallas Mavericks executive, revealing discord in the organization.
Not the weirdest name but still odd:
Wayne Wink is running for town supervisor of the town of North Hempstead in NY