# What is extremely common in TV or movies but almost never happens in real life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311 "2021-02-06T04:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 54
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1061 "2021-03-31T07:23:40Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Oh, man, when I was a kid, my mother was constantly rearranging the living room furniture, and especially made a big production out of doing it when she was sick. > > One day, I came home from school, saw that the furniture had been rearranged, and asked if she was sick. That nonsense stopped immediately. My dad and his now ex-wife had a once every two weeks house cleaner. This little 5 foot nothing woman. They’d get back home and find she’d rearranged all the furniture. They found it amusing so never said anything, though my father never could figure out how she moved the oak master bedroom set around by herself. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1062 "2021-03-31T13:32:34Z")
At a place I used to work, we had a cleaner that was moving stuff all around. We learned pretty quickly that it was an attempt to hide the fact that they were stealing things. ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1063 "2021-03-31T13:55:05Z")
On TV, when one character doesn’t respect another character, they’ll keep addressing him/her by the wrong name. E.g. “Nice to see you Gary.” “It’s _Gregory_.” And often they keep changing the name by which they refer to him, e.g. next time: “See you tomorrow George.” “It’s _Gregory_.” Does this happen in real life, actually choosing a name to call someone that’s wrong? I could see saying “I forgot your name again” or “whatever your name is” or avoiding using a name. But I don’t witness people using a name that’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1064 "2021-03-31T16:40:17Z")
Oh yeah. Decades ago, when I worked security down in Long Beach harbor, the Harbor patrol guy took me for a ride in one of those little open sides choppers. You couldnt hear each other at all. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1065 "2021-03-31T16:44:49Z")
Especially if it has a piston engine! ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1066 "2021-03-31T18:25:31Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > On TV, when one character doesn’t respect another character, they’ll keep addressing him/her by the wrong name. E.g. “Nice to see you Gary.” “It’s _Gregory_.” And often they keep changing the name by which they refer to him, e.g. next time: “See you tomorrow George.” “It’s _Gregory_.” > > Does this happen in real life, actually choosing a name to call someone that’s wrong? I could see saying “I forgot your name again” or “whatever your name is” or avoiding using a name. But I don’t witness people using a name that’s wrong My grandfather did this to his son-in-law, my dad. So Dad did the same thing to him. Which is why I was twelve before I learned that my grandfather’s name _wasn’t_ “George”. ---
**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:** [March 31, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1067 "2021-03-31T18:26:36Z")
Mad Magazine did a spoof : “Murder she hopes” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1068 "2021-03-31T21:27:20Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > On TV, when one character doesn’t respect another character, they’ll keep addressing him/her by the wrong name. E.g. “Nice to see you Gary.” “It’s _Gregory_.” And often they keep changing the name by which they refer to him, e.g. next time: “See you tomorrow George.” “It’s _Gregory_.” > > Does this happen in real life, actually choosing a name to call someone that’s wrong? I could see saying “I forgot your name again” or “whatever your name is” or avoiding using a name. But I don’t witness people using a name that’s wrong. I’ve seen it. It’s a very annoying form of harassment/bullying. I haven’t seen it very often, but it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1069 "2021-03-31T21:31:32Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > On TV, when one character doesn’t respect another character, they’ll keep addressing him/her by the wrong name. E.g. “Nice to see you Gary.” “It’s _Gregory_.” And often they keep changing the name by which they refer to him, e.g. next time: “See you tomorrow George.” “It’s _Gregory_.” > > Does this happen in real life, actually choosing a name to call someone that’s wrong? I could see saying “I forgot your name again” or “whatever your name is” or avoiding using a name. But I don’t witness people using a name that’s wrong. Yes. My sister has a Finnish name, as do I, though I use the American pronunciation of mine (my parents lost the battle to use the Finnish pronunciation when I was a baby). People have told us numerous times “oh, your name’s too hard to pronounce; I’ll just call you X”. " And I’ll just call you Fred" is the response you’ll get. 8 times out of 10 they tell you their name isn’t Fred - the other two get it. The other 8? They get told “And mine isn’t X”. My name, as it happens, is phonetic. Marita. Fuck you if you’re too lazy to try to get it right. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1070 "2021-03-31T22:49:00Z")
Wow, this sure is a long thread and I sure haven’t read all of it so sorry if this has been mentioned: **WIECITOMBANHIRL?** (the thread question) People’s cell phones never ringing when they’re across the room instead being set only for vibrate which we as the audience hear (and see) but the phone owner doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1071 "2021-03-31T22:53:41Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > My name, as it happens, is phonetic. Marita. Fuck you if you’re too lazy to try to get it right. Wait, people are getting a name wrong when it’s pronounced exactly like it’s spelled??? Muh-REE-ta? Up in the frozen North we have a lot of Kristens and Kirstens, and it’s hard to remember which is which. But a couple of the Kirstens have lived “down south” where _NO ONE_ bothered to _even try_ to pronounce KEER-sten. One gave up and had to answer to “Christie” (pronounced very perkily) the entire two years she worked in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1072 "2021-03-31T23:40:13Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@kitap](#): > > > > My name, as it happens, is phonetic. Marita. Fuck you if you’re too lazy to try to get it right. > > Wait, people are getting a name wrong when it’s pronounced exactly like it’s spelled??? Muh-REE-ta? Yep. I get Martha, Marta, Maria, Marietta, Margarita, Marika, Mary (“Marita’s too hard to remember; you don’t mind, do you?”) and just about anything else sort of but not quite Marita. Then they get offended when I won’t accept it. I was at Best Buy here in Tucson and the cashier looked at my name and said “I have a cousin named Marita! I’ve never met another Marita.” Me"Yes, there are a few of us around!" Him “Do you know what she hates about her name?” Me"That no one ever gets it right the first time?" Him “How did you know!?” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1073 "2021-04-01T00:11:05Z")
**FUN FACT:** \* “Operation Marita” was the code name for the Axis invasion of Greece in WWII. \*Well, maybe not so fun for the Greeks… 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1074 "2021-04-01T01:46:06Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Non-Blockbuster video stores used to have the separate room with the adult videos, separated by beads in the doorway-- to allow for easy comings and goings of customers while having the salacious covers be somewhat hidden from the kiddies. Sometimes they’d be those swinging Western saloon-style doors but most often beads. This was a thing probably into the 90s. A used bookstore of my acquaintance has those swinging Western doors on the room with the porno selection in 2021. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1075 "2021-04-01T02:03:45Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **FUN FACT:** \* “Operation Marita” was the code name for the Axis invasion of Greece in WWII. > > \*Well, maybe not so fun for the Greeks… 🤨 I knew that, as a matter of fact! Mine is simply a name my folks heard while visiting her friends in Finland and thought was pretty. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1076 "2021-04-01T02:12:57Z")
I’ve been to Finland several times, most memorably on the Summer Solstice. Got as far north as the reindeer farm on the Arctic Circle. It’s a beautiful country! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1077 "2021-04-01T02:54:25Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > > [@blabbermeister](#): > > > > On TV, when one character doesn’t respect another character, they’ll keep addressing him/her by the wrong name. E.g. “Nice to see you Gary.” “It’s _Gregory_.” And often they keep changing the name by which they refer to him, e.g. next time: “See you tomorrow George.” “It’s _Gregory_.” > > > > Does this happen in real life, actually choosing a name to call someone that’s wrong? I could see saying “I forgot your name again” or “whatever your name is” or avoiding using a name. But I don’t witness people using a name that’s wrong. > > Yes. My sister has a Finnish name, as do I, though I use the American pronunciation of mine (my parents lost the battle to use the Finnish pronunciation when I was a baby). > > People have told us numerous times “oh, your name’s too hard to pronounce; I’ll just call you X”. " And I’ll just call you Fred" is the response you’ll get. 8 times out of 10 they tell you their name isn’t Fred - the other two get it. The other 8? They get told “And mine isn’t X”. > > My name, as it happens, is phonetic. Marita. Fuck you if you’re too lazy to try to get it right. I can’t see what’s so hard about “Marita”, either. Muh-REE-tuh, yes? Like “Margarita”, minus the “-gar-”? Just out of curiosity, what’s the Finnish pronunciation of “Marita”? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1078 "2021-04-01T02:58:51Z")
Many years ago, when I was a teenage Target cashier, another teenage cashier would address me as “Psst.” I kept telling her what my name was, but she would always go back to calling me “Psst”, until I started ignoring her. IDR if she did that to other people. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1079 "2021-04-01T03:17:14Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > A used bookstore of my acquaintance has those swinging Western doors on the room with the porno… Well, then I’d feel obligated to swing them open and drawl _“Ah’m a dep’ty fresh off the trail from Durango, an’ ah’m a-lookin’ fer Black Dick…”_ ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1080 "2021-04-01T04:50:51Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > [@kitap](#): > > > > > [@blabbermeister](#): > > > > > > On TV, when one character doesn’t respect another character, they’ll keep addressing him/her by the wrong name. E.g. “Nice to see you Gary.” “It’s _Gregory_.” And often they keep changing the name by which they refer to him, e.g. next time: “See you tomorrow George.” “It’s _Gregory_.” > > > > > > Does this happen in real life, actually choosing a name to call someone that’s wrong? I could see saying “I forgot your name again” or “whatever your name is” or avoiding using a name. But I don’t witness people using a name that’s wrong. > > > > Yes. My sister has a Finnish name, as do I, though I use the American pronunciation of mine (my parents lost the battle to use the Finnish pronunciation when I was a baby). > > > > People have told us numerous times “oh, your name’s too hard to pronounce; I’ll just call you X”. " And I’ll just call you Fred" is the response you’ll get. 8 times out of 10 they tell you their name isn’t Fred - the other two get it. The other 8? They get told “And mine isn’t X”. > > > > My name, as it happens, is phonetic. Marita. Fuck you if you’re too lazy to try to get it right. > > I can’t see what’s so hard about “Marita”, either. Muh-REE-tuh, yes? Like “Margarita”, minus the “-gar-”? > > Just out of curiosity, what’s the Finnish pronunciation of “Marita”? Yep. Mah-ree-tah I thought Marita Covarrubias on **The X-Files** would make it more recognizable. No. Finnish is more like MAR-it-ah. Dad’s decided the " t" throws people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=53) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=55)