I don't think any of us are saying that we would instantly dismiss someone for having a certain name. The fact is that people have a tendency to draw opinion from personal experience. Sometimes little things like names, can bring back particularly tender or painful memories for us. Sometimes a word is just phonetically displeasing to us. I think that is what we are saying here.

Looking back at my previous post, I realize it does sound like a judgment. Let me assure you that if I met someone named Brittney today, I wouldn't turn my back on her or any such nonsense. Although if I did become friends with her, I might choose a nice nickname for her.

Ren, who's the old bat?

Well, I can honestly say that I wouldn't dismiss someone with the name I dislike, because I married the guy anyway! I just never called him by his middle name.

Quote:

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Ren, who's the old bat?

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Three guesses Terry.
Clue: She just got a lot OLDER.

<< Clue: She just got a lot OLDER. >>

lol!

It was only one year. Poor old bat.

It might be just one year to you Terry but it is a whole new world to me:-

Old age pension
Christmas Bonus
10% discount in DIY/home store on Wednesdays
10% discount every second Wednesday of the month in the supermarket
Free bus travel
Free entrance to all the museums
Reduced price in cinemas and various other attractions including the gym

I am going to be SO busy.

Wow Sue, that's a lot of free stuff.

What's special about Wednesdays? Is that the day that you old folks get taken out for the weekly trip to the stores?

I am going to be accused of major sucking up here, but my best buddy in the Army was called Terry - a very good friend and neighbour, who is a whizz on computer problems is called Terry - the guy in our local store who's always helpful and polite, is called Terry.
So .......... why on earth is the webmaster of this site called TERRY ! hehehehehe - bet ya thought there was gonna be some major butt kissing there boss - nah not today

I have had extraordinarily bad luck in my acquaintance with several people named Mike.

Regarding plus points for becoming a pensioner - I've just printed off a voucher for hotel accommodation including full breakfast, for £10 per night - applicable to 'oldies' only.

There are lots of special good offers if you search around. Here, the local health store has Tuesday discounts for over 60's, restaurants have discounted lunch time meals and you pay the child admission price at the cinema. Although this doesn't mean you have to behave like a child - pensioners flicking popcorn at each other is frowned upon..... (but probably great fun!).

Now back on topic: Vera is not good for me, nor Betty (lovely name, but unfortunately I have no vision, except for a very nasty woman). I once had a bad situation with someone called David and I do have a job to detach this very common name from the events.

Jorja. Why would anyone spell a pretty name (Georgia) that way? I can't take seriously anyone who has a mangled spelling of a perfectly good and recognisible name. Makes me think their parents must have been ignorant and heard the name but not known how to spell it. Makes the kid sound like an airhead too (along with Britney & Paris, of course). Others that spring to mind are: Neeve, Shivorn, Sharn, and (shudder) Feebie. What were they thinking?

As for Fred, it's an all purpose term in our family for spiders, especially big ones, as in "there was a big Fred lurking in the garage last night". It's also my father's name for anyone whose name he can't remember,often coupled with "Fernackapan". I think it comes from a Spike Milligan poem called "Fred Fernackapan", but given my father's age it's possibly older than that.

Jarrod hands down. I don't care for a certain Jarrod.

Speaking of mangled names, I have difficulty with Lori. To me a Lory is a kind of parrot. Whatever happened to Laurie and Laura? Beautiful names. It's so much a matter of taste though. Another poster dislikes John. Simple name but one of my favourites for boys. It's very personal. I just don't make the association with other uses. You have to feel a bit more sorry for Richard in all its forms! I used to call my goldfish Fred. My paternal grandfather came from a large family and believe it or not he had big brothers Fred and George. I don't know if they were twins though...

Fred Fernakapan can be traced to the 1930's:
In the old Gracie Fields hit from the 1930s:
The comic song's lyric concerns the eponymous lad who visits his girlfriend's family for tea. The family are anxious to impress and have laid on a spread for him, only to find he is unable to eat any food having left his false teeth at home. They then discover he doesn't drink, and finally his mother comes round to drag him off to bed!

Bruce - from a kid i was a school with about twenty years ago. (I can hold a grudge better than anyone I know!)

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that 'Adolf' is banned in Germany? Would that be right?

Aha! So I'm not the only one who shudders at the name Bruce. (Sorry to all the Bruces out there).

I live in the suburb of Bruce......(named for the only Prime Minister who lost his seat)

LOL! All the possible insults that are happening in this string!

A couple more...
My husband's name is technically "Edward" and I just can't stand that name! I have no idea why... One of my grandfathers was also named Edward. Thankfully, my husband's nickname is "Bill" and that suits me just fine...

(It is a very long story why his nickname is Bill, when he doesn't even have a middle name of William... In fact, he has no middle name! )

My own given name is actually "Patsy." Not Patricia, which would be very common, and "normal," I might add... It might have been all right, but when I was a child, I received a note from the principal regarding a message from home, and he sent the message to my classroom, but misspelled my name... He spelled it "Pasty!" Well, it was noticed by other students, and from that point on, my life was not pleasant. (It was a 4th grade class... ) I have insisted upon being called "Pat" ever since!

Then there is the issue of surnames. My maiden name was very unusual, apparently it originated in France, but went through many spelling changes here in the US, so it was constantly mispronounced by teachers in my childhood... I hated that name at the time, a constant source of embarrassment! My feelings have changed about that one, however... I appreciate its uniqueness.

Things didn't get much better when I entered into a brief marriage when I was too young... For a short time, my surname was "Fithian." Now, I'm not sure if it is because I still retain such animosity towards that particular person, or if it is the name itself... but my view towards that name was that it sounded as if it were a speech impediment!

Thankfully, after such traumatic beginnings, I have a very simple surname now... Short, single syllable, and very pronounceable and easily spelled!

Redwood aha , Fithian - I agree that is pretty bad

Ha ha, Scottie, I had to laugh at your use of the name "Fred" for any spider..my brothers and I always called the shedded shells of a cicada, a "Fred". When the cicada sheds or molts, it leaves behind a perfect likeness in its old shape, usually still clinging to a tree trunk or something. Those were "Freds", and we would stick them on our shirts and freak out my mom in the kitchen.

Oh, those cicada shells are so gross! I don't know why, but I have a couple of them that I keep in a jar. I suppose I keep them because they are strange and gross? Hmmm?

Anyway, to me Fred sounds more like a spider. Although I picture "Fred" being like those corny Halloween decoration spiders, with the silly faces and fuzzy legs. Isn't that odd now?

I left one out, Mariah. Yucky! Oh and James, Harold, and Cynthia. Ew, they are all extremly awful.