To get this topic off of my Project Progress thread....

I hate people that spell their name Karl with a C. It's people like YOU that make it difficult for ME to give my name to someone. Just kidding.

Can I have your name please?

Yes, it's Karl - with a K

They already have C written down. Ugh!

For a while, I tried saying "with a K, Karl" but then they get all confused.

Or I say... "Yes.. it's K-A-R-L." And then they act like I'm treating them like a kindergartner.

Allah, ooolalaH, ooola, just a few. BTW I have never read the karan. I'm not even sure I spelt it rite...

Karl,
Somehow I'm having a hard time feeling really sorry for you. Maybe you should talk to your parents about it?



Carl

Sorry Carl. I mean Karl.

Yes. I get called Fi-id (as in hawaii), Fay-eed (as in Osama Al Fay-eed), Feeeeeeed, Sid, Fin, Vid and more.

Written variations are usually Fidd, Vid, Fin, Sid.

My name should be prounounced "fid" - it rhymes with "squid".

And no - it's not my real name - it's a nickname, it comes from "David" - "Daey - Fiid" (when whined by 10 year old girls - my sister more specifically).

The End.

Fiid.

Hey try having a name like mine. Remil (there is no way to pronounce it)

Okay Karl... I will talk to my parents this weekend.


I mean, Carl.

Hey - Remil -

Can we see a full sized shot of your dash - the wood looks cool in your avatar.

Fiid.

I'm with you Karl. My first name is Vaughan... with an a. Most everyone in the worl wants to shorten it to Vaughn. I've lived with it all my life. It's one of my pet peeves too. It's my name I take it personal!!!

Fiid, that actually is not my car on the avatar, it was a car I saw on ebay some months ago. The seller took a lot of photos of it.

My name is easy: Michelle. Although it does annoy me when people try to spell it with one 'L,' it's easy enough to pronounce.

My nickname is the one people usually get wrong: Mica. It's "meeka," not "myka."

I just had someone at Arby's ask me if Scott had two T's.

Usually my reply is, well, one T would be scoot, right? But Scotland only has one T,
doesn't it? lol


Last name is: Carlberg
But in the mail, it can look like this:

karlberg
karlsberg
karlsburg
carlsburg
carlsburt

a couple of times, when I've given my last name first, I've received this:

Carl Berg, though never Karl Berg.

My last name is "Pugh". (pronounced "pew" as in that bench you sit in at church).

Many, many, many variations pronounced to me growing up....

everyone mispronounces my last name....

They say "Rabies, Rabi, Roby. They butcher it up pretty good.

The correct pronunciation is "Ray be" like baby with an "R"

My ex-boss's name is Scot with one t - so it's not that it never happens.

Fiid.

I work with a one-T Scot. He was so happy with me when I spelled his name right on the company bulletin board.

ok thanks Feed. er, Fay-eed, um, Feeeeeeed, Sid, Fin, Vid.... ok Daveed.

Try this one on for size. My last name is DODGEN. right. Dodge like the truck, N. I live in LA where our baseball team is the Dodgers.
My name is ALWAYS mis-pronounced. Dod-gen, Dog-den, dog-en...

It's Dodge, like the major auto manufacturer. with an N on the end.

Sorry, I've been getting it all my life. The wife however has only had a small taste of people slaughtering her name (4 yrs.). It used to be Nelson, nice and easy.

Although, when telemarketers call and fuck up my name I always just say, "There is no one here by that name"

-Mike D.

Ok if this is one-upsmanship...
A solid german name "DAUENHAUER" pronounced (in america)
DOW-N-HOWER
I cant begin to tell you the variations of butchery that I have endored.
The worst that comes to mind is neighborhood Dry Cleaner of Asian decent ...Here you are Mr."DUNG-Hair"

yup

Andrew Dalen

Pronounced dalin

the a does NOT sound like an a..

Oh well!

cox- what can i say....
Aaron Cox - not mis pronounced just ragged on too much! (we need a crying smiley )

My last name is pronounced, Smith. Or ZO eese, like in Luis, or Zwah, or Zo iz like Lois or Zoyce like in Joyce.....

Greek last name with a whole lot of Irish and German to water it down.

What do ya get when ya cross a Greek with an Irish and German......?


A really pissed off drunken janitor that owns the building......

My Uncle that stays out all night is named Paddy O'Furniture......

Yea, my name is Tucker and for some reason people keep calling me Fucker!!

Jeff

You would think a last name like Tomlinson would be pretty easy...

But most people want to pronouce/spell it

Tomilson or
Tomelson

I can't even remember how badly butchered it was in India. They could even copy it correctly, even though my Business card was stapled to my Hotel Folder. They did finally get it right...when I kept telling them that the bill they gave me wasn't mine.

"But Sir, you are staying in that room..."

"Yes, but that is not my names..."

James Tomlinson

AND THERE IS NO "H" in TOMLINSON!!!

My first and last name get messed up. My first name is Erik (with a K) so when people try and spell it Eric I correct them. I was asked once why not just let it go but I like the fact that there are not too many Erik's around.

Now my last name is Dumas (pronounced DOOM-US) I get a lot of french pronounciations (DOOM-AH) but the most common one is less flattering. I got it in grade school and just recently when I was boarding a plane to Vegas with some buddies - all of us celebrating our 30th birthdays - the check in girl took my ticket and said "Have a nice flight Mr. Dumb-ass" My friends just laughed, not because they have never used that one themselves, but more like they were surprised she used it. I told her the proper way to say my name and she turned bright red and apologized saying she never did pronounce names right. I got a laugh out of it by telling the guys "I don't know, I'm a Dumb-Ass remember?" any time they asked me a question. We got a good laugh saying I should look for a girl with the last name Doom-Kuntz and send the wedding announcement in to Jay Leno.

You bunch of whiners - you should try having MY name!

Just Kidding!

Actually, people try to call me Jim, but my dad is Jim, not me...

Yep my name is Garold (Harold with a G). Been called a lot of things in my life usually its Gerald, Jerry,
Jarett, etc...

Last name Shaffer. There is only about 20 thousand different ways to spell it, but mine is the correct way

You all are wusses. My last name is Gruenling. When my grandfather cam through Ellis Island, they took his German last name of Grünling, and added an E.

I have been:

Grumbling
Grunly
Grumling
Greenberg <-- Catskills translation
Grueling
Grumbly <-- My personal fav

Plus my name did not fit on my football Jersey in High School and College.

What's better is that I grew up with a friend who's last name is Schlegenhaft, now try THAT one.

Ok, pay up. You guys have had it easy.

BTW it is pronounced Len ard Skin ard.

Kidding: GRUN - ling

Okay... I didn't even get into my last name... Ellzey

Sheez... try getting people to figure that out.

Really easy.... L-Z

Garold,

When I called you on the way up to Maumee, I was really happy I got your voice mail and you said your name.
If you answered I wouldn't have known if it was pronounce like Gerald just spelled differently, or if you were really a Gary, but spelled it formally, etc....

It's "Bruce".... no one ever gets it wrong. Dam, I have nothing to complain about.

Fiid:
Don't expect to much of them at Arby's, your lucky to get the right change. If the cash regester doesn't figger it for them you are S.O.L. Dave

Just to add a different dimension to the name game, and out of deference to Andy who must think he's the only one here who writes with an accent, how many of you had ancestors, parents, whatever, who came through Ellis Island? How long has your family been here?

C -> not K

Just move to North Carolina, they'l repronounce your name.

It's the only place that I ever lived that my first name had two sylables

Keee yun for Ken

There were three of us who had names that were pronounced the same

Jim Wells, Jim Wills, and Ken Wales

When the lady got on the microphone and said .....

Jee yum Weeylls, Jeeyum Way yells, Keee yun Wayls, please pick up on line 3.....

I got confused and ran in circles...... Then they took pity on me and got me my very own "Learn to Speak Southern" book

And then doctor.... when I lived in Spain as a kid, I was scarred for life by those darned locals who pronounced Wales as Wa-Lez, you know, like Gonzalez.....

Ken Wales

Ya, Last name WARREN becomes WARNER.

About this time last year I went to pick up my prescription. When asked my name "Warren. Spelled W-A-R-R-E-N, I said. "Ok Mr. Warren I have that ready for you in a few minutes". I wondered of to read Road & Track.

About 10 minutes later the Bubble Head announces over the store PA that she has a prescription ready for Mr. Warner. I wanted to reach across the counter and choke her. I even spelled it out for and she still got it wrong.

I should be used to it by now. I get called "Warner" a few times a year.

Pat

Tried having the name Britain and everyone who doesn't know you think that it is Britany and you are a girl...

Also, no one seems to know how to spell the country when you tell them that is how it is spelled. I have come across some very interesting attempts. At least my last name is Smith.

-Britain

Two pages of name screw ups. Who woulda thunk it.

Winter is pretty easy you would think. I always get "how do you spell that?"

Ummmmmm..........................

Reminds me on the old routine "Whats your name Bob, starts with a B, ends with a B"

That's funny! My name is Richard but I'm Often refered to as "DICK!" As in You DICK! Hey What can I say, My mother named me right...

Having a name that telemarketers can't pronounce is a great boon. I too just say there is no one here by that name.

DeVries is pronounced Dee Vreeze (rhymes with freeze), with emphasis on the second sylable. Like all names from Germanic languages, the second vowel makes the sound. If I was in the Netherlands they'd pronounce the V like an F and the s wouldn't have a z sound to it, plus the r gets rolled. I've tried that, but nobody in the U.S. can get anywhere close to saying it correctly.

DeVrize is the most common mispronounciation and a lot of people think I must be related to Devry Institute. We've also gotten
Deliveries
Devorcee
DeVires

These days the worst of it is at our local Safeway grocery store where the clerks are required by management to thank you by name. Never mind that this is insulting to the customer, they think it is good customer service. A sincere "thank you for shopping with us" would be just fine.

My grandparents came through Ellis Island in the early 1900's. My wife's great-grandparents came in the 1890's. All came from the Netherlands. I've been able to find records for them at the Ellis Island, including the ship registry - really cool.

I discovered through the ship registry that the only grandparent I knew was not actually named Henry. That wasn't surprising - I figured it was Hendrick or something like that. Turns out it was Henderth. Since my parents saw fit to deprive me of a middle name, one of these days I'm gonna to through the process of taking Henderth as my official middle name.

The unfortunate thing is that by the 3rd generation, we have lost the ability to speak our native language. Our grandparents were pretty set on their kids becoming Americans so English was the rule. I don't think it ever occurred to them how much is lost when you throw away that part of your past.

what the hell, i'll join in. i have actually been thinking about this on and off today since CARL's thread got hijacked.

history: both sides of the family came through ellis island one side from italy and one from sicily

mafia: the bonanno crime family is still active in new york although my ancestors came from siracusa and the legendary joe bonanno came from Castellammare Del Golfo

translation: bon anno= good year

nicknames (just a few ):
banana
bonanza
banana man
bandeho (read pendejo)
joey bananas (my college days)
doctor joey (post college)
boneman
boner-anno (my personal favorite)
etc...

although jeff is pretty inocuous - here is a ditty i heard one time:

hey ladee ladee ladee
hey ladee ladee lo

i knew this guy his name was jeff
hey ladee ladee lo
he beat off till he went deaf
hey ladee ladee lo

i almost pissed my pants - a successful mutilation of my FIRST name!

jbb

Believe it or not.. people screw up Brad.

They say "Fred" ?? no.. dumass BRAD. Does Brad sound anything like FRED ??

I get people that ask me to spell Roberts for them ?? WTF ??

Little kids call me Fred.. it sounds like Brad I guess.


B

My last name is Arbuthnot, that's R BUTH NOT, with a lisp in the middle, not R BUT NO. Nice thing about my name, I can always tell when a magazine has sold my name to someone else, it's always spelled wrong. And you're right about the telemarketers, ain't nobody here by that name

Even my first name of Joan (that's one syllable - JONE), many say Joanne or even, how do you spell that?

Oh... the best way to kill off telemarkerters (when they ask for so and so.. tell them your not allowed to speak to them because you are under age 18) Its illegal for them to speak to a minor.. they actually have to hang up on you....LOL

B

lol this thread is making me feel better already.

There's a street sign in the next town that totally pissed me off about people and their lack of spelling skills.

JENIFFER Street How does this shit get all the way through a municipal system and onto the top of a pole for everyone to see?

I like the people who call to offer a credit card. I tell them thank god, cause no one else will give me any and I'm broke and need some cash or credit! LOL

This is why I go by "URY914"
My last name is "Woodbury"
Not Woodberry
Not Woodbery
There are towns in CT, NY, NJ all named Woodbury.
There use to be a soap named Woodbury. And my Dad would say, "Like the soap".
It is Woodbury, and I spell out "u-r-y" every time.
Or is it "you-are-why"?

They mostly get "Paul" right.

I know a gril named "Porita" pronounced "Porscha". Now people really had trouble with that one. I thought it was cool, but my wife wouldn't let me name our girl that.

kevin sean powers.or, kelvin seen powders. "hey powders!! yeah, i'm talking to you!"

kevin

My last name is LaBrecque: people butcher it all the time, like LaBreek, LaBrecky and most of all.....well do a spell check on my name and you'll see why they call me BarBQue.......

Hey Jeff,

I thought the only Italians here in San Diego were on witness protection....

James