On Fri, Feb 18, 2005 at 10:57:37PM -0600, Bryan Newell wrote: > > > But my mother Mary Dawn > > > objects when she hears someone call her Mary Don. > > Eh? "Dawn" versus "Don" is a different distinction. > > (Pointing.) "AH. AW. AH. AW." > > "Are you saying those sounds are different?!" > My name is spelled with a Y (Bryan), which is the less popular spelling, and > I can usually tell the difference between the spoken names Bryan and Brian. I am of the opinion that people who have odd names tend to be more careful in their pronunciation. I think it is a result of being sensitized to it because of the mangling of your own. It is my experience that the only people who get my name right when I am introduced/introduce myself are people who also have odd names. All others say some variation of "Hi John/Josh/Jock" although I enunciate quite clearly. [1] I also listen carefully (and normally immediately forget) when other people say their name. If I'm not sure I heard it right, I say something like: "I'm sorry. Was that X?" People with odd names appreciate you taking the time to get it right....but they then also know that you have an odd name because of paragraph 2. :) [2] Oh, and just to keep it on topic, care to guess how often any of these people actually had their names pronounced correctly the first time when introduced: 1) Aliera 2) Corwin 3) Reen -Jot [1] My Mom tells the story of me, at age 3 or so, introducing myself as "Jot J-O-T Jot" all said as one word. :) [2] If they have figured this out. Just because you have an odd named doesn't mean you're very smart. -- Jot Powers <books at bofh.com> http://www.bofh.com/books/ "I'm upping my standards, so up yours!" -Pat Paulsen (1927-1997), Presidential Campaign Slogan