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Post by Lucky Dan on Dec 7, 2022 2:19:47 GMT
William. It's a great name and despite it's ubiquity in birth records, few men so christened choose to be called by it. Then I've heard him called Dick, too, by those who tend to transpose their Powells. My official name is James; I decided to be called James instead of Jim when I was around 8. Most teachers would ask if I wished to be called James or Jim. As I got older this sort of dance would continue; E.g. I meet someone at a business conference. They see that I'm listed as James. Alert people would ask. Clueless ones would just call me Jim. AND, the real clueless ones would continue to call me Jim even after I would say I go by James !!!!
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Post by topbilled on Dec 7, 2022 4:45:58 GMT
I never had a nickname growing up, pretty much because my mother insisted I be called by my given name, which is Jarrod. My father's name is Gerald, and my mother did not want a Junior since there was bad luck with Juniors on both sides (one disappeared, one was obese...yes, my mother did not want me to be overweight). So she named me Jarrod, because it was similar enough to my father's name but I would have my own individuality.
One kid in grade school tried calling me Rod for awhile, but it didn't stick. A friend of the family sometimes called me Jare, which I liked but that didn't catch on because my mother insisted it was Jarrod or nothing.
When I was in college, a good friend of mine called me Jed and she was the only person I would probably let get away with that, since it sounds like Beverly Hillbilly Jed Clampett. But she said it so affectionally, like in a brother-sister way, I was okay with it.
I like the name Jarrod a lot. But when I write stories professionally, I prefer to use a pseudonym. I guess it is because I don't feel as if Jarrod sounds like a writer's name.
In my mid-to-late 20s, I lived and worked in South Korea. When I was on a radio show, my boss gave me a stage name, because he thought Jarrod was too hard for Koreans to pronounce. So during that time I was known professionally as Jay Brown. I remember when he gave me this particular name, I said 'why Jay Brown?' And he said 'it's a letter and a color, and it will be easy for listeners to remember.' LOL
I think when you use another name, it becomes part of a game you play. It conveys an aspect of your personality, or else another personality entirely, the image you create for yourself. Nicknames are part of the 'game.'
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Post by galacticgirrrl on Dec 7, 2022 18:34:43 GMT
I think when you use another name, it becomes part of a game you play. It conveys an aspect of your personality, or else another personality entirely, the image you create for yourself. Nicknames are part of the 'game.'I had no idea such a thread could be so interesting, funny, touching. I always found it curious how so many guys I knew growing up as Richard or Stephen all of a sudden became Rich or Steve. It felt odd to me and never struck me as being cooler or masculine or whatever the intent was that brought about the change. This didn't seem to happen to female friends as often and the ones that it did I found super annoying - Becky becoming Becka, Linda becoming Lindy. It felt like they were trying to create another persona and leave us all behind. I have always been curious about why some people are seemingly born with a nickname - that scene in The Legend of Lizzie Borden (TV Movie 1975) where Elizabeth Montgomery says she was christened thus and my grandmother Jessie Henrietta (sounds like someone wanted a boy!?). So many parents pour hours and hours of work into finding a baby name that can't be bastardized. When trying to name a family dog growing up some wise acre thought using the first initial from each of our names would be fun - which ended up being ASPIC - no doubt meant as a reference to the culinary delight but with this being before leash laws, imagine our poor neighbours listening to us bellowing ASSSSSSSSSPIC!! at all hours of the night and day. I have so many names I feel a bit like Sally Field in Sybil. Born Noelle Kelly and named after what Smithsonian magazine calls Broadway’s Top Ten Musical Flops (is this a good omen for one's life I ask!?). Adopted as Kelly Patricia and somehow ended up being known as everything from Tricia (shared with my American cousin), Pat (babysat for an exec at Philips Electronics for years and I didn't dare correct him when he called me this) and two I really loved Trish the Dish (friend's stockbroker Dad) and Tish (older family friend). Filling out forms I always put down Kelly for some reason which usually leaves a receptionist calling out for "Kelly! Kelly? Kelly" with me sitting around oblivious wondering who this rude Kelly person is that didn't arrive on time for their appointment.  Broadway’s Top Ten Musical Flops www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/broadways-top-ten-musical-flops-169390390/'Kelly' Flop And Magazine Article Seen Raising Possibility of Broadway Boycott Desert Sun, Volume 38, Number 230, 30 April 1965 cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19650430.2.10522 Broadway Musicals That Closed on Opening Night playbill.com/article/22-broadway-musicals-that-closed-on-opening-night |
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Post by I Love Melvin on Dec 8, 2022 0:08:22 GMT
After the thoughtful responses, this will probably seem glib, but the OP's question made me think of a great New Yorker cartoon back in the 1990's of a presidential portrait gallery featuring Bill Howard Taft, Bill Henry Harrison, Bill McKinley and Bill Clinton. A sly comment on our age's penchant for over-familiarity.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Dec 8, 2022 1:19:46 GMT
After the thoughtful responses, this will probably seem glib, but the OP's question made me think of a great New Yorker cartoon back in the 1990's of a presidential portrait gallery featuring Bill Howard Taft, Bill Henry Harrison, Bill McKinley and Bill Clinton. A sly comment on our age's penchant for over-familiarity. That is odd since all of those Presidents except, Clinton, I recall seeing as William (e.g. in history books, etc...). |
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Post by topbilled on Dec 8, 2022 15:20:35 GMT
Anyone going to be watching TCM's Thin Man marathon on New Year's eve...? It's a good chance to see Myrn & Billy in their prime.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Dec 8, 2022 18:08:36 GMT
Anyone going to be watching TCM's Thin Man marathon on New Year's eve...? It's a good chance to see Myrn & Billy in their prime. I'll be watching. At midnight I tend to watch It's Love I'm After, with Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Olivia DeHavilland since it is set on new year's eve \ day. |
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Post by dianedebuda on Dec 8, 2022 23:04:38 GMT
Anyone going to be watching TCM's Thin Man marathon on New Year's eve...? It's a good chance to see Myrn & Billy in their prime. |
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Post by topbilled on Dec 8, 2022 23:54:05 GMT
Anyone going to be watching TCM's Thin Man marathon on New Year's eve...? It's a good chance to see Myrn & Billy in their prime. I'll be watching. At midnight I tend to watch It's Love I'm After, with Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Olivia DeHavilland since it is set on new year's eve \ day. |
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Post by Swithin on Dec 9, 2022 2:40:20 GMT
I knew a woman who knew Melville Cooper. She always referred to him as "George."
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Post by sepiatone on Dec 10, 2022 17:18:06 GMT
I woke up this morning with a debate going on in my subconscious about the name of actor FRANCHOT TONE. Whatta name! I labored for years thinking it was the name of an actress. And why not? Actresses back in the '30's and '40's had those weird names. Like MYRNA, GREER and TALLULAH.(how many of either of those did any of you have in school classes?). Back in the day, we only had the newspaper's TV page to find out what was on, or those those TV books that covered the whole week. Usually came with the Sunday paper. And when listing who was in some movie, the leads would be the only two names indicating who was in the movie. And since I was way too young to care about reading credits, never bothered with them until nearly 20. And then found out Franchot was a guy!
And then there's the pronunciation. For years I read and said "Fran-CHOT"( to rhyme with "Got"). And only recently heard Ben pronounce it "Fran-SHOW"! Anyone had a similar experience with any other actor/actress?
Sepiatone
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Post by topbilled on Dec 10, 2022 17:36:00 GMT
I woke up this morning with a debate going on in my subconscious about the name of actor FRANCHOT TONE. Whatta name! I labored for years thinking it was the name of an actress. And why not? Actresses back in the '30's and '40's had those weird names. Like MYRNA, GREER and TALLULAH.(how many of either of those did any of you have in school classes?). Back in the day, we only had the newspaper's TV page to find out what was on, or those those TV books that covered the whole week. Usually came with the Sunday paper. And when listing who was in some movie, the leads would be the only two names indicating who was in the movie. And since I was way too young to care about reading credits, never bothered with them until nearly 20. And then found out Franchot was a guy! And then there's the pronunciation. For years I read and said "Fran-CHOT"( to rhyme with "Got"). And only recently heard Ben pronounce it "Fran-SHOW"! Anyone had a similar experience with any other actor/actress? Sepiatone
But recently I watched an episode of Cannon in which she guest starred. All those Quinn Martin crime dramas in the 70s had an announcer at the beginning, who announced the episode title and the night's guest stars. And this is how I found out it is actually pronounced Share-ee (as in cooking sherry). LOL |
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Post by leadinglady on Dec 11, 2022 5:35:13 GMT
I use the stars' full names, except for Lucille Ball. There's only one Lucy.  |
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Post by BunnyWhit on Dec 12, 2022 16:18:32 GMT
I woke up this morning with a debate going on in my subconscious about the name of actor FRANCHOT TONE. Whatta name! I labored for years thinking it was the name of an actress. And why not? Actresses back in the '30's and '40's had those weird names. Like MYRNA, GREER and TALLULAH.(how many of either of those did any of you have in school classes?). Back in the day, we only had the newspaper's TV page to find out what was on, or those those TV books that covered the whole week. Usually came with the Sunday paper. And when listing who was in some movie, the leads would be the only two names indicating who was in the movie. And since I was way too young to care about reading credits, never bothered with them until nearly 20. And then found out Franchot was a guy! And then there's the pronunciation. For years I read and said "Fran-CHOT"( to rhyme with "Got"). And only recently heard Ben pronounce it "Fran-SHOW"! Anyone had a similar experience with any other actor/actress? Sepiatone
But recently I watched an episode of Cannon in which she guest starred. All those Quinn Martin crime dramas in the 70s had an announcer at the beginning, who announced the episode title and the night's guest stars. And this is how I found out it is actually pronounced Share-ee (as in cooking sherry). LOL |
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Post by topbilled on Dec 12, 2022 16:28:37 GMT
Yes. Sheree North. For years I thought it was pronounced like Shir-ree (as in mon cheri).
But recently I watched an episode of Cannon in which she guest starred. All those Quinn Martin crime dramas in the 70s had an announcer at the beginning, who announced the episode title and the night's guest stars. And this is how I found out it is actually pronounced Share-ee (as in cooking sherry). LOL
And I wanted to know, who the heck was Richard Stands...was he someone as important as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln??? |
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