Tag Archives: Names

Get It Right

7 Apr

People who cannot pronounce my name properly shouldn’t be calling me to solicit for an appointment or whatsoever. It peeves me to no end when I get such phone calls. Same goes for people whom I don’t know, calls and pronounces my name correctly but tends to be fake and over enthusiastic in their conversation, irks me to no end.

My fitness and spa center called me two days ago and I was addressed as “Aggie”. Gawd… Obviously it’s someone new; I bristled and declined to make an appointment.

I have been inadvertently called ‘Angel’, ‘Angela’, ‘Agnes’, spelled as ‘N-G’ and ‘Angle’ (the result of the smart phone’s auto-correct ability and the not-very smart user to rectify), and now this. Eeesh… Why?

It’s not like I have a coined up name (remember Qalvin?), some exotic name or difficult spelling one. Let’s not even go into having my first initial to be the same as my last name, like that ‘K’ ‘klan’… I mean clan.

Get it right, people, it’s just a simple ‘Angie’, spelled ‘A-N-G-I-E’ and pronounced as ‘Ann-Gee’.

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How You Spell Your Name Again? Part 2

12 Sep

The hubby just shared a fall-off-your-chair scenario he encountered with regards to names. Brings to mind what I wrote a while back on the same topic, how does one spell your name.

Yesterday morning he went by the car service center to inquire about a part to replace for car number three. The order was put in since June and until now, we have yet to receive confirmation for its arrival. Patiently waiting for his turn while the receptionist was on the phone, he overheard the conversation.

The other side: (Complains… Complains… he imagines).

Receptionist: “No, you must bring your car in for service regularly.”

The other side: (More complains…. he imagines).

Receptionist: “I understand but you must bring it in for service.”

The other side: (Disguntled now… he sense frustration).

Receptionist: “Seven.”

The other side: Stumped silence.
Hubby was stupefied.

Receptionist repeated: “Seven.”

The other side and him: Further silence and then muffled chortles.

Huh? Is that a name?

The other side: (How you spell your name again?) and this must be going through his mind too!

Receptionist: “S-E-V-E-N. Seven.”

It was the tone and direction of the conversation that had the other side asking the receptionist what her name is and she obliged.

Dang! Is that a name? Harper Seven Beckham she ain’t, that’s for sure!

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How You Spell Your Name Again??

15 Jul

Thank goodness I named the my two girls, currently code named, M1 and M2, with sensible sounding names that are easy to pronounce. Yet, we have people pronouncing them wrongly, or worst, spelling wrongly! Horrors.

During my early working years, I encountered many creative minds and with creative names, it was such an eye opener. The one that stands out most after all these years was from my working at a local publishing house. An enthusiastic ad salesman came a calling and introduced himself as Calvin but spelt, ‘Qalvin’, proudly showing me his business card!

Unimpressed, I queried him on this choice of spelling for the name and then, pointed out to him that a ‘u’ technically should follow after the ‘Q’ – typical of the letter ‘Q’.

I then went on teasing him, purposely emphasizing “QUAIL-vin” prominently, and this embarrassed the heck out of him. I guess he wasn’t impressed too for he never dropped by after that incident.

Honestly, I have no objections to one having a creative name, I am just of the opinion that it must be spelt correctly. Remember my ‘English teacher’ calling my mother intended me for? And it would be a bonus if the chosen name goes well with the person’s physical appearance.

Call me old school or whatever but wouldn’t it be more significant if one looks like their name? I often asked my girls if I had switched their names, how would it be like? They’d squint their eyes for a minute before bursting into contagious laughter! Obviously, they cannot imagine one being the other. See my point of one looking like their name?

I’ve come across a sweet lady aptly named Apple (coincidently in New York City), a bridegroom named Cyclops, perfectly healthy and with two eyes unlike what the name conjures up in the mind (only in Hong Kong you get something like this!) and of course, the timid bird-like Qalvin (in Kuala Lumpur)!

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Last week, I was down in Singapore attending an exhibition and met up with a ‘Seaman’ and a ‘Kinus’, from Singapore and Hong Kong respectively. I had to refrain from laughing in front of them as I found their choice of name so totally wrong with their physical appearance and country of origin.

Walking away, I commented to the hubby, “I met a Seaman.”

“Semen?” He asked incredulously.

“Oh stop it! It’s ‘s-e-A-m-A-n’. Got a couple of ‘A’s in between, ok?” I pointed out and in a way, was relieved Seaman did not look like a dick head.

“Aiyoh…. Why choose such a name?” the hubby could not fathom.

Makes me wonder too. Whatever happened to good old safe choices to avoid the embarrassment of correcting someone spelling your name wrongly?

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