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Of all the stupid things to get twisted out about.
I generally call people the name the tell me when we are introduced. But to get offended when a perfectly common variant of your name is used, when you have one of the most common names on the planet is silly. Also, to be honest, people tend to call others by their full formal names when they want to distance themselves from the person. Nicknames inherently are more familiar and used when people want to create friendships or intimacy.
I noticed a while ago that the universal use of shortened names or nickname was very much an anglosphere thing and that Americans were the most enthusiastic about it.
In America, someone who insists on being called Lawrence all the time, instead of Larry comes across as slightly odd. Williams are always Bills or Billys. Roberts are very often Bobs. Theodores are Teds, etc.
In other countries and cultures that I'm familiar with, shortened names and nicknames are used only by family and very close friends. It's hard to imagine a french president named Edouard being refered to as Eddie in the press.
It's worth considering that sometimes people might shorten names out of affection, eg like what they used to call a pet name, so it might be a sign someone likes you.
Also if someone hears someone else calling you the shortened version, they might just assume that that is what you are known as.
There are people I work with that I will always use the full version of their name because I don't feel that level of intimacy with them to use the shortened version.
My name doesn't have a common diminutive, so I've actually always liked it if someone comes up with a (nice) nickname for me.
Of all the stupid things to get twisted out about.
I generally call people the name the tell me when we are introduced. But to get offended when a perfectly common variant of your name is used, when you have one of the most common names on the planet is silly. Also, to be honest, people tend to call others by their full formal names when they want to distance themselves from the person. Nicknames inherently are more familiar and used when people want to create friendships or intimacy.
I don't get offended, I just think it's a little bit rude when I say "Hey I'm Michael" and they're like "nice to meet you Mike". I just think they should at least ask me first if they want to use a nickname. My full [first] name is perfectly fine.
Now if I insisted they called me "Mr. ___", that would be kind of weird unless I was their teacher or something.
My full name is usually abbreviated and nicknamed because people can't pronounce Indian names with ease. So, I tell them to just use the first 3 letters to make their lives easier. It is not exactly forced, but requested by others for ease of communication. I don't want to be mean or rude to them, so I let it pass. As long as they are not making fun of my name and call me for any legitimate reason, I have no problem using nicknames.
I am a guy, so considering the fact that 95 % of the posters in this forum are women, my experiences related with using nicknames may be very different from yours. I take it that women easily get offended or disrespected when men call them by their nicknames. So unless I know them really well, I usually say "Ms/Mrs. -----------" while talking for the first time to a women face to face.
I have basically the opposite experience. My given name is the short version of a common longer name. Think "Doug" vs. "Douglas" (it's not that, I'm female, but along those lines). You would not believe the number of people who have insisted that my name MUST BE [long version] and ARGUED with me about it...as if I wouldn't know my own name.
yeah, if my parents managed to call me by my complete name throughout my whole childhood, then any other person can call me by my full name as well. I told people before who kept forgetting my "oh so complicated name" they should just call me DUDE.
I have basically the opposite experience. My given name is the short version of a common longer name. Think "Doug" vs. "Douglas" (it's not that, I'm female, but along those lines). You would not believe the number of people who have insisted that my name MUST BE [long version] and ARGUED with me about it...as if I wouldn't know my own name.
I get it, kinda like "Lizzie Borden", she was christened "Lizzie", not "Elizabeth"......
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