posted
Hello. I've got a new name, or I've just got back my old name perhaps. See, I finally got round to applying for my birth records off of the council, because I'm one of them poor adopted chilluns with no mother.
I thought it was quite funny that I was named "John" by my birth mother. I know it was 1965 and you were either called John (heads) or Paul (tails), but I still think it was her way of ensuring no attachment.
"It's a boy, what are you calling it?"
"I don't fackin' know."
"John do?"
"Yeah, spose."
If I'd been called Obediah, or William Peter David Francis Michael (how many is it in a platoon?), or Brian or something then I'd have thought there might be some connection being made, some signal being sent that she'd been forced to send me away but that she'd given me a name which meant something. But "John" just means, "See yer!"
(Sorry to everyone that's called John, by the way, though most of them that I know are complete wankers anyway. And now I'm a John too. Yar har. Fuck 'em.)
Interesting to have a completely different name though.
What would you be called if you were able to rename yourself as if by magic?
Well, I've mentioned before that I petitioned for Jean-Baptiste to be used for one of our lads, but failed at the "Don't be fucking stupid" stage of selection. So, I'd go for Jean-Baptiste, yes. Ooh, look, that's got "John" in, but in French. Maybe my mum was on the same wavelength.
"It's a boy, what are you calling it?"
"Jean-Baptiste."
"Don't be fucking stupid. John do?"
"Yeah, spose."
By the way, if you ever bump into any French tourists in the street, always say, "beaucoup". It means a lot to them.
Posts: 8467
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by dang65: If you ever bump into any French tourists in the street, always say, "beaucoup". It means a lot to them.
Wahey!
John sounds better than "dang65" though.
And, to answer your question.. I did go through a phase of wanting to be called 'Klute', and I suppposed I've kind of changed my name, as I was named* Steven, but I refer to myself as Steve. A subtle yet important difference. My name is not Stephen, however much bandy would like it to be.
*I haven't been christened because my father hates God (is an aesthetist). brr.
[ 24.01.2005, 06:23: Message edited by: Dr. Benway ]
Neurotic Cat
My fortune cookie's empty... That's also the title of my autobiography.
posted
Hey Dang,
My 11 month old nephew is called John and hes ace!
quote:I thought it was quite funny that I was named "John" by my birth mother. I know it was 1965 and you were either called John (heads) or Paul (tails), but I still think it was her way of ensuring no attachment.
"It's a boy, what are you calling it?"
"I don't fackin' know."
"John do?"
"Yeah, spose."
You shouldnt think of it like that!
John is a strong name - sure its not obediah but who the feck wants to be called obediah?
I googled the baby name John and it says this:
John, a 1-syllable boy's name of Hebrew origin, means: The Lord is gracious; gift of God.
John's ethnic backgrounds include African, Scottish, English/Welsh and Greek. It's religious association is Biblical (see Mt 20:20).
I'm going to have to think about this with regards changing my own name - I'd love to! But part of me thinks that this is the name my mother gave me and it would seem rude to change it.
One of my friends changed her name from Sharon to Phoebe? It suits her better thats for sure.
-------------------- You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats Posts: 150
| IP: Logged
EtA: I was going to be called Oliver but my parents decided against it because that was the name of an evil neighbour's dog. Mater decided on Tony, but Pater overruled and settled on Anthony.
posted
I don't think you should be too discouraged by the choice of John, just because it's a traditional one. It could well be a family name that had significance for your birth mother.
I spent a large proportion of childhood pretending that my RL name was actually short for Georgina (almost works), as I desparately wanted a l o n g n a m e, with at least three syllables, rather than the measly four letters that my parents begrudged me.
I also recall liking horribly girly names like Lucy Ann, Carrie and Heidi (all characters in books I read).
Then I wanted a classic Pony Girl name like Jill, Jackie, Jinny or Mandy.
Right now, I like exotic forren names, or ones from books, so you may call me:
Rosin Scarlett Miranda Katerina Natalia Eva Estella Isobel
But I think a winner has to be Zerelda, who was a glamorous American girl new to boarding school (she wore make up to class, the hussy!) in Enid Blyton's Third Year At Malory Towers. So, it's literary, long, multi-syllabic and begins with Z. Mates can call me Zel, or Z or perhaps Z (American version).
-------------------- What I object to is the colour of some of these wheelie bins and where they are left, in some areas outside all week in the front garden. Posts: 4941
| IP: Logged
Octavia
I hate Valentine's Day. Stupid commercialised crap
posted
Lol. I remember Zerelda. Darrell disapproved of her until she wore her hair in bunches and learned to play lacrosse properly.
I was going to be Henry. I'm not sure the current option is any better.
Posts: 3340
| IP: Logged
Astromariner
Going the right way for a smacked bottom
posted
Zerelda! She had brassy hair and said everything was "wunnerful". 3rd Year at Malory Towers was quite distressing in places, I remember. It's the one where Bill's horse got colic and nearly died. Poor Bill's horse.
Posts: 2814
| IP: Logged
posted
I quite like the name Che, as in the idealist revolutionary. You'd need a pretty good surname to go with it, not like mine for example, which is unpronouncable.
posted
My parents were going to call me Thomas, which would have been OK, I reckon, rather than the handle I was actually lumbered with, which is comedy shorthand for lamer. So whenever a sitcom or a movie wants you to know that a character is sort of repressed, humourless, stuffy, uptight and pretty much a vanilla kind of wanker, they call him 'Ian'. I can't think of a single worthwhile character in books or films called Ian. Whenever handbag does threads about 'What names could you never date' there's always at least 15 people who say, "Ian - I could never date an Ian. Ian can never be sexy." In fact, the most famous Ian of the last five years is a convicted child murderer.
quote:Originally posted by Dr. Benway: I quite like the name Che, as in the idealist revolutionary.
I've observed something of a fondness amongst thirty something, quazi-socially conscious hipsters for the name Che, as in the photogentic, but shit, revolutionary. It mostly makes me want to a: punch them, b: point out that he was mostly rubbish, and c: say that "His name was fucking Ernesto, call your kid that, you fucking ponce." But then I remember that I want to call my son Aneirin.
[ 24.01.2005, 08:16: Message edited by: Boy Racer ]
-------------------- Some people stand in the darkness, afraid to step into the light... Posts: 3770
| IP: Logged
Please, remind me which books Jinny was in? I can remember the one where the bloke had wolves locked in cages behind the house, and that she was a ging-er but I can't remember the name of the series.
Sarah-Jane's an ok name, but people expect you to be posh or summat because of it being a double barrelled job. And it's a bit long, so it usually gets shortened to SJ or just Sarah instead. I've always fancied being called Hattie, or Hettie, then all that would have been expected of me would be to become a maid in a large country house. Or perhaps something like Molly or Milly or Libby or one those other girlygirly names.
When I was pregnant and we were thinking about names, we made a list [as you do] of boys/girls names and Olivia came out top for the girls until my then husband actually said it and it came out as Olivier due to his incredibly strong Somerset accent. I had to change it to Eleanor because I know it would have hacked me off withing a couple of days. For a boy I would have picked Nathaniel.
Ha lollity. I've always thought that Thorn was actually called Thorn!!
-------------------- Call that a contribution? Posts: 1162
| IP: Logged
Please, remind me which books Jinny was in? I can remember the one where the bloke had wolves locked in cages behind the house, and that she was a ging-er but I can't remember the name of the series.
The Jinny & Shantih series. By Patricia Leitch. The best thing about her was that her hair was the same colour as her horse. Cool or what/
Oh, I'm sure I've mentioned that my brother was called Paul Kristofar for the first 3 months of his life, til my mum got bored and changed it to Philip James. So he has two birth certificates and can indulge in all kinds of exciting false identity scams.
-------------------- What I object to is the colour of some of these wheelie bins and where they are left, in some areas outside all week in the front garden. Posts: 4941
| IP: Logged
Neurotic Cat
My fortune cookie's empty... That's also the title of my autobiography.
posted
quote: Sarah-Jane's an ok name, but people expect you to be posh or summat because of it being a double barrelled job. And it's a bit long, so it usually gets shortened to SJ or just Sarah instead.
Talking from bitter experience - this really is true. I'm double-barrelled (not sarah j though) and hate it. I've stuck to my first name only on introductions though, as I think double barrelled first names are just too much of a mouthful!
-------------------- You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats Posts: 150
| IP: Logged
Octavia
I hate Valentine's Day. Stupid commercialised crap
posted
quote:Originally posted by Astromariner: Zerelda! She had brassy hair and said everything was "wunnerful". 3rd Year at Malory Towers was quite distressing in places, I remember. It's the one where Bill's horse got colic and nearly died. Poor Bill's horse.
Wasn't that also the one where Mavis lost her voice?
Posts: 3340
| IP: Logged
H1ppychick
We all prisoners, chickee-baby. We all locked in.
posted
quote:Originally posted by Neurotic Cat: One of my friends changed her name from Sharon to Phoebe
Hollow laughter. In a sympathy-for-a-fellow-sufferer way.
-------------------- i'm expressing my inner anguish through the majesty of song Posts: 4243
| IP: Logged
posted
My friend's mum wanted to call their new baby
"Daniel Mungo Makepeace Norman"
Thankfully, turned out to be a girl called Harriet.
Posts: 110
| IP: Logged
Astromariner
Going the right way for a smacked bottom
posted
quote:Originally posted by Octavia: Wasn't that also the one where Mavis lost her voice?
That is correct! She broke the school rules by sneaking into the village for a talent contest one night, but it was cold and stormy and by the time she got there her voice was a pitiful croak and everyone laughed at her. Then she got pneumonia or something, and fell in a ditch. This taught her an Important Lesson about not being proud and boastful, and afterwards she was a Much Nicer Person.
eta: I seem to remember an alarming amount about the assorted works of E. Blyton.
quote:Originally posted by Astromariner: eta: I seem to remember an alarming amount about the assorted works of E. Blyton.
Hah! I won't be beaten on Enid Blyton trivia. I bet you can't remember the name of Bill's friend Clarissa's horse, or the name of the French teacher that was too scary to play tricks on, or what Alicia's younger cousin was called.
-------------------- What I object to is the colour of some of these wheelie bins and where they are left, in some areas outside all week in the front garden. Posts: 4941
| IP: Logged
Octavia
I hate Valentine's Day. Stupid commercialised crap
posted
Ah, Clarissa, the girl who was beautiful when she took off her glasses. Poor old Thunder, being walked around the yard for hours in the rain. And wasn't Miss [dammit what was her name?] a Brick?
Posts: 3340
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by Octavia: Ah, Clarissa, the girl who was beautiful when she took off her glasses. Poor old Thunder, being walked around the yard for hours in the rain. And wasn't Miss [dammit what was her name?] a Brick?
It was Miss Peters what saved Thunder. If only I could find a job where I could get paid for my useless memory.
-------------------- What I object to is the colour of some of these wheelie bins and where they are left, in some areas outside all week in the front garden. Posts: 4941
| IP: Logged
posted
I wonder if Thorn Davis bears any similarity to the heroes of Blyton's world. He certainly seems to appeal to former Blytonytes.
Posts: 14015
| IP: Logged
Astromariner
Going the right way for a smacked bottom
posted
manly Miss Peters!
The thin, evil french teacher was Mamzelle Rougier. Alicia's cousin was, I think, June? I don't know about the horse though.
Posts: 2814
| IP: Logged
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic