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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Debbie

92 replies

sonlypuppyfat · 05/07/2013 11:48

AIBU in when I introduce myself as Deborah my name shouldn't be shortened to Debbie if I wanted to call myself Debbie I would say its Debbie wouldn't I? I don't automatically shorten other peoples names, and yes I know its silly but it drives me mad!

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 05/07/2013 11:50

YANBU. Same with Amanda. My friend is Amanda and gets peed off with people assuming she is Mandy.

angelos02 · 05/07/2013 11:52

YABU. tis precious

ephemeralfairy · 05/07/2013 11:53

Totally agree. My name often gets shortened, it is presumptuous and rude. I have to correct people and nip it in the bud early!! I always ask what name someone wants to be known by. YANBU!

sonlypuppyfat · 05/07/2013 11:54

Glad its not just me. When I was at school no one shortened my name but whe I got to my 30s all of a sudden I had a new name people would call out Debbie in the street and I'd just ignore them thinking well they can't be talking to me

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 05/07/2013 11:54

How is it precious angelos? Debbie isn't sonly's name. Confused

Onesleeptillwembley · 05/07/2013 11:56

It's incredibly rude to just change someone's name like that. Basic manners.

Bowlersarm · 05/07/2013 11:57

It's quite rude, but human nature. People are always shortening names if they are long, or in my DH's case, lengthening them if they are short.

YANBU but I'm surprised you're not used to it by now.

thebody · 05/07/2013 11:58

I have a friend called Deborah who would knock your block off if you called her Debbie. She likes Deb though.

angelos02 · 05/07/2013 11:59

I think it is people just being friendly. I got called 'love' about 5 times when signing something for the postman earlier today. Some people get a bee in their bonnet about that on MN. Again, I just think it is people being friendly.

TinyTear · 05/07/2013 11:59

If you want to be called X you are entitled to be called X

I hate people who create nicknames and short forms out of everything

angelos02 · 05/07/2013 11:59

YY to it being human nature.

Ang

internationallove985 · 05/07/2013 12:00

No Y.N.B.U it's your name! and if you don't want it shortened then that's your choice. xxx

pussycatwillum · 05/07/2013 12:04

I have the same problem. My DH calls me by the short form of my name, so people he talks about me to tend to assume that is how I am known. If I say my name though I always use the longer form. It does annoy me, so YANBU.

eurozammo · 05/07/2013 12:08

YANBU at all.

It's normal in a professional context to ask a new employee or contact whether they prefer tom or thomas or whatever.

limitedperiodonly · 05/07/2013 12:09

My line manager was a compulsive name shortener. He thought it was matey. He was a tosser. Sharing office space was bad enough; I didn't want to be his mate.

Deborah became Debs, Caroline was Cal, Gary was Gal, Neil was Neil because you can't really do much with that.

He was Col, short for Colin. He used to keep asking me to call him that but I couldn't. It's not a name.I would try to ignore him as much as I could get away with unless he used my proper name. He probably thought I was a stuck up bitch.

Our very, very scary boss was called Roland. Funnily enough, Col never called him Ro.

Startail · 05/07/2013 12:11

People will shorten your name, it's automatic if the Amanda, Rosemary or Eleanor you already know always does.

You are perfectly allowed to ask politely for people not to do it. I always do the opposite and politely ask people to shorten my name. I've never used the full version and don't turn round if anyone uses it. It's a common name and the full version often means someone else in the room.

What is incredibly rude OP is not asking politely for your full name, but snapping like a ungrateful five year old.

Yes colleague at work, I got it wrong, once in three fucking years. I don't recon that's bad given I have a cousin Rosie, who has never been Rosemary in her entire life.

sonlypuppyfat · 05/07/2013 12:14

Who said I snapped?

OP posts:
musicposy · 05/07/2013 12:16

YANBU
One of my friends is Rebecca and her whole life people have tried to call her Becky, which she hates. I remember teachers at school actually getting cross with her and telling her not to be so rude for telling them not to call her Becky!
DH tries to shorten one of our friend's DH's to Dave (he's David) which he also hates. Trying to remind DH he is not being matey, he's being rude, is like fighting a losing battle. Sigh.

RaisingChaotic · 05/07/2013 12:17

I get called allsorts Grin doesn't bother me. However, I wouldn't shorten someone else's name unless I knew they were happy for me to do so. Some people don't like having their name shortened, it doesn't make them precious.

YANBU

WildlingPrincess · 05/07/2013 12:20

I have quite a short name so have people lengthening it, or making up a new, longer name. Why??!!

YANBU!

limitedperiodonly · 05/07/2013 12:21

music When my friends were discussing baby names, the DH suggested Dave. My friend said: 'David? I hadn't considered that. It's quite nice, bit old, though.'

He said: 'No, I meant Dave. David's poncey.'

ZenGardener · 05/07/2013 12:21

I worked with a man called William. I always called him William as I assumed that if he wanted to be called Will or Bill he would introduce himself as such. It did feel weird though.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 05/07/2013 12:23

Limited that's like my friends who named their oldest Jake. NOT Jacob or Jonathan with Jake as a nickname but Jake on his birth certificate.

IneedAsockamnesty · 05/07/2013 12:24

When you introduce yourself to someone you normally use the name you answer to.

Hi I'm Tom means that persons name is Tom.

Hi I'm Thomas means that persons name is Thomas.

internationallove985 · 05/07/2013 12:26

Musicposy. What if your D.S wants to be known as Dave when he's older because everyone has the right to name or a prefered name. xxx
David is beautiful name. It'd certainly be on my short list if I was ever blessed with son but I wouldn't/wont mind if people called him Dave. xxx

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