Debbie

[sonlypuppyfat]

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!

My ex with the terrible name difficulties called a friend of ours Malc (for Malcolm) when his name was Michael for years.

We all adapted.

You should reply to what they're introduced by, I think.

My name doesn't really shorten (say it's Emma) and my DSis's is like Victoria, and she tends to go by Vicky. If we're in a rush, or family's calling up the stairs or whatever, we would say Em/Vic, but I don't like it if anybody else calls me that!

Having said that, one of my friends is an Alexandra. When we were little, she was always called Alex, but when she went to a mixed school there were so many Alexes (both sexes) that she changed to Alexandra. I'm one of the only people who calls her Alex now, but she says not to swap, as nobody else calls her Alex'ah'ndra either

That's true Hully, I have a Spanish friend who uses the Spanish version of my name most of the time. She did apologise, but she finds my name hard to say, so I'd rather she just adapted it slightly rather than worrying if she was saying it wrong.

Another Deborah here.

I hate Debbie.
I hate Debs even more.
Deborah is okay but a bit formal for everyday wear.

So I go by Derah (outs self). No-one guesses I'm a Deborah and no-one shortens it to anything else. Result!

It drives my mum batshit crazy ("but I called you Deborah because I love Debbie"). Tough shit mum. I'm the one who has to live with the name.

In short, you call people what they introduce themselves to you as. It's downright rude to call them anything else.

My name is Claire, cannot be shortened hahaha

You can be Claz, Sole

Or Clazzer

Don't want to out myself so i'll say that my real name is quite pretty and the short version just isn't.

Think an Alicia getting called 'Al' for short or a Tania being called 'Tan' and you've got the idea.

I hate it and insist on people using my proper name; most now do except for a few diehards and strangely several men.

Poor DH, otoh, has had to adapt his name here in the UK, because he's forrin and has a bit of a lisp, so he can't actually say his name properly! In his own country, his name is very common so everyone knows what he means (you'd understand if someone introduced themselves to you as "Wodger", right?)

But since no-one here is familiar with his name they copy his lisp, which sounds ridiculous, so he's had to adapt it a bit to a version he can pronounce!

noooooooooooo

I've missed you hully xx

X back to you, Clazzer

Someone at my work is a compulsive name shortener, names that are not usually shortened, e.g. Heather = Heth, Helen = Hel, Sharon = Shar. I thought Sarah was unshortenable but no, it's Sa (to rhyme with hair)...

I get called many different variations of my name, couldn't care less

I hate the shortened version of my name and always correct anyone presumptious enough to use it. They only do it once

I always check with parents of the children I work with what they want themto be called. If it's the full name, that's fine, it's their choice not mine.

YANBU, my work colleague has chosen to shorten my name to something quite unusual, and refers to me with this name throughout the office. Now other people are using it! Mind you, she shortens her own name to something unusual too, as well as one of the directors so I guess it's just her way!

YANBU, DH is the only one who gets away with using the shortened version of my name...

Hully I know what you mean as I do the same wrt to not really caring what version people use.

I tend to go by three versions of my name:

• my actual name
• the variant in the local language
• a non-religious version (used by people from one area)

I like having different versions, and can identify who knows me how (through which language or certain friends). But I did come unstuck when I stayed with friends who know me as C but wanted to check how I wanted to be introduced to their friends, and I said I really didn't care. They didn't understand my nonchalance.