To say something about this choice of baby name

[horrifiednamechanger]

DB and SIL are expecting their first baby. The baby is long awaited and I'm delighted for them obviously.

But, SIL they have decided to call the baby Charmaine (yes, spelt like that) and to make matters worse SIL seems to pronounce it almost 'char' rather than the kind of French style 'shar'. It almost sounds like she is ordering a take away.

Anyway upon hearing this news I had to bite my tongue so hard it practically bled. I don't think I did a very good job of hiding my horror surprise.

DB and myself have rather naice upbringing and our DM was a huge bit of a snob, not quite Hyacinth Bucket but not far off. I am fully prepared to accept I have inherited DM's views and IBU.... but I am also sure this would not be DB first or last choice of name, but he is known to 'go with the flow' and 'not cause waves' because SIL can be quite strong willed.

IABU to hate the name and WIBU to say something?

YouTheCat Mon 13-Apr-15 08:12:07
I am almost literally crying here at the way Bear has maligned my dd's beautiful name, 'Princess Banana Hammock'. I'll have you know that it's a family name used for generations. sad

grin grin

Ah, but is it simply "Princess Banana Hammock" or Princess Consuela Banana Hammock - with the added Consuela? - as that ofc makes a difference.

Consuela is the cat's name. It is also a family name, passed on through 17 generations of cats.

Next thing you know, you'll be deriding my wonderful partner's name, Lord Hornswaggle de Shitpeas.

Ah see, without the Consuela, it if of course a very dignified name, adding the Consuela would make it a touch overblown.

And Lord Hornswaggle De Shitpeas, I assume Shitpeas is pronounced "Shi-pe-az" - with the silent T?

Also, I might actually now feel the need to get a kitten and name it Consuela.

My old French teacher called all her cats Consuela. Mad as a spoon.

I think my favourite name ever is politician Sheila Dikshit.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Dikshit

Agree there should be a total ban on all these ridiculous foreign-type names that are difficult to spell. English names all the way! My good friend St. John Fetherstonhaugh agrees with me - and he went to Magdalen College dontcha know!

The thread was asking us whether the OP should say something to her DB. It was just about unanimous that she shouldn't, even from those who dislike the name. But she piled in a did it anyway.

I think that's because her name is Gaudie Fokker. Or something similar.

Oh and Mary is a very common name in Ireland, so people claiming that they are being ridiculous for implying so aren't being entirely fair. Out of my 6 aunts (and aunts in law) on my irish side, 3 are called Mary! Coincidence, probably, but it is fairly common!

Oh and Mary is a very common name in Ireland, so people claiming that they are being ridiculous for implying so aren't being entirely fair.

I was being entirely fair. None of the multiple Marys I know are Irish (and neither is the OP) so I would ever assume that there was a Gaelic connection. If a DD was called Caoimhe, however... :)

I didn't mean the OP, I meant the poster who claimed we would assume she was Gaelic because of the name Mary.

spelt = spelled
dreamt = dreamed
learnt = learned
slept = sleeped
swept = sweeped

all the same past particple ending, just sleeped and sweeped have fallen out of favour. the others (and many others along the same line) have both forms perfectly valid and still in use

I must respectfully disagree with the Dikshit doctrine. Tiny Kox has the best politician's name ever.

OP, you are being a melodrama llama. It's just a name. You're risking damaging your family for absolutely nothing.

I didn't know that 'sleeped' was technically correct, but had just fallen out of favour.

So next time the three year old says 'I sleeped in your bed mummy' , he is actually correct. I never correct him anyway because I know he'll get it right soon and then I'll miss the funny way he says it

Don't know if you replied or not but agree with others, yabu. Their choice.

pretty sure that "fallen out of favour" means "no longer correct" though

Er the best politician's name ever has to be Dick Spring, surely?

wasn't one of Fred West's daughters called Charmaine? One of the ones that got murdered I believe.

That's the point dixie, "sleeped" is an archaic past participle no longer in accepted use. "Slept" is now the only acceptable form. However both "spelled" and "spelt" are still current.

Op, what is your horribly middle class but 'acceptable' name?

I think they are winding you up OP.

I like the name Charmaine, although I prefer the spelling like Charmain.

It's the main character from one of my favourite books - The House of Many Ways.

What's wrong with it? Do you consider it "chavvy" because it's not a name you have come across before? How very open minded of you.

I think "tacky" names (and I assume that's what you mean by "chavvy") are when people call their children after brands or items.

eg. Chardonnay, or Gucci or other such nonsense.

WOW! I didnt realise there were 22 pages when I posted my response! Its gone a bit mad on here!

FWIW I think they are winding the OP up because they wanted to see how she responded. Not simply because of the name Charmaine, but because they have also changed the pronunciation. I bet they did it for a laugh because they know she is a bit of a (self-confessed) snob.

Ah, so my 3 year old is only technically correct with the word 'sleeped' if we were eg a sixteenth century family. In which case I'd be 'Goodwife Soda' and he'd be 'Master Soda'

yes, that's right, Goodwife Soda