Being called "Debs"

[ValerieCupcake]

We have had a new director appointed. She is I assume named Deborah, but calls herself Debs.

AIBU to feel I would be taken less seriously by using this as my name in a high level professional role? I think it is too "Twee And Cutesy"!

Margaret Thatcher was generally called Mrs Thatcher during her Premiership. Maggie only to close friends and elements wanting to put down a woman. I think David Cameron was the first PM to be routinely known by his first name, but there we have it, different times.

It's giving "office mean girl" vibes.

Well if Debs is the director and you're... not, I suppose choice of name hasn't had much bearing on the situation. 🙈

@ValerieCupcake

We have had a new director appointed. She is I assume named Deborah, but calls herself Debs.

AIBU to feel I would be taken less seriously by using this as my name in a high level professional role? I think it is too "Twee And Cutesy"!

I wouldn't take someone seriously in a professional role if they were this bothered by a colleague's nickname. It's her name; she likes it. The fact that you think it's twee and cutesy is your problem, not hers. Clearly it's not holding her back, given that she's just been appointed as a director.

Would you judge a male director in the same way if they called themselves Steve or Jim or Nick or Tony?

LOL at you accusing someone of being 'twee and cutesy' for being called Debs, while at the same time voluntarily choosing 'Valerie Cupcake' as your user name

@incognitoforthisone

LOL at you accusing someone of being 'twee and cutesy' for being called Debs, while at the same time voluntarily choosing 'Valerie Cupcake' as your user name

Maybe she works at Patisserie Valerie.

Bizarrely all the Debs I've know have been in director/upper management positions so maybe it's the opposite!
Maybe Debs have all the skills plus the right name for the job.
I have a high Powered job and I thought that I had nowhere further up to go, but......
maybe if I change my name to Debs......

@incognitoforthisone

LOL at you accusing someone of being 'twee and cutesy' for being called Debs, while at the same time voluntarily choosing 'Valerie Cupcake' as your user name

@incognitoforthisone Seriously, if you are that desperate to reach for that, or you truly cannot see the difference posting on anonymous forum outside of work for fun, and a name used in a professional setting, you are the one that deserves to be lol'ed at.

@Philisophigal

Go on then, what's your name and the rest of us can decide if it's professional enough?

You sound like a bully. Mind your business.

@Philisophigal Wow, you are the one who sounds like a bully. Calm down. All she did was say she didn't think 'Debs' sounded like a professional. That's all. She's allowed to think that. She's not harming anybody! Why are you bullying her?

But why do you want to steal this woman’s identity? That’s not ok Val!

Big up to Debs this Friday afternoon. Bagging a great job and irritating a human cupcake in the process.

Deborah doesn't rhyme with Zebra, Jarvis pronounces it perfectly.

Women need to stop putting other women down based on their names. FFS. We have enough to deal with!

Here’s to you Debs, Debz, Bex and the rest of you!

@Wandaaa

Deborah doesn't rhyme with Zebra, Jarvis pronounces it perfectly.

Most of the Debs I know are Debra

FWIW I think Debs is much more grown up sounding than Debbie. Personally I'd stay clear of ie shortened names more than s names.

Of course Deborah/Debra rhymes with zebra, @Wandaaa . It does.

Jarvis says deb-uh-rah in Year 2000 because it fits the tempo of the song, but no one says it like that in real life.

Why would you stay clear of ‘it’ names though?

Think about it? Why?

Fgs ‘ie’ names!

Here is to all the Debbies who are apparently not very grown up!

Is her house very small?

We're currently dealing with a highly-qualified and very competent solicitor called Debs - doesn't seem to have held her back.

Having seen 'Mags' mentioned earlier, that's exactly what Magne Furuholmen is commonly known as. Magne/Mags is not only a hugely successful musician, but also A MAN!!!

I also recall hearing of another MAN in the public eye called William, but widely known as Wills - but fair enough, for all we know, he'll probably never end up doing anything important or prestigious in his life....

If she insisted on professionally calling herself Debsy-Websy-Doo-Dah, then I would agree with you - but Debs is a perfectly normal abbreviation of Deborah/Debra. True, men don't tend to be known as 'Bobs', but their name is actually Robert - not Bobert - so you could just as easily say that inexplicably changing the initial letter is being soppy and cutesey. See also Bill, unless your given name actually is 'Billiam'.

@Wandaaa

Deborah doesn't rhyme with Zebra, Jarvis pronounces it perfectly.

It really does

Jarvis says deb-uh-rah in Year 2000 because it fits the tempo of the song, but no one says it like that in real life.

Yes, they do - very common indeed, where the name is actually Deborah, as opposed to Debra.

I'm yet to hear it.

Deborah is pronounced the same as Debra. It's just different spelling, that's all. Deborah is the Hebrew spelling, but it is said the same as Debra. Debra/Deborah are the exact same name and said exactly the same.