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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To find it annoying when people refer to their children or partners by their initial

86 replies

hanmonisnana · 16/07/2025 20:49

“Just dropped S off at dance class” - just say Sofia, it’s not a long name!!
”D will be home later from work” - why?!!

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 16/07/2025 20:50

Where in the UK do you live? So I can avoid such wankers.

SalmonEile · 16/07/2025 20:50

Is this in a text or said out loud?

dynamiccactus · 16/07/2025 20:50

I've always assumed it was for safeguarding reasons. But that doesn't explain doing it for partners.

Snorlaxo · 16/07/2025 20:51

Are S and D one syllable names?

I have a son who has a one syllable name and known by his initial by me. I think it’s something to do with the English love of nicknames. His gf calls him a longer version of his name that she made up for fun.

MyUmberSeal · 16/07/2025 20:52

It annoys me when people put DH and DS and all that shit on here. Just say husband, son, daughter. What’s with the ‘Dear’ bit. So yes, in solidarity..I sympathise.

whatdoyouthinkk8 · 16/07/2025 20:52

Yes I find this irritating too. A few in my NCT WhatsApp group do it. Not sure why it irks me, glad to see I’m not alone!

notacooldad · 16/07/2025 20:53

I dont know anyone that does this.
However my friend's surname is Smith and she refers to her adult son as Smithy.

TourdeFrance25 · 16/07/2025 20:53

You can be as (quietly) annoyed as you like 🤷🏻‍♀️ but it's a weird thing to be annoyed by.

bugalugs45 · 16/07/2025 20:55

I do this , it’s laziness admittedly , but always refer to certain people & even my dog by their initial , only in text though , never in spoken conversation

TheBestSpoon · 16/07/2025 20:56

Oh dear, we've always done this in my family, to the extent that I'm now known by my initial to most of my friends. I didn't realize it was such a social faux pas - it's just our version of a nickname / shortening...

Staywithmemyblood · 16/07/2025 20:56

I’ve noticed this trend on Love Island this year - D and H! Very irritating (particularly when there’s 3 contestants with the initial H 😂)

AndAllOurYesterdays · 16/07/2025 20:57

I do this (V!). Never occurred to me it might annoy anyone else. It's just a nickname

WitcheryDivine · 16/07/2025 20:58

Oh shit I do this in texts usually because I’m trying to catch up on my messages while doing three other things and saving 5 letters seems worthwhile. Maybe I should stop.

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 16/07/2025 20:59

Absolutely fine to do in texts. Find something else to be worried about.

seanconneryseyebrow · 16/07/2025 21:02

I do this in text with family all the time. Simply cos I’m lazy and don’t want more to type.

Namechangerage · 16/07/2025 21:02

I don’t mind people doing this as a nickname. Like Gareth becomes G.

Not everyone in the family though, that’s just weird!

Usernamenotavailable19 · 16/07/2025 21:02

This annoys me so much 😂

Aparecium · 16/07/2025 21:10

What about Christopher and Bernadette? Do you require their names to be typed out in full every time? Or do you require them to always go by nicknames? Just so that you are spared the annoyance of reading that C has done something, or that B will arrive tomorrow, or whatever?

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 16/07/2025 21:14

I tend to refer to my dc as Child Number 1 (or 2,3,4), particularly when I’m talking to people who don’t know them. I’m sure this is far more annoying than using an initial - which wouldn’t work anyway, as I have duplicates.

Lavender14 · 16/07/2025 21:15

I do this all the time. For me probably started in a safeguarding capacity through work but just laziness at home in fairness.

Never really thought of it as something that others would be annoyed by as it's the equivalent of a nickname for my son.

What about names where the shortened/ nickname version sounds the same like Bea - B, Dee- D, Jay - J?

GreenWheat · 16/07/2025 21:15

I find that irritating too. Especially now most phones have predictive text. I just type the first three letters of any of my close family's names and my phone completes it anyway.

MyUmberSeal · 16/07/2025 21:15

Aparecium · 16/07/2025 21:10

What about Christopher and Bernadette? Do you require their names to be typed out in full every time? Or do you require them to always go by nicknames? Just so that you are spared the annoyance of reading that C has done something, or that B will arrive tomorrow, or whatever?

Well yes, I think she would prefer that their names be typed out in full each time, hence why she started a thread about how annoying it is when people don’t type out the names 🤣.

Thefaceofboe · 16/07/2025 21:16

Ponoka7 · 16/07/2025 20:50

Where in the UK do you live? So I can avoid such wankers.

I have a friend who does this and refers to my daughter as P 😡

BetterWithPockets · 16/07/2025 21:17

WitcheryDivine · 16/07/2025 20:58

Oh shit I do this in texts usually because I’m trying to catch up on my messages while doing three other things and saving 5 letters seems worthwhile. Maybe I should stop.

I do this too! Not going to stop either because I don’t really care if it annoys a few people on MN…

Okiedokie123 · 16/07/2025 21:18

MyUmberSeal · 16/07/2025 20:52

It annoys me when people put DH and DS and all that shit on here. Just say husband, son, daughter. What’s with the ‘Dear’ bit. So yes, in solidarity..I sympathise.

Edited

Thats a tradition that goes back to the earliest days of MN - a carry over from another website/s.