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Original poster

Little rant about name shortening

118 replies

PickasillyChristmasName · 09/12/2004 08:41

This isn't an important rant but it's something that bothers me a bit so I wanted to share it Smile.

DS is called Benjamin and DH and I call him that ie not Ben. We have no objections to the name Ben, but we call him Benjamin.

So why if we introduce him as Benjamin do people automatically call him Ben? Am I the only person with this problem? And is it Benjamins who always get shortened by other people?

Any other names that get shortened when you'd rather use the "long" version?

OP posts:
judegarland2512 · 09/12/2004 08:43

We chose Cameron specifically so it couldn't be shortened. But some still call him Cam Angry (which he hates btw!)

TheHollyAndTheTwiglett · 09/12/2004 08:46

because the long name is conventionally a formal name, whereas the shortened version implies a friendly relationship .. really not worth getting het up about it IMHO

.. the only way to avoid it is probably to give a monosyllabilic name in the first place

JoolsTide · 09/12/2004 08:50

it IS irritating but people just do it!

my ds2 is called David - when he was a teenager his mates would call him Dave and he would alway say 'id' afterwards - but they wore him down and Dave he became - but not to us, he's still David and he's 30

JoolsTide · 09/12/2004 08:51

Twigs - I've got the tinsel at work if you want me to post it!

(sorry to hi-jack your thread!)

nailpolish · 09/12/2004 08:52

dd1 is Melanie and everyone calls her Mel. dont realy mind cos i do it too! she suits it actually.

dd2 is Kirstie - try and shorten that! Smile

TheHollyAndTheTwiglett · 09/12/2004 08:55

ooo Jools .. just saw your name here and bumped the other thread .. thanks anyway lovely woman Grin

BTW anyone noticed how we all shorten mumsnet names Grin .. quite apt Grin Wink

TheHollyAndTheTwiglett · 09/12/2004 08:55

I've heard of Kirsties called Kirst before Grin

miam · 09/12/2004 08:59

I think it depends where you live sometimes. My name was never ever shortened in Scotland, and neither have my children's names (which are pretty long). But when I lived in Wales they shortened my name (which has stuck since) and every name - infact they even shortened Ian to EEE!!! I agree with Twiglett Shock Wink that people view it as a friendly thing to do.

nailpolish · 09/12/2004 09:00

agree with twiglett - think its a friendly sort of gesture when people shorten names

popsycal · 09/12/2004 09:02

we shorten Ds's name - we nearly called him just the shortened version.....

We rarely introduce him as his long version.....but some relatives call him the shortened version with 'y' on the end....which does DH's head in!

SpringCrimboTurkey · 09/12/2004 09:03

Can sort of see where you are coming from as DD is Evie has some people call her Evelyn as a joke but i cann ot stand it (even when Dp does it)!

However, my name is Jemma and whenever my name wasn't shortened to Jem, i always knew i was in trouble.
Still hate being called by my full name - makes me feel like i've been naughty Grin.
My cousing is Kirsty and i always call her Kirst. (bit pointless really as their is only a y on the end of her name.

Original poster
PickasillyChristmasName · 09/12/2004 09:03

I suppose the thought of it being a friendly thing to do is nice Smile.

I suppose my feelings on this are influenced by DH who has never managed to call me by a shortened version of my name (despite him trying, it just doesn't feel right Smile).

And I like his nursery calling him Ben - I think it feels like he's Ben there and Benjamin for us. That makes no sense but I like it anyway Grin

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 09/12/2004 09:04

Twiglett, I see what you mean about the use of shortened names implying a friendly relationship, but it's not very friendly if the person concerned hates the shortened name! My name is Tracey, which is bad enough, but people automatically call me Trace, which makes me squirm. They think it's friendly, I think it's rude of them to do it without checking whether it's what I call myself or not!

nailpolish · 09/12/2004 09:06

dh actually calls Kirstie 'Kizzie' Blush

if you really want to shorten a name you'll find a way

miam · 09/12/2004 09:07

Trace Wink do you feel that it is perhaps over-familiar when people shorten your name? Just interested really. Do you ever tell people not to shorten your name?

Original poster
PickasillyChristmasName · 09/12/2004 09:08

And there are some shortened versions of my name that I hate, these being Kath and Kathy. PE teacher at school used to call me Kathy.

Obviously no offence to anyone who likes to be called Kathy, but I don't!

OP posts:
JanH · 09/12/2004 09:08

I have one friend called Wendy who spits fire if anyone calls her Wend, but another one who prefers it...I have to confess to being an automatic shortener myself, Trace Wink

JanH · 09/12/2004 09:10

Oh, and a friend called Deborah who would slap anyone who tried to call her Debbie but loves being called Deb...

popsycal · 09/12/2004 09:10

My mum deliberately picked names for us that couldn't be shortened, but all of our DP/DHs have found a way....

ChristmasBOOZA · 09/12/2004 09:12

My DS is a Benjamin and I always introduce him as Ben but find myself calling him Benjamin more and more at home. He was nearly always Ben as a baby.

My DD is called Caitlin and I always introduce her as Caitlin but at home nearly always call her Caity.

I obviously don't do consistency.

ChristmasBOOZA · 09/12/2004 09:14

As for myself I have the "Elizabeth" people , the "Liz" people, and the "Lizzie" people.

golds · 09/12/2004 09:14

My dd name is Amy and some people call her Ame - what is the point of that !!!!

Original poster
PickasillyChristmasName · 09/12/2004 09:15

I have a friend called Kate (don't know what her "long" version is) and if you call her Katy then you are in trouble Grin.

OP posts:
Original poster
PickasillyChristmasName · 09/12/2004 09:17

Booza, my sister's called Elizabeth - used to be Lizzie when little and then graduated into Liz.

She thought about renaming herself Beth but didn't do it.

Really must do some work......

OP posts:
TwasTheNightBeforeCatbert · 09/12/2004 09:17

Some poeple are just incapable if managing names with more than one syllable. My name (Victoria) is always automatically shortened to Vicki. Don't mind so much, but so many (men only) revert to VIC as soon as they think they can get away with it - and one salesman to whom I introduced myself with my full name immediately shortened to Vic, and I hung up the phone.

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