(no subject)

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I was watching Gangs of New York the other day and the character played by Leonardo Dicaprio is named Amsterdam.  I was wondering what people aside from myself thought of the name, so I thought I'd ask.  I really like it.  It sounds...noble and historical to me.  Like a very strong man's name.  So, what do you think?

Comments

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

It makes me think of Gangs of New York! LOL

I like it for a man, but I think it's one of those things where if the kid/person doesn't fit the image, it's really wrong. You're taking your chances there, lol.

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I agree with that. It would be a "certain people" sort of name.

[hygher.livejournal.com]

It makes me think of drugs

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

Really? Why?

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I need an explanation on this. I have no clue how drugs and Amsterdam are related.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Amsterdam, in Holland... famous for legal drugs.

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. I had never heard of that before. Thanks for explaining. =)

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

Oh boy. Such a cliche.
(but yeah, the drugs are legal, I can't deny that).

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I know, I'm definitely not trying to say that Amsterdam is a den of drug use, and that's all it's about. I was just trying to explain why people would equate it was drugs. But yes, it is a cliche, probably not helped by the foreign tourists who take advantage of it...

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

Haha, that's ok =) It's probably just what Amsterdam will always be known for in the first place.

[mardelsol.livejournal.com]

I kinda like it!

[ugottafriend.livejournal.com]

Uhhhh, NO THANK YOU. It rhymes with HAMSTER and has the word DAM at the end of it. Talk about a disaster waiting to happen...I would strongly suggest homeschooling little Amsterdam.

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

Accepting your comment, I think it's a bit of a stretch. I don't really think that hamster would be a huge problem at all. I had thought about the fact that dam is at the end, but I don't really think that could be a reason for teasing or anything. I also am of the opinion that if children are going to tease, they'll find some way to do it whether or not a name rhymes with...hamster?

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Trust me, kids can make fun of anything. I got teased so much in elementary school because my name sounds like the words for "I'm cold" in Hebrew. Imagine what would have happened if my name sounded like "hamster damn" instead.

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I didn't say kids don't tease. I'm saying that I wouldn't be afraid of the consequences of a name sounding like hamster and having dam at the end. I'm saying that they're going to find something to pick on anyway. I don't find teasing to be a huge problem because I never had a problem with it. I was teased, but it never bothered me, because I learned to deal with it. If I were to name a kid Amsterdam, I would help him learn to deal with it.

That comment makes me sound like a potentially uncaring mother, but I just have not found teasing to be a big problem in my area. If there were a teasing problem, it could be dealt with. I still think it's a pretty name.

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

Amsterdam=Hamsterdance

Hehe.




Lol, not to tease, oops!

[ugottafriend.livejournal.com]

Kids don't need help finding ways to pick on someone...they always manage to find a way. Even my normal, boring name was subjected to teasing in school. I guess my point is why make the child an easier target? It wasn't a stretch for me at all, and I imagine that it won't be for a group of ten year olds either.

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I never said that they did. I just don't think that even if they were made fun of for the "Hamster" and "dam" thing, how are those negative? I don't think they are. I would much rather subject a kid to being picked on for a name rhyming with hamster than being made fun of for being fat or slow or having cooties or something. I also don't necessarily think it's makes them an easier target...it's a name. I wasn't meaning it was a stretch to find those things amongst the name, I was meaning it was a stretch on it being such a huge deal.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

Um...I'm living not too far from Amsterdam, so I can't see it as a name, really.

[lneef.livejournal.com]

It sounds ridiculous and pretentious.

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Nice! I have a thing for place names, I think it's very evocative

[norwegianeyes.livejournal.com]

well that wasn't the characters real name...but anyway...
um i'd say no. drugs anyone?
that's what i think of it.

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I'm aware it wasn't the characters real name, but considering he played a character who said that was his name for probably over 2/3 of the movie, I'm saying it goes along with the character.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

It strikes me as a somewhat intimidating name for a child.

I wouldn't have really thought about the hamster thing, but now that they mentioned it above, I can see it turning into "hamster dance." Hopefully no one will remember that in a few years, though, so it will be a moot point...

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

I definitely see how it could be intimidating for a child. That's the only thing that really turns me against the name a bit.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

Would you nick name that? Because it's such a mouthful for a little one!

[sevensevenfour.livejournal.com]

It would definitely be nicknamed. I was thinking Ahmi like the guy off of Miami Ink, but that isn't definite. I haven't put THAT much thought into the nickname, just enough to know there would be one.

[turn-it-upp.livejournal.com]

i don't like it, it makes me think of hamsters and drugs...kind of a creepy combination.

[searlait.livejournal.com]

I wrote a really pretentious short story about a girl named Amsterdam when I was fifteen/sixteen, so it sounds really...pretentious and something a fifteen/sixteen year old girl would like because it's deep sounding and alternative (speaking from experience).