(no subject)

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I've seen quite a few of you in ljsecret, so some of you have already read this, but I thought it was interesting. Someone posted a secret here that read, "I use a pseudonym whenever I order at Starbucks because nobody can pronounce my damn name."

I was disappointed that there weren't more responses...well, there were, but most of them were, "I have that same problem," without mentioning what their names were...

-"My name is Ana (on-a) . . . . Now was that so hard to say?"

-"My name is Xochitl (pronounced 'sochee') and I understand that using English phonetics isn't how you are going to get the proper pronunciation...but it is still annoying that people never get my name right. And for some reason, when people find out my name, they inquire about my personal life! Like what ethnicity I am, where my parents are from, how it was to grow up with a unique name...I can't stand strangers asking me this sort of stuff...but I love my name!"

-"It irritates me when I tell people my name is 'Misti' and they spell it with a y."

-"Lysistrata here, pitchin' in . . . . Sometimes I shorten it to Lysi to try to make it easier, but it's a futile attempt. In additon, I like meeting people, but I hate introducing myself. I don't mind spelling/explaining/tell the story that much anymore, but it just makes me sound really self-important (I think)."

-"My name is Rebecca, but I go by Becca. It's a really common Biblical name. Yet no one at Starbucks can ever spell it right. They always seem to put a k in it. Becka. Beka. Bekka. Rebecka. Always a k."

On a related note, I used to see posts quite often in either customers_suck or customerssuck from someone who went by Ter. I believe it was short for Teresa. She pronounced it "tare," and said that no one over the phone could understand her name when she said it and people reading her nametag would often mispronounce it as "terr." Then there were numerous posts about her in c_suck_snark where they made fun of her for complaining that no one could pronounce her name.

Anyway. Yep. Just thought it was interesting.

Comments

[classiestkid.livejournal.com]

I have a friend named Anjani, and she just goes by Jenny because no one ever says it right.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

Hm. I worked at a high volume Starbucks for three years when I was putting myself through college, and I would serve hundreds of customers day. There is no way you are going to get every customer's name right, or that the person making the drink is going to say it right on the other end. It would be annoying if EVERYONE you came across in life said you name wrong, but cut the coffee people a little slack. They work you like a dog for 8 bucks an hour and a lot of the baristas go to school/work another job etc. People need to get off their high horse. It is a cup of coffee, not announcing your name for the completion of your PhD for christ sakes.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

What a shame, Anjani is beautiful, if I'm pronouncing it correctly...but then, maybe I'm not pronouncing it correctly...

[classiestkid.livejournal.com]

it's like Ahn-jah-knee, it's Indian, I think it's really pretty too.

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

Haha. I was in line at Starbucks the other day, and I thought to myself, "Maybe I should just say my name is Kay, because there's no way they're going to get Kiersten..." Well, instead of asking for my name, the girl just read it off my card and shouted, "TALL MOCHA FOR KRISTINA!" Uhhhhhh. Ok.

*sigh*

I mean, I could understand if you misheard it, but reading my name off my damn card, you should at least be able to tell there's no 'a' at the end.

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was a personal attack on Starbucks employees...

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

Hm. Yeah, you should at least make the effort to ask! I usually avoid saying Katherine, because it is long and they usually ask how to spell it. I don't want to make the others behind me wait! I have always had a problem with people hearing Kate correctly, don't know why. I usually use Katie, and I've gotten Haiti and Lady on my cup before. Personally, I think it is really funny, and don't take offense.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I agree, that's one main reason I'm against inventive spellings. I'm sure I can think of plenty of ways to annoy my children on my own without having to rely on outside sources.

I thought it was interesting in the responses how many people were indignant toward the general population for not magically knowing that they were an exception to common naming rules. I think I'd be more ticked with my parents.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

I know it wasn't. I was just making conversation.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Heh, I love your icon.

I've gotta say, coming from someone with a common name using a common spelling that people still manage to constantly mishear and misspell, it doesn't bother me at all, as long as it's not some sort of official document. Over the last two years or so, I've gotten Bethany a lot for Stephanie. I don't care if they call me Beth, as long as I get my stuff, because I'll be gone in five minutes and I'll never see them again anyway.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Heheh, one of my closest friends in middle school was named Christine, and was always getting called Christina. She didn't seem to especially care, but for some reason, it was a constant source of annoyance for me. One teacher in particular, whom we had two years in a row, always, always called her Christina, from the first day of class to the end of the second year. I always wondered how she managed to look at that many assignments with "Christine" written at the top and never notice her mistake.

[drunkontea.livejournal.com]

I like to write down fake names when I order at Starbucks or any other place that requires you to put down a name. Sometimes they're funny (just so I can hear the person call "my name" out), and sometimes they're names I wish I had.

Oh, and people always spell my name, Jacqui, wrong. It's gotten to the point where I don't even bother correcting them, unless it's for an official document or something, or if I knew they were going to be writing/spelling it more than once (IE not for just an order).

[traezer.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend never gives his real name at Starbucks either. His name is Basil, but he goes by Mike when they ask his name.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

How do you say Jacqui?

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

I worked at a place that called out names in a similar manner to starbucks and we got a lot of psuedonyms. It's just easier. Heck, eventually we started giving people their own random names (Princess Jasmine, Karen Brewer, etc) just because they LISTENED BETTER. Which is weird, but if you tell someone "Okay, your order is under Luke Skywalker" they are a lot more likely to listen than if it is just their name.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the name Basil!

[drunkontea.livejournal.com]

The same as "Jackie".

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. I just spelled names whatever way I preferred or whatever way a friend I knew with that name spelled it. And if they said something like "That's Kristy with a K" that is precisely what I would write down. (I was a little bitter when I worked food service). Nothing like calling out "CHRISTY WITH A K" when her drink is ready.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

I agree. We would often use clothes. You call out, "Guy in the American flag jacket" and everyone looks down at what they are wearing to check if it is their order. It is funny to watch and works well.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

I thought so but I didn't want to assume :)

[a-minor-third.livejournal.com]

I love this post! I have the same problem all the time. Besides, it's fun to go by a pseudonym. :P

[a-minor-third.livejournal.com]

Haha, nice!

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, that is awesome.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I lol'ed at Karen Brewer.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :^) After consulting your profile, I imagine people must hack your name to bits. Which is really too bad, because it's a beautiful name.