Ara Ann
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 1,204
Question and semi-rant.
When you meet someone for the first time, and are introduced by their first name, do you ever automatically 'shorten' it without asking which name they prefer?
Or after a while of knowing someone, do you begin to use their shorter form of a longer name?
I am asking because a certain pet peeve of mine has been steadily creeping into my life and I am not sure how to address it.
This is probably totally silly to most of you and perhaps I should brush it off, but it is irksome.
My full name is Barbara and I always introduce myself as Barbara. My husband introduces me as Barbara.
But recently, I became involved in a few local groups and even after I introduced myself as Barbara, they respond with "Barb" and then refer to me to others as "Barb." No offense to other 'Barbs' out there, but I personally can not stand being called Barb, it is not my name and that is not how I introduce myself either...
This is how my screen name evolved, I use the last part of my name, Ara, instead of the first!
I ask this because I just received some mail from some friends of ours and it is addressed to DH & Barb and am just fed up with this....seems everywhere I go, within our circle of friends and even at church, people are determined to shorten my name (even those who used to call me by my full name!) and it's like nails on a chalkboard, but I don't want to come off as being snotty by correcting them either.
I guess I would never do this to someone else, so it bothers me when others do it to me, for instance, I would never call someone named David, "Dave" without being introduced in that way, or call a Cynthia "Cindy."
Suggestions on how I can politely let people know I prefer my actual name to a shortened nick name and not come off as being overly sensitive (even though I probably am being overly sensitive! )
Do I start correcting people and tell them my name is Barbara? Or I prefer Barbara? Or just let it go and 'become' Barb.
When you meet someone for the first time, and are introduced by their first name, do you ever automatically 'shorten' it without asking which name they prefer?
Or after a while of knowing someone, do you begin to use their shorter form of a longer name?
I am asking because a certain pet peeve of mine has been steadily creeping into my life and I am not sure how to address it.
This is probably totally silly to most of you and perhaps I should brush it off, but it is irksome.
My full name is Barbara and I always introduce myself as Barbara. My husband introduces me as Barbara.
But recently, I became involved in a few local groups and even after I introduced myself as Barbara, they respond with "Barb" and then refer to me to others as "Barb." No offense to other 'Barbs' out there, but I personally can not stand being called Barb, it is not my name and that is not how I introduce myself either...
This is how my screen name evolved, I use the last part of my name, Ara, instead of the first!
I ask this because I just received some mail from some friends of ours and it is addressed to DH & Barb and am just fed up with this....seems everywhere I go, within our circle of friends and even at church, people are determined to shorten my name (even those who used to call me by my full name!) and it's like nails on a chalkboard, but I don't want to come off as being snotty by correcting them either.
I guess I would never do this to someone else, so it bothers me when others do it to me, for instance, I would never call someone named David, "Dave" without being introduced in that way, or call a Cynthia "Cindy."
Suggestions on how I can politely let people know I prefer my actual name to a shortened nick name and not come off as being overly sensitive (even though I probably am being overly sensitive! )
Do I start correcting people and tell them my name is Barbara? Or I prefer Barbara? Or just let it go and 'become' Barb.