h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We are all waiting with you, Chai, and with all best hopes and wishes. I'm sure it will all turn out well. It's just a matter of time. . .



az

Oh my! It is a wait, isn't it. I'm sure all will turn out fine!

She's officially due to make her grand entrance on January 6th. But so far she seems to be really cosy where she is, God bless her.

Epiphany is a nice name for a girl!

B

It is, isn't it. Except that she'd end up being called Fanny, and these days, that's a name with too many connotations to be wished on a little girl! Anyway, they seem happy with Leah Rose, so far.



Chai

Epiphany? Ick. Also, quite a name to have to live up to

Leah Rose is pretty. Hmmm . . . I may end up sharing a birthday with her after all if she waits an extra day!

az

Hi Az,
Is your birthday on Jan 7th?

Chai

As the owner of a difficult name, I have sympathy for anyone whose parents make self-indulgent choices. I was actually joking, but a smiley would have helped.

I assume there is no news yet?

B

I agree. I think an Epiphany would be as likely to get called "Piffney" as Fanny.

Any name can become awkward, or appear embarrassing to its bearer. What's wrong with Ben?

Happy Little Christmas.

Well, it gives rise to significant gender confusion issues.

People who only deal with me electronically or by mail assume I am male, and people who deal with me on the phone simply don't hear 'Ben'. They hear 'Bren', or 'Bern', or 'Pen' or even 'Beth', but never 'Ben'.

Very occasionally I get people on the phone who assume that I am half way through a sex-change. Since most of the people who assume that have issues with trans-gender, that assumption will get in the way of what we are talking about.

It isn't as bad as it was, but it is still a pain.

B

Ben,

Try growing up female with a name like Shawn! It's a boy's name! I always used to hate it when I was a kid. I wanted to be called something really girlie, like Cathy or Nancy, as kids used to always make fun of my name. Now I quite like it though. After all, it's MY name. Girls are normally called Shawna, but now I am happy not to have that extra 'a' attached to the end.

Here in Spain people are often confused by my name and ask me if there is a Spanish equivalent. And there is no way no day I am about to tell them it actually means 'John' or in Spanish - Juan. The name Juanita in Spanish is not pretty!

az

I was named Andrew, and my parents told me that had I been a girl I would have been Lindsay. I thank them for not using Lindsay anyway (though I know a male Lindsay who has become a grandfather, so it is survivable).

Funny thing is, I found "Andrew" horribly embarrassing as a child, and when my brothers started calling me "Worm" I welcomed it enthusiastically and kept that nickname right through secondary school.

So there's just no pleasing people. Might just as well call it Ornithoparcus.

I've always liked the name Lindsay, for either a boy or girl.

Andrew is a good name too, as long as they don't start calling you Andy!

The good thing about my name is that it can't be shortened!

My favourite boy's name is Jack. For a girl, not sure . . .

az

Isn't it odd. I have always thought Juanita was pretty, but then I am an English woman in England, and I was probably pronouncing it wrong.

I'm not that keen on Lindsey, for either a man or a woman. It's a surname really, of course.

Question for y'all - have any of you ever met a Fiona who didn't have long legs?

B

In Spain Juanita is considered quite an ugly name. I don't know why, but since it is considered so I don't want any association with it.

The only Fiona I ever knew was very short with very red hair and tons of freckles.

az

where *is* that new little girl?

Yes. Lots of Fionas in Ieland, including the short with the tall.

Did it bother Miro to be called Joan (Catalan form of Juan)?

Did it bother John Wayne to be called Marion? (Were they thinking Julia/Julian, Myra/Myron, Maria/Marion?)

Talk about a narrow escape...

Because my mother didn't fancy any of the OBrien dynastic names ending with "...ough," ( pronounced more or less "uh") like Donough, Turlough, or Murrough, and didn't want to saddle me with any of the strings of dynastic names from her side of the family, like Harold, Gordon, Alexander, etc., she decided to call me Vyvyan Derek!!!

Fortunately someone pointed out that the initials VD might be an embarrassment to me, so as she was reading a novel by Anthony someone or other, she settled for AD instead. So I became the first recorded Anthony in our ancient family. Which is fine, so long as no-one calls me Tony ( unless they have a thick Liverpudlian or Glaswegian accent.)

Still no grand-daughter. Maybe the full moon tomorrow will prompt her arrival.

How about Antonio?

Full moon tomorrow? Hmmmm. . . looks like I just might be sharing a birthday with your new granddaughter after all. That would be nice!



az

"So I became the first recorded Anthony in our ancient family."

Ah yes. Our Chai traces his antecedents back to Brian Boru (who was also an attested ancestor of HM the Q of E).

But . . . all families are equally ancient. Dammit, all families are one.

Dear Az,

Now that tomorrow has become today....

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear A-az, Happy Birthday to you.

Dear R'man, I would be much obliged if you did not drag my dirty lineage into the public.

Cheers,

(Stillnogranddaughterchaiwallah)