We mostly get something like "Thank you Mr. Fergoolsin," and neither of us can figure out where the "r" comes from.

Probably because our minds try to make unfamiliar things familiar, so they are thinking Ferguson, which they know.

With doctors, I make a point of learning their first names. I had a doctor walk in and say "[First name]?" and I replied "I'm Ms [last name]" He looked surprised for a second, but continued "I'm Dr. Smith". We had some small talk and he said "so, [first name] (random medical question) " and I replied "Well, Bob (answer to question)" He looked at me for a second, and said "Okay, Ms. [last name], now we're going to . . ."

My mother got into a huge brouhaha with her doctor over this because he flat out would not call her Dr. Lastname. God, he was a jackass.

My name is awesome for confusing people. "Laura? Maura? Norma? Dora?" and then do not even get me started on my last name.

When I called the floor guys for a quote a couple weeks ago, they looked up my record and saw my name AND PRONOUNCED IT CORRECTLY. I was about to comment on it (it never happens) and then the second guy told me that McGunnigle was the name of his brother's (the first guy) ex-wife. I was like, Ahhh, now I get it.

Seriously. It freaks people out!

Dude. I ever get enough education to warrant a Dr., You better betcher ass that EVERYONE had better call me Dr. Empress.

Aims was right. I would say "Stephanie" as a reflex, to somehow get the spelling in my head, but of course that wouldn't help at all. So I am a doofus.

Actually, that helps me understand why people might be saying my whole name. I'll still grumble in my head, but maybe with a little more understanding.

I think a lot of people are like my dad, who seems to need to map a new word onto the pattern of one he already knows. He calls Ambien "ambience" 98% of the time. And his confusing of Bactrim (an antibiotic) with Bextra (an NSAID) landed him in the hospital with stomach bleeding. He kept calling it "Bextrim." And I can only guess at which drug the doctors assumed he meant (and subsequently gave him).

He does it with non-drug words, too, but those are the ones that jump to mind right away.

also- I was so slammed this morning, I didn't have a chance to ask for job~ma for my 10am second interview, but I think I did OK, so I request hire~ma to be directed at the people making the decision this week.

Question: is it too ass-kissy to go see their production that opens tomorrow? It's Rossum's Universal Robots!

And I can only guess at which drug the doctors assumed he meant (and subsequently gave him).

Well, if he lost a lot of weight then I'd guess Dexatrim.

A professor friend was once told by a doctor that he wouldn't call her Dr. Lastname because he didn't want the staff to get confused. She said "you're wearing a white coat and carrying a stethescope. I am wearing a hospital gown with my rear end hanging out. I doubt there will be a problem".

And I can only guess at which drug the doctors assumed he meant (and subsequently gave him).

Well, if he lost a lot of weight then I'd guess Dexatrim.

::snerk:: He did, in fact, lose a LOT of weight, because weeks of stomach bleeding will do that to you. I'm pretty sure they gave him Bactrim, to which he's allergic. And when they asked him what drugs he's allergic to, he said "Bextrim," which makes me think they assumed BextrA. And it's very possible that they recognized the mispronunciation and tried to clarify by asking, "BextrA?" and Dad probably said yes, b/c of the confusion.

IIRC, I yelled at him for not being clearer about his drug allergies. I think he hands the doctor a written list now.

t edit I *was* (and still am), however, pissed that the doctors didn't think "Oh, this patient seems to be confusing 2 drugs; perhaps I should say the name of BOTH drugs to see if we can sort it out!" instead of assuming he meant one versus the other. Way to damage your patient, dudes.

I am, however, surprised at how often I am asked to spell my first name. I mean really? It's the past tense of draw, how hard can that be?

Drew, Dru, Dro, Droo, Dreue--in this age of "I want my child's name to be unique!" you can't depend on any spelling. I've had people ask how to spell my name, or ask "Is that with a K?" or "Does that end in Y or I?"