My last name has an "a" sound. (You know - like it's initial.)

Typically people try to pronounce the first part of my name like Sum-iko. Rather than Su-mi-ko. (oo like Sue) You know, if I didn't introduce myself.

No, that's probably about right, amych. (Not trying to speak for sumi, but we share a name.) But it's amazing how wrong people will pronounce Japanese names. My maiden name, more than my middle: people would just randomly put extra sounds in there. It was always mystifying to me, because Japanese has so few pronunciation exceptions, unlike English. But since any person I was encountering was unlikely to have ever encountered another minority, let alone a Japanese person, I suppose that was too much to expect.

I always try to spell my last name before I pronounce it. Especially over the phone. I did that today and the woman I was talking to said "but how do you pronounce it?" So I told her and she replied "yeah I would have gotten it wrong."

Usually people try to throw an L at the beginning.

I also always say Z as in Zebra (because Americans don't have the very helpful zed) and sometimes people still put in Vs or Ds.

People don't mispronounce my first or last names, though almost everyone defaults to spelling my last name with a "y" instead of an "i" if I don't say anything. Because of the famous and amazibg comedian, I guess, though I think it is more often spelled with a "y" even without that reference.

OMG, I LOVE THIS SONG.

I can't believe there's a current song on MTV that I like, but that "we'll set the world on fire..." song is the first time a song has gotten under my skin in a long time...enough to Shazam and buy it.

Watching the MTV awards show, and they show actual young people getting into it, and then during a "we are young" lyric they cut to Jennifer Aniston and she looks like she'd rather be anywhere than there.

Don't be a fogey, Aniston! I bet Brad really likes this song...

I spent the first part of my life answering to "Suzi ummmmm...Shhhh?? ...ummmm" Fourteen letters and two hyphens for a maiden name. Fun.

Did you know Facebook won't accept a maiden name with two hyphens? And most paper forms with boxes for each letter don't have room for 16 characters.

I'm VERY happy to keep the name I've had for about 25 years. Five easy letters. Yes, it gets misheard as Walls or Walts, but still...five easy letters.

It was always mystifying to me, because Japanese has so few pronunciation exceptions, unlike English.

Also true with Spanish. Which means I can figure out most of my students' names and how to say them. I have one student named Mayte which I have mispronounced all the time, but the problem is it's a non-standard Spanish-ish pronunciation. Sorry kid. (mah-tuh, not May-Tay)

One of my Sunday school teachers was Miss Jacqueline, and she just told children to call her Miss Jackie, but I, a hick-looking girl of 8, said "But Miss, "SZhahcqwe-lean" is so pretty!" She was flamsmhmazzeled, and marched up to my folks and my grandmother, and complimented them on raising such a smart, polite child. I was her pet after that.

I loved Miss Jacqueline.

Dana, I failed to wish you a happy birthday today, and Ellie also! Very sorry, and I hope you and Ellie had wonderful days! Happy birthday!!

Jacqueline

That's my middle name, but it always feels pretentious to pronounce it correctly. Except when I lived in Quebec. But there my totally simple last name always got a I added to it.

(Of course, the Americanized version of Jacqueline doesn't sound right either. If I have to say it I kind of split the difference. Basically I don't have a preferred pronunciation, just several non-preferred. For me, of course - for other people it doesn't ping me one way or another, whichever they prefer.)

I love the French pronunciation of Jacqueline, but always ask Jackwa-lin or Szhahcqwe-lean. A couple of Jacqueline's I have met didn't know there the original pronunciation.

I had a student who was a Balasubramanian, and she about fell over when I pronounced it right first day of class. But I had a Malaysian friend with that name in undergrad, and I thought it was a lyrical surname, and practiced it till I got it right.

Also, I've always said Sue-me-ko, not -ku. Good to know!

Hey, I can twitch my fingers on my bum paw now! And...hey! there's pain!

Okey-doke -- nighty-night all; nerve blocker is wearing off...