Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Gee, Anne.

So I've noticed this thing lately. When people are looking at the printed version of my name (spelled Jeanne, which is my given name), they stop for a second. Then they uncertainly sound out
"Gee...Anne?" It's definitely a new facet of the precious gem that is how people mess up my name (listing the ways people mess up "Yandel" is a whole other post, if not a whole other blog entirely). For years people have seen my first name and pronounced it "Jean", which is - obviously - correct. If anything, it's been the i in "Jeannie", which is what I go by, that has caused pronunciation trouble in the past. People see that and almost always default to "Jeanine" (pron juhNEEN). I guess I can understand this new "Gee...Anne" phenomenon - I mean, my name is spelled just like Leanne, but still. It's weird. Who in the world is named Gee-Anne? I don't think the name even exists - at least, this ridiculous collection of bad baby names doesn't list it.

I don't know. It's just odd, and that's really all I have to say about it. Except that this morning one of the guys at my regular coffee place called out "Gee...Anne?" when my drink was ready. And I laughed without thinking and said "it's Jean! Jean! It's just the French spelling!" Which was probably kind of mean. Sorry, young coffee man.

**UPDATE! After I wrote this post, I remembered that my last name showed up as "Yanobel" on a race registration sheet this past weekend. This wouldn't have been so bad if the form I'd filled out hadn't been one of those with one square for each letter of your name. You know? And still, they get one letter wrong and then throw another one in there for the hell of it.

Also, that whole "facet of a precious gem that is how people mess up my name" bit, above? Good lord, is that some awkward writing. Bad Jenna.

4 comments:

Mr. Smith said...

Oh Gina you're so so funny!

Ryan said...

I knew a girl with the same spelling as yours, but she pronounced it like "Shawn," though the "J" sounded like Zsa. So, uhm, Zsean? That doesn't look right. Zshawwn? Hmm.

At least you're at the top of the list when you google "Gee Ann" now.

Anonymous said...

Sweet, sweet Jeannie. I feel your pain.

Nola said...

My middle name in Jeanne and I've encountered the exact same thing: "Uh, Gee-ann?" I've always been bizarrely fond of the spelling and look forward to opportunities when I can show it off.

--Valerie Jeanne Preece Hutson, who pops in here from time to time via Mary Kate's site