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In reply to the discussion: Have You Ever Wanted to Change Your Name? [View all]3catwoman3
(24,053 posts)My first name is Martha, and I have never liked. Stodgy and not elegant, IMO.
It seems that in books, movies, plays, etc, when a cranky old lady character is needed, she is often named Martha. The worst occurrence I ever saw of this was an advertisement for Colace, which is a stool softener. Years ago, on the back page of a medical journal, there was a full page ad showing a very pinched-face little old lady who looked a lot like Ruth Buzzies character on Laugh-In, sitting on a high wooden stool, scowling angrily. The pitch for the product was, Give Aunt Martha Colace in the AM for a BM in the PM. Ha, ha, ha. I can still see this ad, an this dates back to the early 1970s when I was in nursing school.
My own last name is Ball. Lots of athletic jokes when I was growing up, which werent all that bad, although theyd get old really quick. The anatomical ones were tough to take. In 8th grade home room, there was a really jerky guy a couple of seats behind me. Every morning, he would leer at me and snicker, Hiya, Ball - Howre they hangin? His buddies would guffaw and hoot. I dreaded walking into home room. On day, after much mental rehearsal, I stared hm down and replied, Fine thanks. How are yours? His buddies laughed even harder at my riposte, and he never said it again. These days, hed probably get dinged for sexual harassment, but this was about 1963, so I didnt even think about telling anyone.
I love my middle name. When I joined the Air Force nurse corps, I gave serious thought to using it, as I thought Lieutenant Elliott sounded ever so much more distinctive that Lieutenant Ball, but I figured somehow my father would find out and be hurt by it, so I chickened out.
Were I picking my own name, I would be Kathleen or Caitlin McGuire.
My screen name gives me the chance to be called Cat, which is as close as I will get.