# "Randy", name or adjective?



## Einstein

I've recently met a Filipino named Randy and it's set me thinking. I believe this name is used in the US, but in British English it's an adjective, equivalent to the American "horny" (sexually aroused).

I'd like to ask:
1) do AE speakers know of this meaning of "randy"?
2) do BE speakers consider Randy a normal name or do they find it a bit odd?


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## sound shift

I've never come across a British person called Randy, Einstein. If I see a reference to a person of that name, I assume that he is American.


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## Alxmrphi

> 2) do BE speakers consider Randy a normal name or do they find it a bit odd?


Quite a lot of times this is made fun of in BE in my experiences.
Especially if someone finds themselves saying "He is Randy." I guarantee someone in the group listening would pop up with something like a little tilt of the head and a "Is he now?" remark. But I'm familiar with it from programs like South Park where I think I've adjusted. In a BE setting though, I'd still probably have the thought cross my mind if I bumped into it in a non-TV setting.


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## Miss Julie

So British people avoid naming their sons Randall or Randolph so that they can avoid their sons' being nicknamed Randy?


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## Egmont

Einstein said:


> ... 1) do AE speakers know of this meaning of "randy"? ...


This one does. He knew of it in college several decades ago, too. He never mentioned it to any of the guys he knew with that name, because they were bigger than he was.


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## Thelb4

I had no idea that there was anybody on this Earth called Randy until I read this thread. I think such a name would produce sniggers from many British people.


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## ewie

I'm afraid that whenever I come across the name _Randy_ in the flesh (so to speak), I giggle like an idiot ~ 350 episodes of _South Park_ (etc. etc. etc.) notwithstanding

I've often wondered if the Randolph Churchills of this world (this is just one of them: the name runs in the family) are _Randy_ to their mates ... ?

> giggle <



Egmont said:


> This one does. He knew of it in college several decades ago, too. He never mentioned it to any of the guys he knew with that name, because they were bigger than he was.


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## Alxmrphi

ewie said:


> I've often wondered if the Randolph Churchills of this world (this is just one of them: the name runs in the family) are _Randy_ to their mates ... ?
> 
> > giggle <



Even that produced an actual audible snigger from me when I read it.


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## Miss Julie

Miss Julie said:


> So British people avoid naming their sons Randall or Randolph so that they can avoid their sons' being nicknamed Randy?



_Well_...?


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## Einstein

Miss Julie said:


> So British people avoid naming their sons Randall or Randolph so that they can avoid their sons' being nicknamed Randy?


These names are not at all common in BE! For Randolph I can only think of Randolph Churchill (father of Winston), while Randall to me is a surname (but the Americans do have a habit of using surnames as first names: Harrison Ford, Cameron Diaz etc.). However, I do remember someone from my schooldays named Andy Randall... and we called him Randy Andall!


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## Alxmrphi

Regarding Miss_Julie's earlier question, I was going to post but got distracted.
I have never heard of Randall as a first name and I'm not sure if I've ever heard Randolph either, they are both very strange (edit: _to me_).
Admittedly I am not one of the people who know Winston Churchill's father, but yeah, quite unfamiliar to me.


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## rusita preciosa

Thelb4 said:


> I had no idea that there was anybody on this Earth called Randy until I read this thread. I think such a name would produce sniggers from many British people.


Ha ha ha! In years living in the US, I had no idea that anywhere on Earth the name Randy would produce sniggers!   I work with a Randy (male, full name Randall) and I also knew a woman who went by Randy, but I do not know her full name...


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## sound shift

Evidently there are some Flemish Randys (as opposed to randy Flemings .... Er .... sorry .... It must be a delayed effect from that bumper evening of "Carry On" films the other day.) http://www.the-sports.org/cycling-costermans-randy-results-identity-s2-c2-b4-o7-w164300.html will acquaint you with Randy Costermans, Belgian cyclist.


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## Miss Julie

Miss Julie said:


> So British people avoid naming their sons Randall or Randolph so that they can avoid their sons' being nicknamed Randy?





Einstein said:


> These names are not at all common in BE! For  Randolph I can only think of Randolph Churchill (father of Winston),  while Randall to me is a surname (but the Americans do have a habit of  using surnames as first names: Harrison Ford, Cameron Diaz etc.).  However,I do remember someone from my schooldays named Andy Randall...  and we called him Randy Andall!



So yes, then. 

_Really showing my age and American-ness here_:

I remember when The Monkees' song "*Randy Scouse Git*" was popular, I thought, "What a strange middle and last name Randy has"!  (Non-Brits: It means, more or less, "_horny idiot from Liverpool_.") It was released in the U.K. under the alternate title "*Alternate Title*," so as not to offend British sensibilities.


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## ewie

Miss Julie said:


> So British people avoid naming their sons Randall or Randolph so that they can avoid their sons' being nicknamed Randy?


The only Randolph I've ever actually _known_ was a ginger tom of my aunt Carol's in the 1970s-80s.  And I'm afraid to say that, yes, he lived up to his name.


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## Alxmrphi

@MJ:

Was this something you have come to realise after this thread or had you been aware of it beforehand?
I think that's quite a funny story! (What a strange name that person has!)  Classic.


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## Miss Julie

rusita preciosa said:


> I also knew a woman who went by Randy, but I do not know her full name...



My guess is that her given name is Miranda.


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## sound shift

Miss Julie said:


> So yes, then.
> 
> _Really showing my age and American-ness here_:
> 
> I remember when The Monkees' song "*Randy Scouse Git*" was popular, I thought, "What a strange middle and last name Randy has"!  (Non-Brits: It means, more or less, "_horny idiot from Liverpool_.") It was released in the U.K. under the alternate title "*Alternate Title*," so as not to offend British sensibilities.


Oh, but I am _extremely _offended - by this (un-British) use of "alternate" in place of "alternative".


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## djmc

In England it is bad enough to be called Andrew, one is likely to be called Randy Andy. I've never met any English men called Randolf. I used to know someone called Randall, he was always called by a variant of his surname. I sometimes think that parents must really dislike their offspring when one sees some of the Christian (first) names that are inflicted on children.


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## ewie

Miss Julie said:


> I remember when The Monkees' song "*Randy Scouse Git*" was popular, I thought, "What a strange middle and last name Randy has"!  (Non-Brits: It means, more or less, "_horny idiot from Liverpool_.") It was released in the U.K. under the alternate title "*Alternate Title*," so as not to offend British sensibilities.


My eyes are actually watering with laughing, Miss J


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## Miss Julie

Alxmrphi said:


> @MJ:
> 
> Was this something you have come to realise after this thread or had you been aware of it beforehand?
> I think that's quite a funny story! (What a strange name that person has!)  Classic.



Oh, I found out what "randy" means in BrE long before this thread. Talk about "two nations separated by a common language"!


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## rusita preciosa

Miss Julie said:


> Oh, I found out what "randy" means in BrE long before this thread.


from the Austin Powers movies?


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## Miss Julie

rusita preciosa said:


> from the Austin Powers movies?



Nope, before Austin Powers. I can't remember where/when!


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## Alxmrphi

ewie said:


> My eyes are actually watering with laughing, Miss J


Too bad he's no longer with us.


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## Miss Julie

Alxmrphi said:


> Too bad he's no longer with us.



Heh heh! I looked up the song Randy Scouse Git on Wikipedia, and this is where Micky Dolenz (the songwriter) got his inspiration for the title:

_The phrase 'Randy Scouse Git' came from the 1960s British sit-com Till Death Us Do Part, in which the loudmouthed main character Alf Garnett, played by Cockney actor Warren Mitchell, regularly insulted his Liverpudian ('Scouse') son-in-law, played by Tony Booth._


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## sound shift

Alxmrphi said:


> Too bad he's no longer with us.


That photo effectively rules you out as the "Randy Scouse Git" of the song. I did wonder ....


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## Alxmrphi

I felt it my compulsion to point it out


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## Miss Julie

So in answer to your question, *Einstein*, _yes_.


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## Hermione Golightly

> I had no idea that there was anybody on this Earth called Randy until I  read this thread. I think such a name would produce sniggers from many  British people.



There's still a bit of me aged about 12 that wants to 'roll -on --floor -laughing' and far worse, whenever I hear the name Randy, even after years of  daily exposure to everyday American and tons of cultural offerings. I've never associated it with Randall or Randolph. In NYC I once puzzled aloud about the man's name "Sal", never realising it was short for 'Salvatore'. I think somebody once explained the woman's name 'Mindy' to me but I have forgotten what the explanation is.


Hermione


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## pob14

I have a cousin named Randy.  And in his youth, he most certainly was.  

Have the Brits heard of the American baseball player named Randy Ready?  I've done lists of suggestive-sounding baseball players' names, and he's always on them.  And yes, we in the US were aware of this meaning even before Austin Powers - in fact, I don't even recall Austin Powers using the word; didn't he say "horny" all the time?


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## GreenWhiteBlue

The name "Randy" is a fairly common name in the United States, although it is not as popular as it once was. (and you can research the popularity of baby names in the US by year at the Social Security website here.) It reached its height of popularity in 1956, when it was the 28th most popular name for boys (which placed it immediately behind Edward, Dennis, and George, but ahead of such names as Anthony, Brian, Keith, and Christopher.) In 2010, it was in 349th place, which meant that it was still more commonly given as a boy's name than Scott, or Dustin, or Lawrence, or Philip, or Albert, or Arthur. I think it is a rare American over the age of 20 who does not know personally at least one man either named Randy or who has the nickname Randy.

I am aware of the meaning of the adjective "randy", but with that meaning it is not a commonly used word in the US, and I would be far more likely to think of lewd meanings for the name "Peter" than I would be to think of the suggestive meaning of the name "Randy"; it simply is not a name that makes anyone snicker in the US. I do not doubt that there are millions of people in the US who find "Randy" to be a perfectly nice and not particularly strange name, and who are completely unaware that the word has another meaning to most people in the UK.


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## Miss Julie

Then there's the American baseball player Randy Johnson..."johnson" being American slang for the male appendage. 

The names Randall and Randolph (as first names) seem to have fallen out of favor in the U.S. These days, you'll generally find that a guy with either name (and nicknamed you-know-what) is at least 35 years old.


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## sound shift

I haven't heard of this Mr Ready (we once had a king called Ethelred the Unready, though). Over here we tend to be not-very-clued-up* about baseball, pob.

* euphemism


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## George French

A slightly ammended quote -- 





pob14 said:


> Has this Brits heard of the American baseball player named Randy Ready?



Not until about one minute ago. Thank goodness my memory dumps most of the junk that comes in. In about 1 minute I will forget that I posted this..

Randy GF..

Excuse me..


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## natkretep

There is a well-known (ish) British linguist Randolph Quirk. I can't imagine anyone calling him Randy!


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## Embonpoint

I am American and I know the word "randy" only because it was taught to me by a British camp counselor when I was 10 or 11. Randy was her nickname. She didn't want to tell the kids at first, but somehow we found out and she explained its meaning. When the powers that be found out she was telling people that word she was reprimanded.

Since then I've heard it only from British friends or in movies/television shows from Great Britain. I wouldn't think most Americans would know it unless they spend time with Brits.


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## brampton

I suspect that the singer Randy Newman is the only person bearing that name who is well known outside the US.  Minor actors, baseball players, and the disgraced Duke Cunningham are all unknown.  However, the lack of awareness of the non-US meaning is interesting.  Who can readily identify this quotation?  A great book, and one of especial relevance in the US today.

_Fust time I ever laid with a girl was there. Me fourteen an' stampin' an' jerkin' an' snortin' like a buck deer, *randy as a billy-goat*._


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## natkretep

brampton said:


> _Fust time I ever laid with a girl was there. Me fourteen an' stampin' an' jerkin' an' snortin' like a buck deer, *randy as a billy-goat*._



Interesting - that's Steinbeck's _Grapes of Wrath_, isn't it? So it's _not_ un-American.


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## ribran

I had no clue the 'sexual' meaning of the word was unfamiliar to so many Americans. I remember all the merciless teasing the "new boy" Randy received in seventh grade. _Feelin' randy today, Randy? _


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## brampton

This meaning of the word "randy" was formerly regional within Britain, so perhaps awareness of it varies from one part of the US to another.


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## Einstein

Incredible! I didn't think I'd stir up such a hornets' nest with this question! Or should I say a randets' nest?


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## brampton

Hornets?  I don't see even mild disagreement.  
Perhaps you've never met a nest of hornets.


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## Alxmrphi

brampton said:


> Hornets?  I don't see even mild disagreement.
> Perhaps you've never met a nest of hornets.



I can understand!
I had to go back and read page two to see what I'd missed because it looked like it would have been interesting.
Alas, I found nothing that satisfied my desire to see what had been stirred up


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## Einstein

No, you're right, I just meant a lively discussion! It's just that I couldn't resist the idea of horny/hornets and randy/randets. Apologies to mods for chatting...


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## LilianaB

I personally do not see anything strange in the name Randy. Maybe because I am used to it and I perceive it only as a name. It can also be a woman's name. I have known a woman called Randy. What is the etymology of that name. Does it come from Randolph?


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## Gwan

Just to give a non-US/UK perspective, Randy would also provoke titters in my neck of the woods. I remember back when I was at school that a friend's family had to have a minor intervention when an Asian student they were hosting decided to adopt "Randy" as his "English name", no doubt influenced by US TV. They informed him that it was not at all a good idea in a New Zealand context! 

I've also never particularly thought of Randy (the name) as a shortening of Randolph or Randall, so I doubt people would consciously be considering and then avoiding those names for that reason. I just don't think they're popular names in New Zealand.


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## Egmont

I also knew a woman by that name, more or less, but she spelled it "Randi." (I don't remember what her full name was; it may have been Miranda, as previously suggested, but I can't say it was.) That simple change avoided the problem. Unfortunately, most men wouldn't want to be called that.


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