# About names in different cultures



## NavyBlue

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I'd like to ask a question that might be considered offensive to some people.

I think I made a remark about dealing with this kind of threads in a previous post, so I feel compelled to kindly ask those people to read no further.

I'd like to know what names can be considered sort of... _unpopular_ in English if any.

Again, no offence intended.


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## dave

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking Navy, but there certainly aren't too many Adolphs any more.


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## lexicon

You remind me of the Studebaker auto manufacturer (long ago defunct) that offered a model named _Dictator_.  By 1938 the company belatedly realized how malapropos the name had become in the light of world events and therefore dropped that name.  Later the company successfuly marketed another model, the _President_.


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## Badcell

Hi all!
In Xmas two years ago I saw for a short time the ads for a box of assorted sweets called "Prestige Selection", from a well-known company here in Spain... but the name was changed in a hurry after the Prestige Oil spill in Galicia!


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## NavyBlue

Well, I'm afraid I didn't make myself clear because I was so afraid of hurting anyone's feelings.

What I really meant by _unpopular _was _ugly_.

Obviously it's a matter of opinion, but if I had a child I would never call him Agapito, Agamenón, Ambrosio, Anacleto, Anastasio, Bonifacio, Casimiro, Cipriano, Rigoberto, Remigio... or if she was a girl, Obdulia, Otilia, Petra... 

My apologies to the people under those names.

So my question is, what English names would you never give a child nowadays?

By the way, the posts you sent are equally interesting.


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## cuchuflete

Hola Navy,

First, I appreciate the care with which you phrase your question.  I worked on a translation in ST a few days ago with a person who has one of those names you cite as examples of "ugly".  I suppose that person's parents don't share your tastes!!  But that's ok...it is a matter of taste.

In the US, most of the biblical names popular in the 18th and 19th century are now out of fashion: Ebenezer, Ezekiel, and so forth.  If they were used today, they would not sound 'ugly', but would seem curiously old-fashioned.  With a population drawn from so many different nations and cultures, we seem to have thousands of names here, and many are new inventions, just as occurs in Brasil.

I cannot think of 'ugly' names, but some I would not like to hear because they are not in tune with my personal asthetics.

saludos,
Cuchu




			
				NavyBlue said:
			
		

> Well, I'm afraid I didn't make myself clear because I was so afraid of hurting anyone's feelings.
> 
> What I really meant by _unpopular _was _ugly_.
> 
> Obviously it's a matter of opinion, but if I had a child I would never call him Agapito, Agamenón, Ambrosio, Anacleto, Anastasio, Bonifacio, Casimiro, Cipriano, Rigoberto, Remigio... or if she was a girl, Obdulia, Otilia, Petra...
> 
> My apologies to the people under those names.
> 
> So my question is, what English names would you never give a child nowadays?
> 
> By the way, the posts you sent are equally interesting.


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## NavyBlue

Dear Cuchu,

Thank you so much for your kind reply. I found your explanation really interesting. 

In Spain the phenomenon of immigration is quite recent, especially in small towns. So I guess we are still getting used to foreign names.

However, during my grandparents' generation, the Catholic Church had certain influence helping parents to choose a name for their children. So I guess many babies where named after little-known saints and such names became somewhat old-fashioned nowadays. At the end of the day, it is also a matter of fashion. 

About ten or twenty years ago, the male name *Borja *became popular among well-off people, and it still sounds a bit posh. 

The same happened with some Galician names, such as *Uxío *or *Brais*. During Franco's dictatorship, speaking Galician was forbidden, so nowadays many parents consider Galician names trendy and upper-class (even if they don't speak the language at all because they still associate it with the language of the villagers). It's just a way of showing pride or patriotism.


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## cuchuflete

That's fascinating NB...when I was first in your country, in 1968 in Santander, I knew a family who named their son Borja...they were very nice people, and also a little bit presumido--pretentious!  Isn't that the same name which gave rise to the Borgia family in Italy?

Back to your original question...here are some 'old-sounding' names in AE. Ethel and Mathilda for girls, Harvey and Melvin for boys.  Today they sound odd, although there is absolutely nothing wrong or 'ugly' about them.

Un saludo,
Cuchu


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## vic_us

I don't know if it's an ugly name, but I know for certain that at least 58,994,923 Americans who voted in the US Presidential Election in 2004 won't call their sons _*George W. * _


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## cuchuflete

vic_us said:
			
		

> I don't know if it's an ugly name, but I know for certain that at least 58,994,923 Americans who voted in the US Presidential Election in 2004 won't call their sons _*George W. * _


Depending on the potential success or lack of same of the current administration's policies, I can suspect that the number will be much higher, but that's pure speculation. Let us not forget that a similar number of people might find the name appealing!

Now, however, you have me thinking (an event which occurs about 3 times each year). Is there any correlation between popular politician's name and those used for babies born during or soon after their terms in office?

I'm going to do a little research, perhaps with the name Ronald, to see if its use increased during or following the presidencies of Mr. Reagan.
I'll let you know the outcome.

Vic, why don't you do the same for "Juan Domingo" or something more recent?

What people say, and what they do, often do not coincide.

saludos,
Felipe Aznarín de Cuchuflete


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## Artrella

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Depending on the potential success or lack of same of the current administration's policies, I can suspect that the number will be much higher, but that's pure speculation.  Let us not forget that a similar number of people might find the name appealing!
> 
> Now, however, you have me thinking (an event which occurs about 3 times each year).  Is there any correlation between popular politician's name and those used for babies born during or soon after their terms in office?
> 
> I'm going to do a little research, perhaps with the name Ronald, to see if its use increased during or following the presidencies of Mr. Reagan.
> I'll let you know the outcome.
> 
> Vic, why don't you do the same for "Juan Domingo" or something more recent?
> 
> What people say, and what the do, often do not coincide.
> 
> saludos,
> Felipe Aznarín de Cuchuflete





I don't know about Vic... but Carlos Saúl....is uuuuuugllllyyyyy!!!!


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## cuchuflete

Artrella said:
			
		

> I don't know about Vic... but Carlos Saúl....is uuuuuugllllyyyyy!!!!


 Amen um, er, well, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.


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## cuchuflete

If there is a correlation between political popularity and the names parents give to their newborns, it is NOT evident from these data....most popular names, in order of frequency, given to boys born in the US during the last five years:
Note that William, as in W. Clinton, is only in position #11.  Ronald, as in R. Reagan, did not make the top 100, but then, neither did Cuchuflete!!

Saludos,
Cuchu

100 most common boys' names of the last 5 years, sorted by total
number:

               Total    
Jacob          159973   
Michael        153117   
Matthew        134368   
Joshua         129336   
Christopher    117218   
Nicholas       114374   
Andrew         109858   
Joseph         107824   
Daniel         105323   
Tyler           99964   
William         97655   
Brandon         94729   
David           93865   
Anthony         93617   
Ryan            93115   
John            93050   
Zachary         90456   
James           85148   
Austin          84558   
Alexander       83681   
Justin          81053   
Jonathan        79708   
Ethan           74622   
Dylan           73886   
Christian       73336   
Samuel          68125   
Benjamin        66251   
Robert          64799   
Noah            64657   
Jose            64403   
Kevin           62179   
Nathan          60065   
Thomas          58712   
Kyle            58417   
Jordan          58211   
Cameron         55527   
Hunter          54909   
Logan           51017   
Caleb           48600   
Jason           46407   
Gabriel         46139   
Aaron           45951   
Eric            43133   
Brian           41567   
Luis            40941   
Adam            38273   
Juan            38084   
Connor          37849   
Isaiah          37560   
Jack            37451   
Elijah          36298   
Charles         35350   
Steven          34780   
Sean            34779   
Isaac           34655   
Cody            34242   
Luke            33900   
Carlos          33790   
Angel           33760   
Evan            33367   
Timothy         33199   
Alex            33085   
Jared           31672   
Nathaniel       31553   
Mason           30774   
Bryan           30245   
Richard         29455   
Patrick         29010   
Jesus           28923   
Ian             28637   
Jackson         28576   
Devin           28345   
Seth            28244   
Trevor          27508   
Cole            27018   
Adrian          26383   
Chase           24977   
Mark            24241   
Blake           24181   
Garrett         23963   
Jeremy          23397   
Antonio         23350   
Gavin           22957   
Miguel          22572   
Lucas           22491   
Jesse           22173   
Alejandro       21755   
Dakota          21144   
Julian          20704   
Kenneth         20299   
Victor          20151   
Sebastian       19868   
Bryce           19832   
Tanner          19676   
Dalton          19594   
Stephen         19534   
Spencer         18974   
Jake            18613   
Aidan           18273


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## vic_us

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Vic, why don't you do the same for "Juan Domingo" or something more recent?
> 
> What people say, and what the do, often do not coincide.
> 
> saludos,
> Felipe Aznarín de Cuchuflete



I'm not quite sure how to go about that, but I know that during Perón's Presidency, the list of names out of which you could pick one for your child was very short. You had four choices: Biblical names, family names, Juan Domingo, and Eva. Period. 

In Argentina, and I think this is current, you can't pick any name for your child. If you go to the Registro Civil, they will provide you with an list of authorized names. For instance, if you want to call your kid "Coca Cola," they won't allow you. Can you believe it????

There are three names that I personally detest (only for historical reasons): Jorge Rafael, Eduardo Emilio and Orlando Ramón...


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## vic_us

NavyBlue said:
			
		

> Obviously it's a matter of opinion, but if I had a child I would never call him Agapito, Agamenón, Ambrosio, Anacleto, Anastasio, Bonifacio, Casimiro, Cipriano, Rigoberto, Remigio... or if she was a girl, Obdulia, Otilia, Petra...
> My apologies to the people under those names.



I agree that they might not be the cutest names in the world. However, the real problem arises if you have one of names listed above and your last name is Tutteta.


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## Sharon

All this reminds me of "A Boy Named Sue."  

Well, these names are not necessarily ugly, but there are some names that would make a child have to struggle a bit.  Children are not always nice, and there are some names that would cause problems on the playground. Girls' names that I would stay away from would be Jane, because it has the connotation of "Plain Jane." The name Bertha has the connotation of a very large woman, "Big Bertha."  The boys' names Eugene, Mortimer, and Poindexter would all be cause for fights on the playground. The names Marion and Evelyn used to be used as a mans' name, but now they are pretty much strictly female.

I wouldn't name my child anything that made a word or set phrase. I never checked, so it might be urban legend, but I have heard that the Lear family, of the Lear jets, named a daughter "Shanda." ... I wouldn't like to go through life as "Chandelier."   I knew a girl by the name of Happy Easter.


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## ~PiCHi~

There is only one name I find ugly and it's in spanish..
*Please *never call your son _"Radamex"  _


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## cuchuflete

~PiCHi~ said:
			
		

> There is only one name I find ugly and it's in spanish..
> *Please *never call your son _"Radamex"  _



Hola Pichi,
I had never seen that one before, so I looked for it with Google, and found it listed in many threads of 'nombres nacos' and 'nombres flaitos'.  What do those terms mean?  Are they insulting?

thanks,
Cuchu


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## belén

Cuchu,

"Naco" en México es lo que "hortera" en España. 

Flaitos ni idea, sorry, a ver si alguien sabe


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## cuchuflete

belen said:
			
		

> Cuchu,
> 
> "Naco" en México es lo que "hortera" en España.
> 
> Flaitos ni idea, sorry, a ver si alguien sabe


Gracias Be!  
Al ver el nombre Radamex, pensaba que era el sucursal mexicano de una empresa italiana de calzado.  Bueno, de todas maneras es mejor que ponerle al hijo Exxonmobil!

un abrazo,
Cuchu


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## ~PiCHi~

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Hola Pichi,
> I had never seen that one before, so I looked for it with Google, and found it listed in many threads of 'nombres nacos' and 'nombres flaitos'. What do those terms mean? Are they insulting?
> 
> thanks,
> Cuchu


 
 "Naco" es el término muy común para decir que algo no es "fino" o "bien"
Lamentablemente la sociedad mexicana esta dividida entre lo "Naco" y lo "fresa"
y ahora está medio de moda ser "naco"  
Se supone que si eres una persona correcta y un poquito humilde nunca utilizas esa palabra, pero ya es súper común..
Y la verdad sí.. Radamex es un nombre bastante naco  

¿Por qué le sonaba a zapatería?


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## NavyBlue

Artrella said:
			
		

> I don't know about Vic... but Carlos Saúl....is uuuuuugllllyyyyy!!!!


Now that you mention that name, there's one more thing I'd like to add. In Spain you can have more than one Christian name, as you all know, but the combinations tend to vary from those in Latin-America. So we have plenty of:

Juan Carlos
Juan José
Juan Antonio
José Antonio
José Luis
José María
José Manuel
Miguel Ángel
Luis Miguel
Francisco Javier
Víctor Manuel
Juan Pablo
...
María del Carmen
María Jesús
María José
María del Pilar
Ana Belén
Ana Isabel
...
So, when Latin-American soap operas became popular in my country in the early 90's, the name of *Luis Alfredo* (that guy from _Cristal_) was really striking to us.


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## cuchuflete

~PiCHi~ said:
			
		

> ¿Por qué le sonaba a zapatería?



¿Tal vez lo confundía con Prada?  De todas formas Radamex es mejor que Burberrymex.

ciao,
C


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## cuchuflete

> *Are You Naco?*
> Here are some clues: (translated from the June 2004 edition of _Chilango_ magazine)
> 
> *»* You drive a Ford Topaz with a Porshe decal.
> 
> *»* You follow behind ambulances just so you can drive fast.
> 
> *»* You wear a polyester blouse made in China with a Lacoste crocodile logo.
> 
> *»* You take "mementos" from hotels and restaurants.
> 
> *»* You buy the latest Chanel perfume and tell everyone it's your fragrance.
> 
> *»* You park in handicapped spots.
> 
> *»* You clap when the airplane lands.
> 
> *»* You use a clothes hanger when the TV antenna fails.
> 
> *»* It's always the other guy's fault.



De NPR.org:



> _Day to Day, _July 8, 2004 · In Great Britain, they're known as "Kevins." In the U.S., the words "nerd," "redneck" and "cheesy" come to mind. For Mexicans, it's "naco" -- a term that covers everything from guys draped in gold chains to people who dance funny.
> 
> Some Mexicans still find the word offensive. It was initially a derogatory term used to insult indigenous people and the poor. But for many, "naco" has morphed into a term that represents personal style -- or lack thereof -- rather than class or wealth. And now, young hipsters are reclaiming the word and making it cool. Through t-shirts, magazines and Web sites devoted to "naco-ism," they're celebrating their inner naco.
> 
> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3202097


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## ~PiCHi~

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> In Great Britain, they're known as "Kevins." In the U.S., the words "nerd," "redneck" and "cheesy" come to mind. For Mexicans, it's "naco" -- a term that covers everything from guys draped in gold chains to people who dance funny.
> 
> Some Mexicans still find the word offensive. It was initially a derogatory term used to insult indigenous people and the poor. But for many, "naco" has morphed into a term that represents personal style -- or lack thereof -- rather than class or wealth. And now, young hipsters are reclaiming the word and making it cool. Through t-shirts, magazines and Web sites devoted to "naco-ism," they're celebrating their inner naco.


 
That's very true!
Ve por qué le digo que ahora ser "naco" esá "in"?


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## cuchuflete

~PiCHi~ said:
			
		

> That's very true!
> Ve por qué le digo que ahora ser "naco" esá "in"?


Gracias ~PiCHi~,

Qué bien que nosotros tengamos la posibilidad de mantenernos 'out'.
gracias,
Cuchu


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## ~PiCHi~

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Gracias ~PiCHi~,
> 
> Qué bien que nosotros tengamos la posibilidad de mantenernos 'out'.
> gracias,
> Cuchu


 
Muy cierto!  
Prefiero estar "out"!!!


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## NavyBlue

By the way, I've just found this link about the opposite matter. Popular names in the UK.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/names.htm

I hope you'll find it useful.


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## Neru

NavyBlue said:
			
		

> By the way, I've just found this link about the opposite matter. Popular names in the UK.
> 
> http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/names.htm
> 
> I hope you'll find it useful.


It's interesting how in recent years the more traditional kind of names have become popular again. I'm sure that 20 years ago there wouldn't have been _Joshua, Samuel, William, Oliver_, etc, at the top of the most popular boys names list (in the UK).
I think that _Jack_ is probably destined to become one of those 'unfashionable' names of the future, as it seems that every other boy here these days is given that name, and it's a bit less 'respectable' than the other currently most popular ones.


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## garryknight

The only advice I'd give is don't name your son 'Cruz'. David and Victoria Beckham did. Good job it wasn't a girl; they'd have probably named her 'Pedro'...


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## Honeyduke

There's a whole new culture evolving in England which we term as 'chavdom'. Names associated with this movement are highly unpopular with the rest of the population! I'm really sorry if anybody isn't a chav and were named these names, as before they were really fashionable! A lot are really nice names and I apologise for tarring you with such a brush! Tracey, Storm, Chardonnay, Chantalle Keeley, Jordan, Brandon, Candice. If anybody wants more info, and to find out the name of their chav baby! search for chavscum in google


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## cuchuflete

Please explain what this means.  I've never come across the term chav before.

Thanks,
Cuchuflete



			
				Honeyduke said:
			
		

> There's a whole new culture evolving in England which we term as 'chavdom'. Names associated with this movement are highly unpopular with the rest of the population! I'm really sorry if anybody isn't a chav and were named these names, as before they were really fashionable! A lot are really nice names and I apologise for tarring you with such a brush! Tracey, Storm, Chardonnay, Chantalle Keeley, Jordan, Brandon, Candice. If anybody wants more info, and to find out the name of their chav baby! search for chavscum in google


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## gotitadeleche

Sharon said:
			
		

> All this reminds me of "A Boy Named Sue."
> 
> Well, these names are not necessarily ugly, but there are some names that would make a child have to struggle a bit.  Children are not always nice, and there are some names that would cause problems on the playground. Girls' names that I would stay away from would be Jane, because it has the connotation of "Plain Jane." The name Bertha has the connotation of a very large woman, "Big Bertha."  The boys' names Eugene, Mortimer, and Poindexter would all be cause for fights on the playground. The names Marion and Evelyn used to be used as a mans' name, but now they are pretty much strictly female.
> 
> I wouldn't name my child anything that made a word or set phrase. I never checked, so it might be urban legend, but I have heard that the Lear family, of the Lear jets, named a daughter "Shanda." ... I wouldn't like to go through life as "Chandelier."   I knew a girl by the name of Happy Easter.



Then there was the Texas Gevenor Jack Hogg, who named his daughter Ima.

"Ima Hogg was a woman of legendary energy and purpose. Although she enjoyed a privileged life, Miss Hogg was passionately concerned with the well-being of everyone in her community. A leading philanthropist in the state of Texas, she devoted her time and resources to improving the lives of ordinary people. Through Bayou Bend and its superb collection of American decorative arts, Miss Hogg created a magnificent legacy that continues to enrich the lives of those who live in and visit Houston." 

Miss Hogg died at the age of 93 in 1975. Apparently the name didn't hurt her self-image. But there are a number of parents who give their children terrible names like that. I guess they think it's funny.


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## lsp

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Please explain what this means.  I've never come across the term chav before.
> 
> Thanks,
> Cuchuflete


This came up in another thread.


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## Benjy

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Please explain what this means.  I've never come across the term chav before.
> 
> Thanks,
> Cuchuflete



here's some chavs..


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## cuchuflete

lsp said:
			
		

> This came up in another thread.



Grazie Lsp,

The thread was instructive, especially the speculation about etymology.
Now I know how to identify female Chavs---hoop earings, stilleto heals...
but what about the male variety?  And if they are equivalent to 'trailer trash' how can they afford Burburry?

saludos,
Cuchu


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## cuchuflete

Benjy--what a difference an ocean makes.  That photo could be of any "normal" group of young men around here.

Cuchu


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## Benjy

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Benjy--what a difference an ocean makes.  That photo could be of any "normal" group of young men around here.
> 
> Cuchu



hehe, perhaps.. but take a look at the rest of the photos on the site. you will seee a common thread emmerging. the wearing of the baseball cap being amlost obligatory.. i guess its not so much the clothes but the attitude that goes withit. pictures don't reall help much there =[


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## lsp

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Grazie Lsp,
> 
> The thread was instructive, especially the speculation about etymology.
> Now I know how to identify female Chavs---hoop earings, stilleto heals...
> but what about the male variety?  And if they are equivalent to 'trailer trash' how can they afford Burburry?
> 
> saludos,
> Cuchu


I hope someone can answer, I also thought the descriptions were a little contradictory (I wasn't a contributor to the chav conversation in that thread, and I, too, thought that foto was just a cute bunch of guys, and assumed Benjy was in there, but I checked back to the pictures he posted and now can only assume he was the photographer!!)


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## Benjy

ok a guide for brits and the international flavour is here

happy chav hunting


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## cuchuflete

Benjy said:
			
		

> ok a guide for brits and the international flavour is here
> 
> happy chav hunting



The only difference between the two is that the int'l. flavor loaded in one tenth the time, and gave quillo as a SP equivalent.  Both told me to name my baby Elvis Storm Jones or Harrison Storm Jones or Kevin Storm Jones.

Leaving the building with Elvis now,
Cuchu

PS- from a cultural standpoint, the Chavs are well-represented in any US city or town.  We just haven't given them a creative name yet.  They are generally referred to as "Youth".


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## Marc1

Ugly names....since ugly is relative and not absolute, one must say rather which names *I* don't like.

That is easy, I would never call my daughter "Robustiana" or "Ermenegilda"
Nor may male ofspring with numbers like "Primo" "Segundo" etc

The list of names that are ugly to me is very long, and so it is for any honest person. Otherwise why do you think so long and hard over a list of hundreds of names when you have a child, and you laugh and giggle as you go through it?

Nothing wrong with disliking names, it is not the same as disliking a person. One of my best business associates is called Bonifacio. Huhu good luck!
We call him Ben, and he is the best. His parents choice of name wasn't the best.....


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## Leopold

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> The only difference between the two is that the int'l. flavor loaded in one tenth the time, and gave quillo as a SP equivalent. Both told me to name my baby Elvis Storm Jones or Harrison Storm Jones or Kevin Storm Jones.
> 
> Leaving the building with Elvis now,
> Cuchu
> 
> PS- from a cultural standpoint, the Chavs are well-represented in any US city or town. We just haven't given them a creative name yet. They are generally referred to as "Youth".



That's too bad. "Quillo" is used, especially (and almost just) in Cádiz to refer to people as a vocative. Something like "tío", "nene", etc.

Leo


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