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Newt Gingrich for President

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Graham*

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Posted January 22, 2012 at 1:06AM

Can we possibly have a President of the United States called Newt Gingrich? click here

I can't help wondering what his parents were thinking - 'I know, lets call him Newt'

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Forum Editor

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Posted January 23, 2012 at 11:16PM

"I can't help wondering what his parents were thinking - 'I know, lets call him Newt'"

But of course they didn't - they called him Newton, as Lazarus The 2nd points out.

It's worth considering how some of the names we encounter on this side of the Atlantic might sound to American ears, and remembering the old adage that people in glass houses... etc.

I'm sure that someone in Montana might find it difficult to understand how someone called Menzies Campbell insists that he's really 'Mingis' Campbell. All of us obviously know that it relates to the "yogh", but most Americans wouldn't, any more than they would know that Mr. Dalziel should be referred to as Mr. Dee-ELL.

Then there's that place in Dumfries And Galloway called Glenzier, except that the people who live there call it Glinger.

Norman St John Stevas (of silk underwear fame) couldn't understand why anyone didn't know that his surname was pronounced 'SinJun'. Newt Gingrich would probably think it a bit odd, although Mr.Sinclair (that's St. Clair to the uninitiated) wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Like I said, people in glass houses.....

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Condom

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Posted January 24, 2012 at 12:52AM

Very often people are referrred to by nicknames that they never chose but they stick anyway. My own name comes to mind. I can remember many moons ago when we had a new young lecturer arriving called Livinstone and of course we had debated what we would call him and I think the consensus was Deadbrick until the first morning when he opened his mouth and inadvertantly chose it for himself.

He started of as he meant to go on and in a very severe tone said his name was Mr Livingstone and he wished to be refered to as such. For the rest of his time he was known of course as Mr Such and I believe in later years he was also known as Professor Such.

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spuds

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Posted January 24, 2012 at 10:31AM

Looking at the names some of our UK celebrities are rendering on their children, then perhaps the Americans might have something to consider or ponder on?.

I wonder how many men, both sides of the pond have been called Shirley, or females called Charlie?.

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morddwyd

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Posted January 24, 2012 at 7:43PM

"Marion", though it is spelled Meirion, is a fairly common boy's name in Wales.

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