Expat Names that sound strange to Argentines

StuckLikeGlue

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I was just thinking about things that constantly make me smile about living in a Spanish-speaking culture, and one of those is getting Argentines to understand my name. My first name is Perri, so I usually get: "Your name is PERRRRRI? como 'perro'?! That's what we call dogs to get them to come to us...perriperriperri!" Usually followed by uncontrollable laughter.

Every time I have to spell out my name for someone and see the look of confusion/amusement at such a "strange" name... (who names their kid after a dog?)...I get a kick out of it every time. Anybody feel the same?
 
Sheldon. It's even difficult for people back home. In the last few years, though, I get this response a lot - "Like Big Bang Theory!!!" Yup, that's my name. Much better than the When Harry Met Sally references.
 
Rease is not all that common in the states either but here it is really rough. Most Argentines cannot pronounce my name and end up calling me "gris" which I hate! I always have to explain that it sounds like the word for "grasa" in English. I try to tell them "es como Risa pero sin a" but I have found that only Argentines with some English skills can really pronounce it.
 
Kiersten. Sounds like....yep...I get it all the time. Kirch...

It complicated simple situations so much to the point that I just go by "Cristina" when I have to leave my name - I don´t even think about it anymore. The dog walker, my neighbors, the portera, the lavadero, my pilates instructor - everyone knows me as Cristina.

My favorite name story is when I went to the Cemic clinic for strep a few years ago. They took my OSDE card, said the system wouldn´t accept "Kiersten" as a name, so they registered me as "Maria". We all got a laugh when i went over to fill my prescription at Farmacity when i had to explain to the pharmacist why the name on the prescription didn´t match the name on the card. They filled it for me though, and I was on my way.

It is especially endearing when the Argentines try and try and try again until they can finally pronounce it correctly. They call me "Kiers" and we leave it at that. :)
 
Trevor is confused with trebol which in Spanish means three leafed cover.
 
StuckLikeGlue said:
I was just thinking about things that constantly make me smile about living in a Spanish-speaking culture, and one of those is getting Argentines to understand my name.



Fiona..the name Argentineans love to give to their pets...along with Simon, Peter etc..makes me laugh...and as one of my close friends called her dog Fiona years before we met she says it was destiny we be friends..
 
My name, Ries, is pronounced the same way as Rease.
And I find I get no more and no less mispronunciation in Argentina than in the USA. And my last name gets mangled as much both north and south, too.
 
Lala said:
Kiersten. Sounds like....yep...I get it all the time. Kirch...

Haha I changed my dog's name too when I came here (or the spelling at least)... I didn't want anyone jumping to conclusions about my political sentiments with a dog named "Eva" so I spell it "Iva" on everything, so they'll pronounce it right. :p
 
At work they call me Lynne (my second name) and even after 10 years they still laugh when they say goodbye to me every night ¨Chao Lin¨! With appropriate Chinese type face expressions.
And going the other way, as you may know the name Facundo is very popular here. I still can´t say it without smiling. And of course, when they shorten it it becomes Facu. He he.
 
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