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Stranger having a go at me because my name isn't catholic or protestant

Started by Shit Good Nose, February 06, 2020, 12:54:40 PM

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Shit Good Nose

I've told the story on here before - mum wanted to call me Wayne which, thankfully (apologies to any Waynes), my dad wasn't having and after they couldn't agree on a name dad looked at the birthdays in the day's newspaper.  It was between Steve (after Steve McQueen) or Harry (after Harry Houdini).  Harry wasn't fashionable at the time, so Steve/Steven it was.

Met a new chap at work today who isn't in my department or team but is working in the same office.  He's a Stephen from somewhere in Ireland, and we did the whole "hey, same name" thing.  Anyway, he asked me if I was a catholic StePHen or a protestant SteVen.  I said neither and said I was just named after the actor, explaining the whole affair.  Fella proudly proclaimed his was the "proper" catholic way to which I said I didn't know anything about that and neither myself nor my parents are/were religious so it wasn't a consideration, literally just named after Steve McQueen.  Fella then quizzically suggested that it must be protestant because it was the protestant spelling, and I said no - I hadn't been christened and neither had my parents and the only time either one of them went to church was when they got married.  He started getting visibly annoyed then and went on about the history of the spellings and how wars had been fought over it in the history of the celts and said I needed to accept that I was a protestant and "from now on we're at war, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho".  I just said okay and smiled and he moved onto the next person.

Later checked with my manager and others that that was a genuinely odd encounter and one that wasn't aggravated by me.  They all agreed.

I shall be avoiding this chap as much as I can so as not to endure any further passive-aggressive chumminess with someone who has an unusual issue.


Anyone ever got angry with you because of your name?

bgmnts

That's a level of sectarian pettiness I didn't even think was possible.

Cuellar


shiftwork2


Armin Meiwes

Hahaha absolutely mental although would you say he was more of a Colin Hunt type (as I'm imagining in my head) or full sectarian bigot? Of course if you're parents really wanted to name you after Steve McQ they should have had the bottle to call you Steve not Steven.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

My partner has the Irish surname of
Spoiler alert
Paddypikeybogshagger Branagan
[close]
and a few years ago her professor assured her that Irish citizenship post-Brexit was assured on account of her surname alone.

She calmly explained that's not how it works, to no avail.


Armin Meiwes

And gone full James Dean Bradfield and given you McQueen as middle name.

SpiderChrist

I've been cold-called by folks who ask me if I want Koran lessons (whatever they are). Presumably because my surname is the same as one of the very popular Kashmiri surnames.


Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Armin Meiwes on February 06, 2020, 12:59:53 PM
Hahaha absolutely mental although would you say he was more of a Colin Hunt type (as I'm imagining in my head) or full sectarian bigot? Of course if you're parents really wanted to name you after Steve McQ they should have had the bottle to call you Steve not Steven.

I don't know.  There is every chance it was just an awkward opener for him as well and he didn't intend for it to go the way it did.  As for the full McQ, he was actually a Stephen (his middle name), but of course professionally he was just known as Steve.  I guess the shorter version wasn't the done thing at the time, so on my birth certificate it's Steven, but I've always been called Steve.  Except when I'm in trouble, obvs.


Quote from: SpiderChrist on February 06, 2020, 01:02:04 PM
I've been cold-called by folks who ask me if I want Koran lessons (whatever they are). Presumably because my surname is the same as one of the very popular Kashmiri surnames.

Smith?

Armin Meiwes

Thank you for answering all my questions you can lock this thread now.

jobotic

Didn't know this was a thing. My dad's called Stephen (usually shortened to Steve). His parents were hardcore atheists (not like Gervais, they were left-wing).

My dad wanted to call be Bo after Bo Diddley. I love Bo Diddley but I'm glad that was vetoed.

imitationleather


Shit Good Nose

Quote from: imitationleather on February 06, 2020, 01:15:14 PM
I'm on Catholic Stephen's side.

Typical.  I guess that means we're at war now.  Meet on Salisbury plain for a fight tomorrow at break.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain


Spoon of Ploff

Your parents could have saved you all this grief if they'd given you a proper uncontroversial name like Graham.


Ferris

I had no idea the spelling differences were to do with anything, and I would have been delighted to tell him that I had absolutely no idea about this thing he seems to think is so important.

SpiderChrist


Shit Good Nose

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on February 06, 2020, 01:24:07 PM
I had no idea the spelling differences were to do with anything, and I would have been delighted to tell him that I had absolutely no idea about this thing he seems to think is so important.

I did, but only since a mate moved up to Glasgow.  It's a massive thing up there and you do apparently have to be careful about what you say as there's still quite a clash between the catholics and protestants there, including the spelling of names.  Luckily I've never been in that situation up there.  Yet.


Quote from: SpiderChrist on February 06, 2020, 01:27:22 PM
Smythe, actually. Get it right, ya fucking pleb.

Yeah yeah - pronounced Throatwobblermangrove, etc.

bgmnts

Can't wait til Stefan or Esteban wanders in from one of the other global branches and starts slagging you too.


Shit Good Nose

Quote from: bgmnts on February 06, 2020, 01:29:38 PM
Can't wait til Stefan or Esteban wanders in from one of the other global branches and starts slagging you too.

Oh god, they'll be catholic too I guess.  Kissing their crosses and looking up to their dead mothers.

There's no hope for me is there.


Quote from: Captain Z on February 06, 2020, 01:31:42 PM
From now on call him "Step-Hen".

My sister used to call me that when we were kids.

Non Stop Dancer

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on February 06, 2020, 01:29:20 PM
I did, but only since a mate moved up to Glasgow.  It's a massive thing up there and you do apparently have to be careful about what you say as there's still quite a clash between the catholics and protestants there, including the spelling of names.  Luckily I've never been in that situation up there.  Yet.


Yeah yeah - pronounced Throatwobblermangrove, etc.
I've heard stuff from a client in Glasgow before about being wary of letting people know what the initials of her company name was, because it's the initials of her 3 children, and knowing what those names were would immediately identify her as Catholic/Protestant, I can't remember what one, and that would automatically alienate 50% of potential clients (or worse). Complete and utter fucking disease of the mind.

madhair60

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on February 06, 2020, 01:00:11 PM
My partner has the Irish surname of
Spoiler alert
Paddypikeybogshagger Branagan
[close]
and a few years ago her professor assured her that Irish citizenship post-Brexit was assured on account of her surname alone.

She calmly explained that's not how it works, to no avail.

It is. It is how it works

kngen

Quote from: Non Stop Dancer on February 06, 2020, 02:14:14 PM
I've heard stuff from a client in Glasgow before about being wary of letting people know what the initials of her company name was, because it's the initials of her 3 children, and knowing what those names were would immediately identify her as Catholic/Protestant, I can't remember what one, and that would automatically alienate 50% of potential clients (or worse). Complete and utter fucking disease of the mind.

Immaculata, Raphael and Aquinas? Think she might have given the game away before even mentioning their actual names

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Non Stop Dancer on February 06, 2020, 02:14:14 PM
I've heard stuff from a client in Glasgow before about being wary of letting people know what the initials of her company name was, because it's the initials of her 3 children, and knowing what those names were would immediately identify her as Catholic/Protestant, I can't remember what one, and that would automatically alienate 50% of potential clients (or worse). Complete and utter fucking disease of the mind.

There's still a huge amount of IRA sympathisers in Glasgow (someone told me more than there are in the whole of Ireland these days, but I don't see how that can be true).  Some pubs you give a VERY wide berth to...

kngen

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on February 06, 2020, 02:29:17 PM
IRA sympathisers

A nebulous term that is almost meaningless. Which iteration of the IRA? And what is meant by 'sympathiser'?

If it's singing Boys of the Old Brigade and spraypainting Up the 'Ra! on a wall, I'd venture that those things are more to do with the GIRUY back-and-forth of the Old Firm rivalry than any actual political machinations.

Yes, there are some diehards still raising money for political prisoners and the like, but it sounds like you're perhaps conflating 'IRA sympathisers' with Irish Republicanism as a whole, and I'd take issue with them being one and the same.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: kngen on February 06, 2020, 02:48:38 PM
A nebulous term that is almost meaningless. Which iteration of the IRA? And what is meant by 'sympathiser'?

If it's singing Boys of the Old Brigade and spraypainting Up the 'Ra! on a wall, I'd venture that those things are more to do with the GIRUY back-and-forth of the Old Firm rivalry than any actual political machinations.

Yes, there are some diehards still raising money for political prisoners and the like, but it sounds like you're perhaps conflating 'IRA sympathisers' with Irish Republicanism as a whole, and I'd take issue with them being one and the same.

No idea, that's just what I hear from weegies (admittedly usually drunk ones) whenever I'm up there.  Regardless of whatever the reality is, there's still a lot of strong feeling.

Not knowing enough about it, and having zero personal experience, I try to stay out of it.  Alas my mate has to deal with it all the time both at work and in his social life.