BBF pros derail - username debate

[kenberg]

Names can be fun.

 

"Ken" is indicative of intelligence, and "Berg" means mountain. My middle name is Dick.

 

My older daughter is named Ruth, a name we chose because we liked it. In college she was dating a Jewish kid whose mother was thrilled that her son was dating someone named Ruth Berg. Then he brought her to meet mom. "Son, are you sure she is Jewish?".

 

My father's name, before he came through Ellis Island, was Anton Perekovic. I can't tell you anything about that one, including how he became Thomas Berg. I once went to a genealogy class where they were going to demonstrate their ability to track someone. They came up empty in tracing my father. Someone suggested trying the witness protection program.

 

I once knew a girl named Marjorie May. I think she got very tired of explaining that she also may not.

[Mbodell]

This is all very interesting, but do not forget that "wank" is here being used by an English speaker and has no other meaning in English,

 

Online dictionaries include meanings such as "A detestable person" and "bad, useless, or worthless". But I'll add that I don't agree that words relating to sex and sexuality are automatically offensive. And I think recent news events from Paris are worth thinking about with respect to offense, and I'll note that I don't think we should constrain ourselves to never offend anyone anywhere (see this onion article). On the other hand, certain type of offensive behavior the wider community agrees is offensive and definitely should be treated with hostility and moderator action (racist material, sexist material, etc.).

[PhantomSac]

Don't worry I hate you all

[cherdano]

Now that I think about it, there is nothing I find more offensive than partner doing a PHANTOM SACrifice for no reason. Get it? PHANTOMSAC!

[WellSpyder]

Now that I think about it, there is nothing I find more offensive than partner doing a PHANTOM SACrifice for no reason.

D*mn! I was going to post exactly this comment when I saw Phantomsac had posted to this thread, and then I got distracted by having to do some work. Now I find someone else has got there first. :(

[PassedOut]

This is all very interesting, but do not forget that "wank" is here being used by an English speaker and has no other meaning in English,

Except for regionalisms. In much of the southern US, it means "to close one eye briefly."

[PassedOut]

Names can be fun.

 

"Ken" is indicative of intelligence, and "Berg" means mountain. My middle name is Dick.

 

My older daughter is named Ruth, a name we chose because we liked it. In college she was dating a Jewish kid whose mother was thrilled that her son was dating someone named Ruth Berg. Then he brought her to meet mom. "Son, are you sure she is Jewish?".

 

My father's name, before he came through Ellis Island, was Anton Perekovic. I can't tell you anything about that one, including how he became Thomas Berg. I once went to a genealogy class where they were going to demonstrate their ability to track someone. They came up empty in tracing my father. Someone suggested trying the witness protection program.

 

I once knew a girl named Marjorie May. I think she got very tired of explaining that she also may not.

A classmate of my dad's was named Helen Howell. One day the principal announced at the end of assembly, "If anyone has lost a Waterman fountain pen, you can go to Helen Howell for it."

[Zelandakh]

A classmate of my dad's was named Helen Howell. One day the principal announced at the end of assembly, "If anyone has lost a Waterman fountain pen, you can go to Helen Howell for it."

Good job she wasn't Helen Wank then. :D

[jjbrr]

Online dictionaries include meanings such as "A detestable person" and "bad, useless, or worthless". But I'll add that I don't agree that words relating to sex and sexuality are automatically offensive. And I think recent news events from Paris are worth thinking about with respect to offense, and I'll note that I don't think we should constrain ourselves to never offend anyone anywhere (see this onion article). On the other hand, certain type of offensive behavior the wider community agrees is offensive and definitely should be treated with hostility and moderator action (racist material, sexist material, etc.).

 

I'm pretty certain the onion is referencing a previous article/image that was hilarious and super offensive with this new article, and if so i think this new article is pretty hilariously offensive too if its purpose is to remind readers of their previous article.

 

I won't link the previous article here for obvious reasons, but if you want to search for it the article is "No One Murdered Because Of This Image". It's very NSFW so search at your own risk.

[Trinidad]

Rik also means rich in Swedish (and Norwegian it seems)

I knew that. We have been living in Sweden for 7 years. I often used it when I told people how to spell my first name. I must have tried it a hundred times, at least. Not once did they manage to spell it correctly.

I took great offence at Trinidad lording his finincial status over me!

I apologize. But just like with everything else that is wrong with me: I blame my parents.

 

Rik

[kenberg]

Another childhood story, perhaps relevant.

 

I grew up in a modest but good neighborhood. The garage out back had a pit for working on cars. This became quite a gathering spot for my teenage friends. OK, you have a bunch of adolescent males working on their cars. And talking.

 

After w while the guy next door came over to talk to me. He explained that the language was distressing to some of the neighbors and mentioned that in particular some neighbors had growing daughters and the parents were not happy. I took this seriously and made a colorful sign forbidding foul language. Of course the first thing that happened was Billy saw the sign and said something like "Who the &*&& put up this *^&^ sign?". I explained that I put it up and it was serious, if he wanted to continue working on his car in the garage he would accept this. He did.

 

Everything is simpler in a community where everyone knows each other. But think of BBO as my garage. No one was going to blow up Billy's head but it was my (well, my father's) garage so I set the rules. I don't much care if someone wants to call himself a wank. I don't understand it, but it's him, not me. But, also, in this case I don't own the garage. I am more than happy to let whoever is in charge make the choices that they make.

[barmar]

It's probably because the site is mostly run by Americans, and they didn't make the derogatory association (the word is mostly used in the UK) when wank first showed up.