tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post8034509708119677119..comments2024-03-28T22:32:50.562+00:00Comments on Liberal England: Goodbye to "Gary": The death of a Christian nameJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-36856436187460249432015-03-12T23:00:08.574+00:002015-03-12T23:00:08.574+00:00The reason Blondie sang "Den-ee" though ...The reason Blondie sang "Den-ee" though was because it was a cover version of "Denise", and "Dennis", with one or two ns, wouldn't work.<br />Both Dennis spellings were current at least in the 50s -- Denis Bloodnok in the Goon Show was a single-n Denis, while Dennis The Menace (created 1951) has two ns, as did Dennis Wheatley, Dennis Wilson, and Dennis Potter.Andrew Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07412263807838661843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-90267258551445060112015-03-11T14:17:04.753+00:002015-03-11T14:17:04.753+00:00@Phil Banting: "Fashion aside, the number 1 c...@Phil Banting: "Fashion aside, the number 1 criterion in choosing names for our boys (born 1989 and 1990) was that they should be easy to spell."<br /><br />Is that a cue to play "A boy named Sue"?<br /><br />I thought that Dennis always had two ens. I grew up with Blondie singing "Denis" as Den-ee.<br /><br />Phil Beesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18442987962398498812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-32248723579496050322015-03-11T11:00:56.512+00:002015-03-11T11:00:56.512+00:00Glamorgan supporters with a mixture of excitement ...Glamorgan supporters with a mixture of excitement and frustration remember <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/21521.html" rel="nofollow">Darren Thomas</a>.Frank Littlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447989626809704972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-74404804652526638702015-03-11T10:36:17.796+00:002015-03-11T10:36:17.796+00:00Is "Dennis" recent? Surely Captain Stan...Is "Dennis" recent? Surely Captain Stanhope in "Journey's End" is Dennis and not Denis. (See also, if you don't know it, the novelisation of the play by Vernon Bartlett.)Tom Barneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02318269661959002397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-30298527867373290292015-03-10T23:53:49.109+00:002015-03-10T23:53:49.109+00:00I associate Darren more with the 70's when it ...I associate Darren more with the 70's when it was popular alongside names such as Wayne and Jason. I can think of two Darrens, a current and a former work colleague, both in fairly senior positions, so it didn't hold them back.<br /><br />When canvassing, the first names of the people in each household usually give a pretty strong indication of their ages. Having said that, a recent canvass card told me that a lady called Sharon was aged 108. Sadly there was no reply when I rang the bell so I was unable to disprove that unlikely claim.<br /><br />Fashion aside, the number 1 criterion in choosing names for our boys (born 1989 and 1990) was that they should be easy to spell. I feel sorry for anyone with a name like Catherine whose numerous variant spellings are certain to be written down wrongly throughout the victim's lifetime.<br />Phil Bantinghttp://www.banting-family.org.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-34436021874014335502015-03-10T22:29:11.242+00:002015-03-10T22:29:11.242+00:00As someone from 64, I really can not recall anyone...As someone from 64, I really can not recall anyone at school called Gary. r at university. I think you are boasting your proletarian roots - the Garys repaired the cars the Darrens prangedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-69820294394170766262015-03-10T21:57:46.452+00:002015-03-10T21:57:46.452+00:00Rather worrying from my point of view is that Asht...Rather worrying from my point of view is that Ashton is now more common than Nigel for boys names. Mind you, it does make the phrase "Taxi for Ashton" sound cool!Nigel Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02713073366806136772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-73400421237768531812015-03-10T21:35:39.084+00:002015-03-10T21:35:39.084+00:00Maybe the move to Dennis was in honour of Dennis B...Maybe the move to Dennis was in honour of Dennis Bergkamp's arrival at Highbury!DLnoreply@blogger.com