Finished!!!

[Laura]

I was at uni with a Sri Lankan girl (real, not fictitious), who's name was Grace Pathberyia. None of the lecturers could pronounce it. What was worse was, she couldn't spell her own middle name!

[Scurra]

I play Magic: the Gathering from time to time with a Sri Lankan guy and an Iranian guy (at my local games club.) Fortunately, we know them by their first names - but it took me months to learn how to spell their second names.
Even now, the Iranian guy is frequently referred to as Bijan Unpronounceable (luckily, he doesn't mind because he's used to it. And he knows that we do know his "real" name...)

[Bunnylump]

I spent ages trying to get one of the teacher's surnames pronounced right but was told "Oh don't worry. It's far too difficult. I've told all the kids to call me Mr Y"!! He even signed reports home to parents as Mr Y, because otherwise they didn't know who he was! I'm glad he took it all in good humour, but I do think it is important to make the effort where possible. I would hate it if people didn't bother to learn my name. Having said that, I have had just about every version of "plants beginning with H" - I'm regularly called Heather, Holly, (which are fine, but not my name) but the worst one was...wait for it... HYACINTH!!

[gill216]

My OH's aunt has a christian name of Hazel and when she married decades ago acquired the surname Hazel.

Can you imagine the looks she gets on occasions when asked her for her details and keeps repeating the same answer. She takes great delight in appearing stupid while telling the truth.

[Scurra]

I think I've told this story before over in "the other place".
With a surname of "Brain", this is almost always read as "Brian".
I once went to a conference, and at the reception desk was given a badge reading "David Brian".
I politely told them that they'd got it wrong - it was Brain. They took the badge away.
I came back to the desk some time later and got a new badge. This one said "Brian Brain"...

[Bunnylump]

Marvellous!!

[kingsley]

A couple of years ago, my form teacher at school decided to call the register using surnames instead of first names. This went fine until he got to 'Mekhaimmar' so he called her first name instead! THe following day he went back to using first names except he said 'Mekhaimmar' just to show the girl that he now knew how to pronounce her surname!

The teachers at my school always get me and my friend mixed up; we have the same initials!
One teacher used to put our books in between our two desks so that she wouldn't embarrass herself getting us the wrong way round!

[giraffe]

.... and at parents evening I was greeted by the teacher telling me she could never remember which was which! (Fills you with confidence) but they are good at the same subjects and very similar in many ways, so it probably made no difference.

And then there was the shortsighted teacher who looked at my name badge " Parent of Kingsley" , misread it and started telling me about someone else's child.

[katsmom]

.... and at parents evening I was greeted by the teacher telling me she could never remember which was which!

That is better than "oh you're HER mother"

[LAT]

And congratulations to Fernando from me

[maisie ladybird]

Well done Fernando, congratulations

[fernando]

Thanks everyone.

[Cenwulf]

I think I've told this story before over in "the other place".
With a surname of "Brain", this is almost always read as "Brian".
I once went to a conference, and at the reception desk was given a badge reading "David Brian".
I politely told them that they'd got it wrong - it was Brain. They took the badge away.
I came back to the desk some time later and got a new badge. This one said "Brian Brain"...

Brian Brain is a former cricket player:
http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Playe ... 28090.html
There's many a slip 'twixt bat and boundary...

[Scurra]

Congratulations to LAT and Giraffe, who have found the charge of the Traitor. At last

[katsmom]

Congrats to the tall one too! Well done. I guess you got that drink after all!

[LAT]

Well done Giraffe!. Quite a feeling of relief isn't it?

[kingsley]

Wel done giraffe! I knew you'd do it soon especially after you completed it in my dreams for the last 2 nights!

[MBH]

Well done my long-necked friend

Mind you - after finding out on the radio yesterday (random quiz question) that Giraffes only need 1-hour sleep at night then you have plenty of time don't you

[kathlyn]

At least there are two people (so far) with brains that are unaddled on this forum

[LAT]

Actually I think it's because they are addled that we got there. You should see what Giraffe said about me after I had solved it!!