Tuesday, November 3, 2009

That’s a V, as in, are you deaf?

No one knows how to spell or pronounce my name. It’s a real toughie. I spell it out for people on a daily basis. (It’s the darn married last name that does me in.) Yesterday was one of those days.

I was on the phone with my allergist’s receptionist, making an appointment to see him. She asked me for my name, and I said, "Brie Breivik." The inevitable pause. And then the inevitable question: “How do you spell that, Hon?”

“B-r-i-e B-r-e-i-v-i-k.”

“Wait okay so B-r-e-i B-r-i-e-b-i-k?”

“No. Switch the e and the i in the first and last name and get rid of the b and substitute that for a v.” Nervous laugh. “Like, I before E except for in Breivik…?” How is she not getting this? I try again. “Breh-Vik. Breivik!” I'm getting desperate now.

“Huh?”

“Okay. BREIVIK. B-R-E-I-V-I-K. V. As in Vermont. Virginia. Victor. Visectomy. Voyeur. Vagina.”

Laughs. “Okay, thanks Ms. BreiBik, we have you scheduled for the 25th!”

Gah. How irriBating.

I mean irritating.

7 comments:

Keirelle said...

I know how you feel! My last name is Robichaud... but it is french, so when people try to pronounce it the 'english' way, it sounds just plain silly (It's robe-e-show, not rob-e-shawd, lol). And I always have to spell it for people (outside of my home province that is).

allegri said...

I hate when that happens! Everyone spells my last name wrong too! And mine is shorter than yours! laaameo! People (receptionists/registration folks especially) need to learn to listen.

Alexandra Rising said...

Is Brie a nickname? Are you actually a Brianna? I ask too many nosy questions. But I'm curious!

alriggells said...

OH that sucks. I am sorry. I did hear about this. I heard good old W was laughing and saying, t, c, a, z, p....I am sorry.

Krista said...

I feel for you on that one too. My maiden name was easy and nobody got it wrong and now I am constantly called Krista Herrera... Hoorah... Har-a... I always say no it's Harrah like the casino, but most people in Utah don't get that either. I have a student right now that consistantly calls me Mrs. Hannah.

Anonymous said...

People always screwed up my first name as a kid (Julia is a psuedonym).
One of the easiest names in the world to spell and I somehow still got about three varieties of incorrect.

brie said...

alex my full name is actually brienne - sounds like brianne, but with an e sound, rather than an a.

nobody's ever called me that, though, so if someone were to call me that, i don't think i'd even respond to it. :)