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Bethlehem Steel

Failing A Little Less Each Time. 

29 March 2005

06:40 - Funny Names

Part of working in business is calling people to get what you need to do your job. In Europe, since I work with so many different countries, it's inevitable that I don't know how to pronounce half the names. Some of them are nearly impossible to pronounce and some are just hilarious.

For example, in the nearly impossible department:

Defuns Maik
Xiomara Verschaeren
Hatiboglu Deniz
Ruud de Voogd

And from the hilarious department:

Mike Buijtenhuijs
Cathelijn v/d Meijden
Cees Fonteijn
Wiwit van Wissen

Added bonus: Microsoft Word unintentionally funny spell check suggestions for "Wiwit" include:

Wait
Dimwit
Wowed
Nitwit

Also strange is how I find myself pronouncing my own last name (Klaver) differently depending on who I'm talking to. If it's a Dutch or German person, I'll pronounce it the "correct" or original way, KLAH-fer. But if I'm talking to a non-yermanic person, I'll pronounce it the Americanized way, CLAYV-er. Fittingly, only the Dutch and Germans spell the name correctly without me spelling it out letter by letter.

Blogger Unknown said...

I have never seen my name as hilarious. But I am proud to be in your list. (only people in the Netherlands an Belgium pronounce it correctly)

Mike Buijtenhuijs  

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