mipeltaja | (no subject)

Attention, ~~duelists~~ Americans of my friendslist! (and why not everyone else too, if you feel like it)

I want to ask you something.

Let's say you're having a conversation with someone. They don't use your name once during that conversation. Will you notice? Do you consider this impolite or offensive?

I'm asking because I once noted to my mother how, in Hollywood movies, people seem to sprinkle their sentences with the names of the people they are currently talking to ("Well, Dave, I better get going now."), and how odd it seemed to me. She said that it's an American thing and that over there, people would consider it rude not to keep saying each other's names every now and then.

Is there any truth to this?
Because I know that here in Finland Ican bluff my way through entirely natural-sounding conversations with people whose names I can't for the life of me recall. People don't notice, because they don't generally expect to hear their own name in the middle of a conversation. Overall, I usually only have to resort to calling people by their names when I'm trying to get their attention, not when I'm already talking to them. As it can, at worst, take me up to two months to learn new names, this is a relief. Would that strike an American person as rude?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i'm canadian, but i count as north american so whatever.
it doesn't matter. say their name or a lot or not at all, no one cares.
telemarketers do it to be annoying. o_o

Ah, I see. I'm suddenly very glad our telemarketers don't do that. Though some try to sound like they're my best friend in the world, which just makes me o_O

I've noticed this! It's so super-awkward sounding if you image doing that in a finnish conversation. BUT, it's super-HANDY when you do comics in english and need to drop names for the sake of plot-exposition!

You're right, it can be terribly handy like that. It's not easy to casually reveal characters' names otherwise.

Depends on content. if it is a huge group of people all talking about one thing, I'll have to say someone's name if I am talking to them so they know it. If it is just me and one other I can not say their name. (Which is good as it took me months to remember my fellow janitors names)

Ah. Then it seems there's not that much of a difference after all. Although I tend to use eye contact instead of names when I'm in a group.

Fff I notice that sometimes too in both movies and literature, but I think putting someone's name in a statement usually draws attention to whatever their saying? Like it adds importance to whatever it is since the name was inserted.

I personally don't use names unless I want to call attention~

Haven't read the other responses yet, so I may be repeating here.

Nope, saying someone's name really isn't that important for the most part. Maybe if you're trying to get their attention for something, but once you're actually talking it just seems strange. I normally just do it with introductions and greetings (and that can be replaced with luv, hon, person, various insults, or just poking the person to the same effect).

Then again, I can also carry on friendly conversations with the same person for months without either of us introducing ourselves or having any idea what the other's name is.

So, yeah, it's Hollywood being unnatural to make sure the audience knows the characters' names.

I actually find it unusually and slightly discomforting if people use my name a lot in conversation. In fact, my friends and I are more likely to tap each other for attention than use each other's names. I hardly hear people use names unless they're greeting each other, trying to get someone's attention, or strongly emphasizing a statement. Even for the last one it rarely happens.