Re: CHAT Middle Initials

On Tue, 13 Feb 2001, Raymond Brown wrote:

>>Legal reasons. So many of our forms require it, to better
>>differentiate this Joseph Walker from that Joseph Walker, that we get
>>in the habit of signing our names that way.
>
>But how does one distinguish this Joseph B. Walker from that Joseph B.
>Walker?  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Raymond A. Brown on this planet.
<shrug> It's not perfect, but it's the best we have.

Like the Southern American custom of using both first and middle name.
(The classic "Billy Bob," for example.) When most of the people in a
county are part of the same family, and they all name kids for the
grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc., you have to differentiate them
somehow.

Or, you use the kid's first name and the father's first name. "Billy
Bob" then becomes "William, son of Robert."


--
Jean Lansford
lansford@vnet.net

Did I mention they made a most satisfying thump?
- Sir G'kar the Red Knight