Okay, I have an unusual name. It's not actually zee (I know, right?) It's not even close.
It's Siobhan.
Thanks, it is pretty, when it's said right.
Okay, look, my mum is watching CI, which I love for Women Who Kill, but my mum has it on The First 48 right now. A murder victim's friend is called Siobhan in it. I've heard my name said five times now, and there may be a new homicide in that vicinity before long.
Shhh-vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.
She keeps saying it like that. Shhh-vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.
Fuck right off.
If you're in Ireland, the correct pronounciation is She-vorn.
Now, I have a close relative called Vaughan, which is pronounced Vorn. So the original way doesn't work, because he answers whenever anyone speaks to me calling me that.
I pronounce it She-vonn. Emphasis on the start, rather than the end. Make it rhyme with cinnabon, which I love as well. It's actually common to pronounce it this way too, more so than the Irish version.
I am obviously, currently disregarding the French version, which is spelt differently (Chervonne, if you were wondering. I know a bucketload about my name, but hey look, the French version supplies the double-n sound at the end too)
So if you call me Sibbon (my old Media teacher) or Shervorn, or shhh-vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan, or shiv, or shivvy or vonny ... do not wonder why I'm giving you my 'drop dead NOW' face. You know what you did.
See also, misspellings. Starbucks likes to write Shavon on my cup. I didn't mispronounce Sharon, FFS. I've also see Shivon, Shevon, and people who vaguely know the letters in my name favour Shiobhan, Sibohan and ... look, I didn't pick this name, but I have to live with it. I could get it down pat when I was four, it can't be that effing hard.
The worst was when I did temp work, and someone wrote my name as Chiffon on the timesheet. I was like 'change that' and she went 'oh, it doesn't matter!' because her name was Sarah or Lucy or something and also, it wasn't her pay depending on the details being right.
Why not just fucking ask if you don't know?
I remember a very similar conversation with you about this a good few years ago now. Who knew it still bugged you. That made me giggle .
ReplyDeleteSammie x
I think it's always going to bug me. It's not exactly an uncommon name either, I know of about 10 other Siobhan's. Someone I worked with told me once that she had a friend with my name but spelled the RIGHT way and I was like, 'hang the fuck on, are you telling me for the last 20-odd years I've been getting it wrong?' She meant it was the French version but how rude was that?
ReplyDeleteAlso, you can laugh at this, when I was five I used to write my full name all over the furniture (I don't know why mum didn't kill me) and I could write my first and last name easily, but my middle name I screwed up. On every single drawer of my dresser. Win.