What's something modern you won't miss when it becomes obsolete?

[LizzieMaine]

Odd names based on geography aren't strictly a modern phenomenon, of course. In the early twentieth century there was a whimsical physician, Dr. Frederick Hoffa, who with his wife Mary had five daughters. He named the first three after the cities of their birth -- Lebanon, Harlem, and Portland. The fourth daughter was expected to be the last, so she was named "Lastone." But there was a fifth daughter, and she got the name "Doctor Frederika Hoffa."

Portland Hoffa, of course, became famous in the Era as the wife/comedy partner of radio star Fred Allen, and Lastone was Allen's secretary/script typist. Harlem died in the 1918 flu epidemic, but Lebanon became a Broadway chorus girl, and Doctor Frederika dropped the "Doctor" when she grew into adulthood and retreated into obscurity.

 

[GHT]

Had this practice been prevalent back in the day there would have been lots of kids named "Buick" or "Olds."

Oh, I don't know. Lots of courteous guys pulled out to avoid a kid....................and fell of the seat.

 

[Virginia Creeper]

Ridiculous as the idea of naming your children after their place of conception is, I think it's likely preferable to the trend of simply mashing syllables together in a bid to give the child a "unique" name. The Colton/Braydin/McKenndralyn names really get up my nose, as does the ubiquitous Nevaeh. "Heaven-spelled-backwards" isn't clever.

 

[HudsonHawk]

A few from the restaurant world:

Waitstaff who sit down at the table. Did I invite you to join my dinner party? Are you planning on picking up the check? Then in what alternate universe do think such behavior is acceptable?

Restaurants who assume I want my iced tea with lemon and a straw.

Straws.

The unwashed Philistines who make a key like pie with a graham cracker crust.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Waitstaff who sit down at the table. Did I invite you to join my dinner party? Are you planning on picking up the check? Then in what alternate universe do think such behavior is acceptable?

:eeek:

Now that's something else that, fortunately, I've never seen.

 

[HudsonHawk]

:eeek:

Now that's something else that, fortunately, I've never seen.

It happens frequently now. A while back, I had a waitress sit down at the table with me while my food was at the table. Simply appalling behavior. Needless to say I had a few words for her and the restaurant manager.

 

[Gregg Axley]

It happens frequently now. A while back, I had a waitress sit down at the table with me while my food was at the table. Simply appalling behavior. Needless to say I had a few words for her and the restaurant manager.

It must be your charm.
I've never had that happen.

 

[HudsonHawk]

It must be your charm.
I've never had that happen.

It typically happens when I'm dining alone, which I often do as I travel a bit. Perhaps they think I'm lonely and in want of their company. Or you may be on to something with me being such a charming guy...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Women who make a duckface when having a snap taken of them.

Though some duckface isn't that bad!

 

[Stearmen]

Ridiculous as the idea of naming your children after their place of conception is, I think it's likely preferable to the trend of simply mashing syllables together in a bid to give the child a "unique" name. The Colton/Braydin/McKenndralyn names really get up my nose, as does the ubiquitous Nevaeh. "Heaven-spelled-backwards" isn't clever.

All i can think of is the 70s sitcom Taxi, Where drug addled Jim relates why he changed his last name to Ignatowski. He thought it spelled Starchild backwards!

 

[vintageTink]

Though some duckface isn't that bad!

Looks to me that those are pursed lips, not duck face.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The significant other of one of my friends was born in Mexico where her parents were on vacation at the time and was named after the hotel where they were staying.

 

[Zombie_61]

Ridiculous as the idea of naming your children after their place of conception is, I think it's likely preferable to the trend of simply mashing syllables together in a bid to give the child a "unique" name. The Colton/Braydin/McKenndralyn names really get up my nose, as does the ubiquitous Nevaeh. "Heaven-spelled-backwards" isn't clever.

Equally un-clever but just as annoying are parents who name their children in alphabetical order (i.e., Adam, Bruce, Charles, David, Edward) or give their children names with the same first initial (i.e., Colten, Cameron, Cayden, Caylie, and so on). By the way, those are the actual names of the first four children of a good friend's daughter. :frusty:

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

There was also jazz trombonist Abram "Abe" Lincoln (1907-2000).

 

[Dragon Soldier]

A few from the restaurant world:

Waitstaff who sit down at the table. Did I invite you to join my dinner party? Are you planning on picking up the check? Then in what alternate universe do think such behavior is acceptable?

Where are you dining?

Said behaviour is a requirement of staff in some franchises, the one which springs immediately to mind is the one you have in the States which is named after owls or something... Although there are other, less obvious, establishments where it is also the case.

There was an article in one of the UK Sunday papers sometime back concerning the differences in dining habits between the UK and the US and the increasing "Americanisation" of the former. It mentioned the practise.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I'm apparently not going to the right places.
Then again I have my wife with me.
Maybe it's not the practice of Cracker Barrel, Abuellos, or Sodolack's (in Texas).
My list is short because we don't go out that often.

 

[Dragon Soldier]

My list is short because we don't go out that often.

I constantly get accused of being "tight" because we don't eat out often, people do not seem to be able to take on board that I enjoy cooking and would put put myself on near par with most of the places we could ordinarily afford to eat out in.

Not helped by the fact that the one place I do like going out to eat in is a very inexpensive, bring a bottle, Lebanese place. They do a mean meze type platter and don't mind if you spend a couple of hours over it.

 

[Virginia Creeper]

Equally un-clever but just as annoying are parents who name their children in alphabetical order (i.e., Adam, Bruce, Charles, David, Edward) or give their children names with the same first initial (i.e., Colten, Cameron, Cayden, Caylie, and so on). By the way, those are the actual names of the first four children of a good friend's daughter. :frusty:

What about the Duggar family? Joshua, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace, and Josie. And of course Joshua is carrying on the tradition with his own children, Mackynzie, Michael, and Marcus.

 

[jamespowers]

What about the Duggar family? Joshua, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace, and Josie. And of course Joshua is carrying on the tradition with his own children, Mackynzie, Michael, and Marcus.

Geez, Josh has three kids already?! 19 kids are waaaaaaayyyyy too many. You already know something is wrong with them right there.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Then there was the neo-nazi couple who were in the news a couple of years ago when they tried to order a birthday cake for their son Adolf Hitler. They named their other kids Aryan Nation and Hinler (Himmler). :doh: