What’s in a name?!

Dear all,

I’d just like to announce to the world that I’m thinking of changing my name by deed poll. ‘Smith’ is working out just fine for me. It’s this ‘Mahhhhk’ name that I (or rather Americans) just don’t seem to be able to get on with!

Every time I introduce myself it’s the same – so far I have been Mac, Malk, and perhaps most bizarrely, ‘Bob’ – interesting…

The problem apparently is that we English just don’t know how to pronounce our letters properly, or to be specific the ‘R’, which is a much flatter, more neutral sound to us than to our American cousins. This causes how people say my Christian name here to be very different from how people at home say it.

I’ve even had it suggested that I sound very posh with how I say it, which for a lad from Scunthorpe I find quite entertaining!

Perhaps this will be the first of many words where I have to actually change how I say it. This may sound ridiculous, but when you have to repeat so much of what you say, you quickly get tired of it.

OK, Mahhhhk is going for a sulk with his Cinnamon Bun Ben & Jerry’s!