Unbelievable, right?

[DisneyBamaFan]

Did you read the last sentence of the OP?

Yes, but having grown up poor, I knew many people who spoke that way, none of whom were black. It sounds racist when you think race, but I read it as a poor, uneducated person, not a black person.

 

[Scurvy]

Did you read the last sentence of the OP?

To be honest, when I read that last sentence it "sounds" like Ray the firefly from " The Princess and the Frog", so to me there's nothing about it that refers to any specific race. I don't find it racist. However, I can understand that if anyone does associate that sort of dialect with a particular race, it might seem racist to them.

 

[NotUrsula]

To be honest, when I read that last sentence it "sounds" like Ray the firefly from " The Princess and the Frog", so to me there's nothing about it that refers to any specific race. I don't find it racist. However, I can understand that if anyone does associate that sort of dialect with a particular race, it might seem racist to them.

Whichi is probably why someone else made a crack about moving from Louisiana. That last sentence sounds like really heavy Cajun patois -- but with one exception. I've never in my life heard a Cajun use the "don't be" construction for "is not". A Cajun would be more likely to use "ain't" in that context. Throwing in that particular little phrase changes the presumed identity of the speaker and does make it rather racist. (We won't get into the whole subject of whether or not making fun of Cajuns is racist.)

I had a language professor in college (in Louisiana, btw, though he was not a native), who used to call that construction "the weebies". He defined it as a peculiar way of conjugating the verb "to be", and he used to come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who said any of the variations in one of his classes, regardless of what color the speaker happened to be.

 

[luvmy3]

I assumed she said that because of the poor grammar used by the mother in the OP. I don't think it was to point out race, but to point out just how uneducated the mom sounds.

 

[msjprincess]

Whichi is probably why someone else made a crack about moving from Louisiana. That last sentence sounds like really heavy Cajun patois -- but with one exception. I've never in my life heard a Cajun use the "don't be" construction for "is not". A Cajun would be more likely to use "ain't" in that context. Throwing in that particular little phrase changes the presumed identity of the speaker and does make it rather racist. (We won't get into the whole subject of whether or not making fun of Cajuns is racist.)

I had a language professor in college (in Louisiana, btw, though he was not a native), who used to call that construction "the weebies". He defined it as a peculiar way of conjugating the verb "to be", and he used to come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who said any of the variations in one of his classes, regardless of what color the speaker happened to be.

No. I made that "crack" about being from LA because every other time I've read this story it stated that the girl was from LA not MO.

 

[Scurvy]

No. I made that "crack" about being from LA because every other time I've read this story it stated that the girl was from LA not MO.

Yes, according to Snopes the story almost always says she's from LA. When I've heard it, it said Detroit. I don't think Cajun is a race, so if it is intended to poke fun at the Cajun dialect it still wouldn't be racist, any more than the other stories which make fun of Southerners (or Northerners or people from Boston or wherever else) are racist.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I work in a hospital and there was a recently a girl that had a baby and named it Ziki Tiki.

I don't think the last line is racist at all, because most of the young people I work with speak like that and they come from a variety of races.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If dey axe you why, tell dem de dash don't be silent.

Just so you are aware, "ax" or "aks" is a perfectly acceptable pronunciation of the word "ask", dating back to 16th Century England. Just because most people associate it with a certain group of people doesn't make it incorrect:

http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2008/03/ask-vs-aks-ax.html

 

[FlyingDumbo]

This used to be an urlabn legend, but people are ACTUALLY naming their children this now. My sister teached preschool and has had a La-a in her class. So urban legend or not, people are really doing this, probably in many parts of the country,

And BTW this is not the worse name she has had in her class. There has been a lot of names that make us go hmmmmmmm...

 

[NotUrsula]

Just so you are aware, "ax" or "aks" is a perfectly acceptable pronunciation of the word "ask", dating back to 16th Century England. Just because most people associate it with a certain group of people doesn't make it incorrect:

http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2008/03/ask-vs-aks-ax.html

Well, yes, but at that time so was "thyssen", which is essentially the same thing as "all y'all's". Language changes over time, and perception is everything.

Also, I agree with the previous poster. Some of these names that at one time existed only in urban legends ARE beginning to turn up on real children. It was almost inevitable that eventually someone would decide to transform the legend into fact, maybe because it seemed unique, or maybe because the parent (or someone else) thought it was funny. Who knows why people decide to do such things?

 

[rie'smom]

Whichi is probably why someone else made a crack about moving from Louisiana. That last sentence sounds like really heavy Cajun patois -- but with one exception. I've never in my life heard a Cajun use the "don't be" construction for "is not". A Cajun would be more likely to use "ain't" in that context. Throwing in that particular little phrase changes the presumed identity of the speaker and does make it rather racist. (We won't get into the whole subject of whether or not making fun of Cajuns is racist.)

I had a language professor in college (in Louisiana, btw, though he was not a native), who used to call that construction "the weebies". He defined it as a peculiar way of conjugating the verb "to be", and he used to come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who said any of the variations in one of his classes, regardless of what color the speaker happened to be.

Living in Cajun country, I can tell you there are people who say "don't be". It makes me cringe as much as hearing "ain't". I don't doubt for 1 minute that someone would choose the name in the OP. You would fall over if you saw some of the names chosen especially by the younger parents. There is no reason to play the race card in this instance. Some people who talk like this have the blondest hair, bluest eyes and fairest skin you' ve ever seen.
We love Ray the firefly.

 

[Robinrs]

I thought I had deja vu when I read this. Someone posted it last year.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Each time one of these threads come up, posters always have a friend, aunt, sister, cousin, milk man...who knew someone with a Dash or Jello name. I grew up and live in a community where odd and invented names/spellings are very common. In my 43 years, I've never met a Dash or a Jello. I believe these tales are just urban legends.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Robin is that your son in your signature?

 

[okeydokey]

I thought I had deja vu when I read this. Someone posted it last year.

Sounded familiar to me too.

 

[sunnyday123]

Each time one of these threads come up, posters always have a friend, aunt, sister, cousin, milk man...who knew someone with a Dash or Jello name. I grew up and live in a community where odd and invented names/spellings are very common. In my 43 years, I've never met a Dash or a Jello. I believe these tales are just urban legends.

And there are always at least 3 people who know them, work with them, taught them or were their nurse in the hospital. Give it up, people.

 

[allison443]

I thought I had deja vu when I read this. Someone posted it last year.

I agree, not only last year, but I have seen it numerous times, sometimes on the "crazy baby name" threads, although sometimes people swear it was a student in their sister's class, or a friend who was a nurse saw this baby in the hospital.
I am surprised that anyone who has been around the dis for a while like the OP would think this is a new one.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Hard to believe this kind of crap stays unlocked.

 

[katesorad]

I'm going to name my future dog Le-a just to confuse the vet. I had a hamster who passed away a couple years ago (RIP to her.. ), and her name was Princess Luv Machine. The vet receptionists thought it was funny, especially compared to the "normal" animal names that came through, such as Spot, Fluffy, or Felix...

 

[disneyjunkie]

Hard to believe this kind of crap stays unlocked.