[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Question about British/American difference...

[Richard Thorp]

Gail wrote:
>> While we're on the subject of addressing people, I was  wondering
>> about  this...never in all my years of schooling (in the U.S.)  
>> had any of my teachers addressed me by my last name: "You, 
>> Bohacek...".  It was always by  my first name.   But I've noticed 
>> in the books people are always calling  each other this 
>> way, "Potter", "Weasley" etc.  Is this another British  difference?
>> 
>> -Gail B.
>>
Pip wrote:
b> Yes. Again, it depends on the school. Very few primary (pre 11) 
b> schools nowadays would call a child by anything but their first 
b> name, but in secondary schools it's still not uncommon for pupils to 
b> be called by their surnames. 

In years 7 to 11 (11 to 16) at my school/college we're called by 2nd
names, mostly. But it does depend on the teachers. But we HAVE to
refer to teachers as 'sir' or 'maam' during that time.. Now I'm in
Sixth Form its much less so, there are a few teachers who will let you
call them by first names.

b> It's a way of emphasising that your teachers are not your family or
b> your friends but are your *teachers* and you and they have to 
b> observe a certain distance.

And it works. It helps to keep classrooms slightly more wos'm,
organised I suppose :)

b> Kids would generally refer to their friends by their first name, but 
b> might pick up the habit of calling people they don't know so well by 
b> the surnames they hear so often. Calling a fellow pupil by their 
b> surname is also a way of emphasising 'you are *not* my friend'.

Yup, definitely. You can inject more venom into a 2nd name than you
can a first name, too. Most of the time.. Its hard to inject much
venom into calling someone 'Harry', but 'Potter' is already pretty
venemous (lots of plosives :). Also true of my own name - 'Richard' is
a relatively soft sounding name, but 'Thorp' can be injected with
venom (Know that from experience :)

-Rich
msn: obbles at hotmail.com