Fanny is a woman's name and was immortalised by Jane Austen in Mansfield
Park. However it is certainly not common. A quick poll of the
staffroom got "I don't think anyone would use that name it's got
connotations."
However the abbreviation of Richard to Dick is quite common in UK and US
and "dick" is a slang expression in the UK for a penis. I thought this
was the case in the US as well in which case Stephen, you will be able
to answer your own question. Of course I may be wrong.
Of course it is off topic, but there may be something here for
attitudes. Some Richard's do not like to be known as Dick and some
classes certainly titter when that abbreviation is used. Yet others do
not and the parents must have chosen that name either in ignorance or
something else. I might use it as a passing example in the same way
that I would use the idea of a male teacher wearing a dress and a
student coming into college in a swimming costume and nothing else -
compared with the former in a pantomime and the latter on a beach.
Cheers
David
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David L Gent
South Birmingham College
Cole Bank Road
Hall Green
Birmingham
B28 8ES
UK
Telephone: +44 (0)121 694 5030
Facsimile: +44 (0)121 694 5007
Electronic Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
