Throat-Warbler Mangrove
deanesmay
I'm rather pleased to note that most of you got it right: It's pronounced "EZZ-may."
Although I also accept the alternate pronunciation, "jerkwad."
Although I also accept the alternate pronunciation, "jerkwad."
Me: DZZ-mayed that I didn't quite get it right.
Seriously, I'm not sure. Esmay as an odd name, there are only a few hundred of us in the United States. We have traced the family tree back to the late 1700s, where one Francis Esmay was baptized in a Dutch Reformed church in Schenectady New York. He also married a girl named Mary van Derwinkle. Thus our best guess is that it's a Dutch name, although we're not 100% sure.
There is an English family name of "Ismay," which seems likely to be a variation on the same name.
My guess is that it's either low-country English or it's Dutch. I lean toward thinking it's Dutch although if someone were able to confirm or eliminate that for me I'd be pleased.
Hee.
I've never heard my name mispronounced, but people have often asked me how to spell it. Some people even _see_ my name and still call me "Stephen", which I like and don't mind a bit. I would have chosen "Stephen" if I'd had my druthers, I like the look of it better, but "Steven" goes better with "David", my twin brother, so that what's on my birth certificate. A lot of people miss the second "L" in my middle name "Malcolm". People have also asked me when I spell my last name "Anderson" or "Andersen". "Andersen" is Nordic, and I do have Norweigian ancestors on my mother's side, but my father was descended from the Scottish Anderson clan, and I even have a necktie from him with our familial plaid.
I used to get letters addressed to "Starn" or "Storm" Malcolm Anderson. When I was in Usenet newsgroups, an extremely interesting man, who called himself "Intolger", thought my name was "Stewart" Malcolm Anderson. The _style_ of that. Hmmm....
Too bad nobody has yet mistaken me for Spiro Agnew. The _style_ of that name!
Reminds me of what my Dad said when I said that Sorokin sounds like a disease. He agreed, but said that Toynbee wouldn't sound so bad, but Spengler would sound pretty dire.
Some other names I've envied: Trent Lott, Strom Thurmond, Medford Evans, Revilo P. Oliver....
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.