alf garnett

Explain the double m? I thought they were just variations on a theme, changing from Arabic to English via Latin so I thought Mohammed, Mohamed, Muhammad, Mohammad were all the same.

Please enlighten me.

Some months back William was stating that there are too many people in the world; he also pointed out the the rise in Africa's population, and its environmental effects. Prince Philip has called for voluntary population control.

They rarely pick a name that is currently in use by another Royal. or so I read on the BBC.

A bit of shame really, I logged into my bet365 account and found that I had bet 10.00 USD on them calling the baby Edward last year. 29/1. Must have been drunk.

Dunno if I'm honest. A local lad in a whatsapp group said the baby would be called Mohammed and then said - "with emphasis on the double m".

I asked him what he meant when I said it to you but haven't had a reply yet.

I had thought of Philip but wondered if there was the rule.

Arthur is another possible candidate.

James is also a contender.

Or maybe all three.

mmmmm, a J Arthur - maybe not

SNN said Leroy.

Colin.

He said there's nothing in it at all as suggested. Shame, I thought there might have been something more exciting to come.

Put a fiver on the runt being called Prince Albert.

Appreciating all of our poor tattooists, piercers and body modification specialists out there.

This.

But our frequency of agreement is becoming worrying... Its like Marwan and Marouane - simply the English and French standard ways of transliterating the same Arabic name. It really gets my goat to hear even the pretty decent English commentators continually say Mar-oo-anne Fellaini (especially after the way that knob did us this evening) or Chamakh if I cast my mind back. Like poor old Emmanual Eboue was always called Eb-ooey instead of Eb-way etc etc... And don't get me started on my favourite pet peeve of Madinat being idiotically pronounced Maddy-nat!!! (It's just the word Madina, meaning city, which has to have a "t" stuck on the end when it's followed by a name).

You monolingual Anglos have a lot to answer for, especially given how unforgiving you are when people struggle with the ridiculous irregularities of English pronunciation.

Aaah, that rant somehow compensates for seeming to agree with IKN.

Oh, and though I can hardly think of a subject about which I care less, what about the stalwart English name: Stanley!

We aren't alone in this unfortunately.

My name is regularly changed to an Arabic sounding name very similar but definitely not the same. Also, it receives an extra letter if a Filipino is involved and then totally mispronounced. The last name is also regularly edited to something completely incorrect as well.

Stopped being bothered about these things years ago because if someone can be bothered to try and greet me by name they deserve fair crack at saying it how they think it looks before being corrected.

And what about Prince Stanley then?

I like it but the kid has a name now....