Ampersand

[magid]

Some couples are always X & Y. Other couples are always Y & X. And some are ambidextrous, as it were. I keep wondering why that is. Who you know first? Who you know better? (Who you're related to?) Shorter name (in syllables) first? Is it partly situational? The one with a title first? Or just an elusively-defined "it sounds better that way"? (For bi-gender couples: Always man first? Always woman first?)

Comments

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

We usually refer to them as his-hers name/her-his name (for instance, if it's Bob Smith and Mary Jones "the Smithjoneses"; if it's Jane Platypus and John Donut, "the Platypusdonuts.")

[magid.livejournal.com]

I assume that running the last names together in either order works without having any overlaps, then. (Heh. Otherwise you might have to distinguish between "the Platypusdonuts" and the "Donutsplatypuses", which, for me, anyway, would have to migrate to "the Donutplaypusi" :-)

Of course, this leads to the question of what happens when two hyphenated-last-name people marry: further hyphenation? Pick two? Keep separate names? (and let people call you "the Smithjonesplatypusdonuts"?)

[bitty.livejournal.com]

mmmmm... donuts...

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

the "Donutsplatypuses", which, for me, anyway, would have to migrate to "the Donutplaypusi" :-)

We do that - the Pinkus family become the Pinki (not that we know any Pinki (though some of my coworkers have had it over the years), but the rule applied for other -us names), etc.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I suspect for me Pinkus family would lead to Pinki, and would then lead to the Pinkies :-).

-us –> -i, not to be confused with –ae, which would be for a female couple, I suppose :-).