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Help[Opinions] Darlene
Like, or dislike? Why?
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Reminiscent of Darling
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Kitschy, but in a bad way
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I would like it okay, if it didn't sound so much like "darling." I like the Dar- syllable and the -rl-, but the -lene ending isn't really my thing.
It's right in between "dated" and "old lady" to me. Technically I guess it is an old lady name now. When I was growing up, a friend's mother was named Darlene - she'd be about 70 now. So to me Darlene is not "downmarket" or "kitschy" or whatever it might seem like if I had never met anyone with that name. To me it's just a normal name for a middle class white Californian born around the 40s... my friend's mom Darlene was diminutive, softspoken, educated, Catholic, curly-haired, had a tall bearded goofy husband who I think worked as an architect? and wore distinctive small thick spectacles with octagonal wire frames. Sort of a bright nerdy girl type, I guess.
So that's my image of Darlene. But if I hadn't ever known one I'd probably think it sounded sort of midwestern-kitschy ... yeah, I can see that. It's that -rlene ending that does it, because it makes me think of Lurlene and Earlene. Another of my childhood friends' moms was called Arlene, and that doesn't seem too kitschy to me either. But Charlene kinda does. Charlene was given as a middle name to my friend's daughter, honoring a grandmother.
Darlene is too dated to use, still, IMO. By that I mean it still just sounds conspicuously dated - I don't think it sounds terribly unfashionable, the way Lurlene or Earlene would.
It's right in between "dated" and "old lady" to me. Technically I guess it is an old lady name now. When I was growing up, a friend's mother was named Darlene - she'd be about 70 now. So to me Darlene is not "downmarket" or "kitschy" or whatever it might seem like if I had never met anyone with that name. To me it's just a normal name for a middle class white Californian born around the 40s... my friend's mom Darlene was diminutive, softspoken, educated, Catholic, curly-haired, had a tall bearded goofy husband who I think worked as an architect? and wore distinctive small thick spectacles with octagonal wire frames. Sort of a bright nerdy girl type, I guess.
So that's my image of Darlene. But if I hadn't ever known one I'd probably think it sounded sort of midwestern-kitschy ... yeah, I can see that. It's that -rlene ending that does it, because it makes me think of Lurlene and Earlene. Another of my childhood friends' moms was called Arlene, and that doesn't seem too kitschy to me either. But Charlene kinda does. Charlene was given as a middle name to my friend's daughter, honoring a grandmother.
Darlene is too dated to use, still, IMO. By that I mean it still just sounds conspicuously dated - I don't think it sounds terribly unfashionable, the way Lurlene or Earlene would.
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I like both, but prefer Darla, and I don't really think Darlene is useable. It's a television-only sort of name for me. My sole association with it is the daughter on Roseanne, and I don't think Darlene or Darla ever made it to Britain, because I've never seen either name in real life. Darla seems much less dated, probably because Charlene etc are very 70's/80's whereas Carla is pretty timeless.
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kitschy...you used the perfect word
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I dislike it.
Darlene feels dated and a little downmarket to me. It might be the combination of that -AR first syllable followed by -leen because I feel the same way about Marlene, Charlene, Carleen, and Harlene, but I really don't mind, say, Eileen, Kathleen, and Colleen.
Darlene feels dated and a little downmarket to me. It might be the combination of that -AR first syllable followed by -leen because I feel the same way about Marlene, Charlene, Carleen, and Harlene, but I really don't mind, say, Eileen, Kathleen, and Colleen.
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Ahhhh I just thought about this name a few minutes ago. Can you read minds? Haha I was about to open a thread.
I have a soft spot for it but I do think it's a bit trashy. I really want to like it but most of the -lene names have a trashy image mainly created by the media. There are Brandine and Lurlene on The Simpsons, for example. Then there's Darlene on Roseanne. I wouldn't really say she's trashy, I actually like her and think she's smart, but she comes from a family which doesn't have a high income and I think it's not used much by the upper class. Still I think both Darla and Darlene are kind of sweet, I just don't like them enough to use.
It also feels a bit dated. I think it was in the top 100 in the 60s or so. I would be quite excited to meet a real life Darlene, though. I knew one who is a teen (Darlene) and a little girl who would now be 14 or so named Darleen and she was a cutie. But I don't know any at the moment.
I have a soft spot for it but I do think it's a bit trashy. I really want to like it but most of the -lene names have a trashy image mainly created by the media. There are Brandine and Lurlene on The Simpsons, for example. Then there's Darlene on Roseanne. I wouldn't really say she's trashy, I actually like her and think she's smart, but she comes from a family which doesn't have a high income and I think it's not used much by the upper class. Still I think both Darla and Darlene are kind of sweet, I just don't like them enough to use.
It also feels a bit dated. I think it was in the top 100 in the 60s or so. I would be quite excited to meet a real life Darlene, though. I knew one who is a teen (Darlene) and a little girl who would now be 14 or so named Darleen and she was a cutie. But I don't know any at the moment.
This message was edited 12/28/2011, 8:53 AM
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