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HelpAre you serious?
in reply to a message by Verily
Polly, unisex?
Noooo way. It's all girl to me and I can't see it on a boy. At all.
Noooo way. It's all girl to me and I can't see it on a boy. At all.
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Replies
Well...
I've heard of guys named Paulie (Paulie Shore, for example), but not Polly. So I can see how the sound is considered unisex, but not the spelling.
I've heard of guys named Paulie (Paulie Shore, for example), but not Polly. So I can see how the sound is considered unisex, but not the spelling.
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Paulie and Polly are completely different in my accent lol.
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Really? How are they pronounced?
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Paulie is PAW-lee, while Polly has the short 'o' sound that doesn't really exist in North American accents.
If you listen to the first sound link on this page (click on the dark blue box below the word lorry, with BrE on it), it's the same 'o' sound in 'lorry'.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/lorry
If you listen to the first sound link on this page (click on the dark blue box below the word lorry, with BrE on it), it's the same 'o' sound in 'lorry'.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/lorry
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They're different in my accent, too. Polly is PAHL-ee, Paulie is PAWL-ee.
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Heh...(m)
"aw" and "ah" are exactly the same in my accent. :p
"aw" and "ah" are exactly the same in my accent. :p
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mine too. I mean they're VERY similar and actually most people in my area probably wouldn't differentiate but they do sound slightly different to me.
it's like the difference between "pond" and "pawned"
it's like the difference between "pond" and "pawned"
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Yes, completely. One of my Dad's football idols is Graham Farmer aka Polly and that's pretty much the entirety of the exposure I've had to the name, except for talking parrots, and most parrots that can talk are males so yeah, I just assumed and never really thought about it much.
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Well, I just don't find it appropriate for a boy, it's like naming a girl Jim or Mike.
You might be able to get away with it as a childhood nickname within family though, for a P- name like Philip for example but it's nothing I would do. Maybe you will come around and start liking it more for a girl?
You might be able to get away with it as a childhood nickname within family though, for a P- name like Philip for example but it's nothing I would do. Maybe you will come around and start liking it more for a girl?
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Haha, maybe. I don't think I would have used it anyway, though, to be honest.
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Same...
Definitely only for a girl. I could see it being given as a joky nickname to a boy by other boys, but I'd seriously cringe to see it as a male given name.
Polly is a very English girls' name to me.
Definitely only for a girl. I could see it being given as a joky nickname to a boy by other boys, but I'd seriously cringe to see it as a male given name.
Polly is a very English girls' name to me.
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oops should be under OP!
I agree that Polly is a very English girl's name. Polly is also a retro 50's girl's name in North America too, so I think that's why it has such a strong connection to female-ness. Very traditionally, stereotypically in-the-kitchen female. My mom always sang me this song as a kid that went "Polly put the kettle on" and now even to this day when she wants tea she's say "Polly, put the kettle on".
But....I could see Polly on a boy, if I try to forget my associations with it. Short for... Apollo? Poly has a cool sort of science-y vibe to it, the word for "many" in Latin or Greek I think?
PS In the song, Sukie takes the kettle off again because they've all gone away. Just FYI.
I agree that Polly is a very English girl's name. Polly is also a retro 50's girl's name in North America too, so I think that's why it has such a strong connection to female-ness. Very traditionally, stereotypically in-the-kitchen female. My mom always sang me this song as a kid that went "Polly put the kettle on" and now even to this day when she wants tea she's say "Polly, put the kettle on".
But....I could see Polly on a boy, if I try to forget my associations with it. Short for... Apollo? Poly has a cool sort of science-y vibe to it, the word for "many" in Latin or Greek I think?
PS In the song, Sukie takes the kettle off again because they've all gone away. Just FYI.
This message was edited 3/31/2012, 7:44 AM
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The name Polly always makes me think of Polly Put The Kettle On (I have it going round my head now)!
Talking of Sukie, (which we weren't but anyway), I was in a cafe in London a few weeks back with my friend. It was full of lots of very middle class people. Anyway, one woman started calling after her child, Kitty. My friend looked very surprised and turned to me and said "Kitty?! That's a name you don't hear very often!" (She's not a name nerd). Five minutes later, another woman started calling after her daughter Sukie who had run off. My friend's eyes nearly popped out of her head at this. I've never seen anyone so surprised by a name!
Talking of Sukie, (which we weren't but anyway), I was in a cafe in London a few weeks back with my friend. It was full of lots of very middle class people. Anyway, one woman started calling after her child, Kitty. My friend looked very surprised and turned to me and said "Kitty?! That's a name you don't hear very often!" (She's not a name nerd). Five minutes later, another woman started calling after her daughter Sukie who had run off. My friend's eyes nearly popped out of her head at this. I've never seen anyone so surprised by a name!
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