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Re: ELISE
Elise was one of the first names that came up as a topic of conversation when I was growing up. My girlfriends and I were budding name nerds. They all loved Elise and I guess I was supposed to agree. It had everything going for it: it was known, but not overly used; it had a connection to Beethoven (fur Elise); it was "cool." But my passive aggressive tendency was already well established by then. My reaction to Elise was: no. Too easy to love. Too expected. I began to see it as an insipid name -- one I'd find on a complainer. That early reaction has stayed with me I'm afraid. I've never been able to warm up to simpering Elise. Sorry. That said, everything is relevant. If my choice is Elise or a here-today-gone-tomorrow trendoid then Elise would suddenly start to look pretty good.
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"too easy to love".I think this is why I like more challenging names too. I love a name that evokes something strong, that makes you think, even if the thing you think is that it's awful and horrible and whyyyy. a name like that is like art, bewildering art that gets people riled up.
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same
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InterestingHave you seen "Somewhere In Time"? Lead character, Elise McKenna, a 1912 stage actress portrayed by Jane Seymour, responds to her agent's overbearing behavior by saying, quite forcibly, "I am not a doormat. Do not attempt to wipe your boots on me." And later, breaks from her touring company, where she is a star performer, to pursue the love of her life.
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Yes. Not only did I see "Somewhere in Time," but it debuted in 1980, right around when my friends and I would have been dicussing names. I never thought that might have been where they got their love for the name Elise. The character's name never really registered with me at the time I watched it though. I liked the production, especially the music. But looking back now I can say that it doesn't really change my mind about the name Elise. Sorry.
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