Sorry, annee! The links don't work. :hmm: I don't need a stunning redhead to check on my safety; I already have a handsome redhead (my son) and a lovely brunnette (my copper) to watch out for me! :wink:

I fixed the links to the pics from Getty Images. I think that the problem was that the link posted was too long. If the links still don't work, the pics are # 80436789, 80437227 and 80436793 at http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=1&language=en-US&family=editorial&p=Gerard%20Butler&src=quick. I admit that when I read "Geri" I immediately thought of Geri Halliwell not Gerard Butler. :bricks :hammer

Frances, me too! :rotf: Puleeeze!!!!

BTW, how would native English speakers tend to shorten 'Gerard'? 'Gerry' or 'Geri'? Honestly, except for friends/family or people who introduce themselves using a nickname or a short version of their name, I have to admit that I'd feel like I was too fresh, if I addressed people I'm not close to using a nickname or an abbreviation of their name.

Gerard would likely be shortened to Gerry (or maybe 'Ger' if you were in the smart horsey set :wink: ) I agree about the nicknames, too, Frances. Some people hate their name being shortened and should wait to be asked. My friends shorten my name and that's fine, because its who I am to them and myself (does that make sense?) but I find it over familiar when strangers automatically do it.

So it is as I thought about how Gerard is shortened. Honestly, I've run into some Gerries in my life but never into a Geri (apart from Geri Halliwell, that is). My family and friends also shorten my name (it is Francesca - quite a long one -, but my friends call me either Fran or Frances) and this is perfectly fine with me, and it comes natural to me to shorten the names of my friends when they have long names, but I also find it overfamiliar to automatically do so with strangers.

I like the name Francesca! It reminds me of a children story of Marco Polo when he was little boy he had a friend Francesca. I myself have a quite of lists of nicknames that my family calls my by them. Selima, Selmana, my dad sometimes calls my Cat and sister Kizzy. I wouldn't want to be a celebrity but could use some of their privileges like to afford a good medical treatment (the one we have here is pretty bad but I guess it is the best our doctors can do) with the amount of money celebs are being payed.

Frances - too true a statement has never been made. (I mean about the drawbacks in a job) Gaff - this is a very interesting way of looking at it. I've never thought about it like that before. Kinda makes what we were talking about last week all that much more sad, don't ya think? :wink:

Yes Gnat, that's true. As for nicknames, I intensely dislike it when someone calls me Mel. It's not my name and I usually don't respond. My family gets by with Missy. I have a few friends who call me Lis or Lissa, but usually I prefer Melissa. I try to call people by what they prefer.

I think Francesca sounds glamorous. Must be the difference in cultures.

Sorry if my nicknames annoy you, somehow. :( I quite like nicks. now it is seldom given Not that true, fran. I know a lot of Francesche and Franceschi, whose age goes from 4 to 60. I know tons of: Francesca Francesco Andrea Matteo Alessandro Alessandra Michele Michela Marco

I also don't like my name very much. I am called after my grandmother Martha. I have always problems when people ask my name. They always say : what Martha or Mark. Then I always spell my name and a lot of people have not heart my name yet. On the phone people often say 'sir' because they think I am Mark. It is sometimes funny and then I play the game on the phone being Mark Most of my friends call me Martje. But I have problems to find a nickname, so until now I don't have a nickname. Perhaps MAFOBE, Martha from Belgium. Hihihi