Poll: Could you keep from laughing if you were introduced to someone?

Question

with the name Jack Schmitt?
I just met an associate this morning & I just stupidly smiled and said "What?" when he told me his name. *blush*

Answer 1

For some reason, maybe just luck, my life seems to be filled with people whose names induce giggles. Usually I can manage to keep a straight face...the important thing is not to react AT ALL. No laughing, no surprised facial expressions, etc. Just business as usual. That's because (in my experience, at least) people with funny-sounding names usually are used to the jokes and the giggles. They've heard it all before.

One day, at work, we were meeting with a newspaper guy so we could place an ad in the paper. When he arrived, he introduced himself as Art (as in Arthur) Dick. Naturally, my co-workers and I shot glances at each other. We all managed to keep it together, as all the introductions were made (there were five of us, besides Art, having the meeting).

When we sat down to start talking business, I asked, "Hey, is it OK to call you Art, or do you prefer Mr. Dick?" I purposely kept a straight face. There was a pause of about two seconds, then my co-workers fell out of their chairs, laughing. After another second or two, Art was red-faced from laughing, too. He said he was used to the jokes, but he hadn't heard that one before!

Answer 2

Of course this speech continues like this: Now this is a serious political election and Mr Flipflocker's family life has nothing to do with his ability to serve as Vice President. It doesn't matter that Mr Flipflocker's son Cranberry has served in all eleven Gulf wars and that Lima-bean is personal friends with and almost as fast as Michael Phelps besides John P Flipflocker is a MAN and therefore above all discussions because we as Americans know men have nothing to do with their families, that is women's work. Besides Kotex can fill the void of a positive example to pregnant unwed teenagers everywhere, these girls have sadly had to look up to the likes of Britney and a bunch of other air heads, Did I mention that Mrs Flockflooger is writing a book on how to be a mom of a teenage mom? Hopefully, flipfloggers extended family, tragic fashion sense inexperience and unknowness will serve the purpose of distracting everyone away from the issues and we can slide in to office like a silent fart.

Answer 3

How in the world did your question elicit such bad stuff? OUCH.

To answer your quesiton, no, I'm afraid I would not be able to avoid laughing, in fact I am giggling as I'm typing this, thinking of being introduced to him. He would HAVE to have a sense of humor about it.... But even if he were a CEO or a Senator or the POTUS, I would laugh. Even if my life depended on not laughing, I'm afraid I would laugh.
I'd try to turn it into a cheerful thing to be kind, but inside all I'd be thinking is "I cannot WAIT to tell this story!!"

At least the funny thought of meeting Jack Schmidt is helping to wipe out the violation of the disagreeable person with the obscene post, and the Indian kook.

Answer 4

Maybe Jack Schmitt should have pronounced his name more clearly. If I didn't here the "m" in his name, I would have smiled too, under the assumption that he was kidding around with me.

Answer 5

Can't say I have, but I've never met a Jack Schmitt. That's funny right there...(=

Answer 6

Unfortunately no. I have the world's most irreverent sense of humor (inherited from my mother's mother), combined with an acute appreciation of the ridiculous and a well-honed pun-radar. Inappropriate or inadvertent stupidity or silliness in the workplace usually puts me on the floor. And the more inappropriate the situation, the more difficult it is for me to keep a straight face. And don't let the situation involve someone I don't really like/respect in the first place....

Answer 7

LOL! I think it's funny. It also kind of reminds me of a story a Russian girl told me several years ago. She knew a Russian guy named Andrei, and when he met a Japanese girl named Pook, he had to fight to keep from laughing. Why? It's because "Pook" is the Russian word for fart!

Answer 8

I would have had a hard time keeping from laughing. . .but I have heard worse names. I once had a client named Michael Hunt; he like to go by Mike. . .I laughed every time I said his name.

Answer 9

Thats funny, but took me a while to catch on lol so no I probably wouldn't have laughed!!!!

Answer 10

Absolutely not, but me being me I would then make some stupid comment to go along with the grin! You are not alone my friend.