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Realistic or not?

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Old 10-21-06, 01:05 PM
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Realistic or not?

In a lot of teen/kid movies, some characters, sometimes all the characters, get called by their last names to each other. When I was a kid and teenager, I don't think anyone ever referred each other by their last name. Is this just a movie convention, or can anyone relate to this?
Old 10-21-06, 01:14 PM
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I can relate to it. If the kid had a more interesting-sounding last name than their first, then that's what we called him by.
Old 10-21-06, 01:22 PM
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My brother and his friend are both only known by their last names because they both have the same first names.
Old 10-21-06, 02:20 PM
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It's not unusual at all.
Old 10-21-06, 02:42 PM
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Not all the time, but sometimes, if their first name was common or their last name was cool. Most fiction novels do that as well, calling most adult characters by their last name.
Old 10-21-06, 02:53 PM
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I've known a few people who preferred to be called by their last name, and a few people I know call me by my last name. But certainly not everybody we know.
Old 10-21-06, 03:01 PM
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Yes, my peers referred me by last name but after highschool it kind of deteriorated or became very inconsistent.
Old 10-21-06, 03:06 PM
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In my high school circle of friends, there were at least 12 people who were referred to only by their last name. So, to me, it was not unusual at all. First name was actually the minority.
Old 10-21-06, 03:34 PM
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Yea, I would say calling someone by the FIRST name is more unusual now-a-days. Also, I know some people who refer to their friends using the first AND last name. Even if there are no duplicates in the mix...

Later,

My last name
Old 10-21-06, 04:09 PM
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i've been called by my last name since middle school.
Old 10-21-06, 04:25 PM
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I have a couple friends who I call only by their last name since junior high.
Old 10-21-06, 08:32 PM
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In junior high, our gym coach called most people by their last name (if he couldn't think of a good nickname for you), and that spilled out into conversations with each other.
Old 10-21-06, 09:13 PM
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When I was in high school thirty five years ago, many students were called by their last names, because of the identical first names. To differenciate, they were called by their last name instead.
Old 10-22-06, 12:00 AM
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Hubby and 2 of my brother's in law have the same name. All have different last names (married into the family) so we use their last names at family gatherings when more than one is around.
Old 10-22-06, 09:06 AM
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I've always wondered that, lol. Thanks guys.
Old 10-22-06, 03:40 PM
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Absolutely realistic. Asian culture has enforced this as well. Calling someone by their first (or given) name is a sign of brotherhood (or sisterhood) and affection. I like it as a cultural distintction.

One of my closest friends flip flopped this and calls his friends by their last name. He is a genius and warms my heart when he yelps my obsolete name.
Old 10-22-06, 05:21 PM
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in school, especially college, people called me by my last name all the time.
Old 10-22-06, 05:26 PM
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I was called by my last name, or versions of it, all through high school. I also called other kids by their last name at times too, so it does happen.
Old 10-22-06, 11:00 PM
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used to have a select few freinds who would call me by my last name. Soem classmates still do this now as a matter of fact
Old 10-22-06, 11:57 PM
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All of my friends from high school, I still call by their last names, my friends from college and beyond are all first names. My wife (who I have known since high school, but went to a different school) always laughed and pointed out to our mutual friends at work, that no one had first names at my school. At her HS, they called each other ny their first names...
Old 10-23-06, 12:02 AM
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I'm a sophmore in college, and I call three of my best friends by their last name. Some of it is because I have friends with the same names, but it is defintely not unusual.
Old 10-23-06, 01:07 AM
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I've been called by my last name for about 10 years. Everyone did it in high school and college, but only a few do now. I've always liked my last name more than my first name, so I don't mind at all.

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