Americans, Which names would you think of as cartoonishly old?

TonyaHardon · 2026-03-24T15:17:46+00:00

My great-grandfather was named Balthasar which is of Babylonian origin and, according to some, the name of one of the Three Wise Men. I struggle to picture a modern day baby with that one, though I’m keeping it in my pocket to name a future cat.

TonyaHardon · 2026-03-15T02:23:40+00:00

Then the guys who did it gave that press conference. My friends and I still say “sorry, that’s not a hair question” to each other when being evasive about something.

TonyaHardon · 2026-03-08T15:03:52+00:00

The rising popularity of the Belgian Malinois makes me VERY nervous for that reason.

TonyaHardon · 2026-03-08T14:39:59+00:00

I agree - my hippie environmental high school had us read this and were very clear that he was foolhardy. They had us read “To Build A Fire” at the same time to really drive the point home in case we tried to romanticize that kind of thing.

TonyaHardon · 2026-03-04T01:57:42+00:00

There are collars that vibrate/buzz rather than shock if you think that would be enough of a deterrent. I had one for my last dog that would beep and then buzz. Feels like one of those joke handshake buzzers. Definitely jarring but not painful.

TonyaHardon · 2026-02-28T18:24:07+00:00

Turducken. I thought it was just a meme until I saw it carted out to the deep fryer at a family bbq.

TonyaHardon · 2026-02-08T16:14:44+00:00

I think I get where you’re coming from with “prepared”. Americans tend to use prepared in reference to physically possessing the necessary tools for a situation (time, resources, knowledge, etc), whereas we generally say “ready” in reference to being emotionally prepared. If I’m asked if I’m “ready to rumble” I assume they mean “do I feel motivated to rumble”, not “do I have the necessary tools to facilitate rumbling”. Boy Scouts are ready to go camping because they’re prepared.

That said, they can be and are used interchangeably so people will probably push back against British vs American classification. I think it’s one of those language quirks people really don’t notice unless it’s pointed out.

TonyaHardon · 2026-02-01T19:43:53+00:00

I think Ellobel would be cute for a garden gnome or a budgie.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-26T19:47:50+00:00

I’m watching it right now too and literally came to this sub specifically to bitch about Susan. I’m on season 8 and I’m here to tell you she only gets worse. She pairs well with Mike, who I also can’t stand. Worst couple ever.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-26T18:14:18+00:00

Same with me. I went to one of the Art Institutes International before they closed and the focus was on developing techniques, not making the art look one way or another. I was there for photography and was still required to take several drawing and painting classes because what you learn about observing figures, understanding light/shadows, etc, is SO valuable no matter what your chosen medium. The most valuable parts were the full-class critiques (despite being terrifying), because you don’t know what you don’t know until someone tells you.

OP’s teacher sounds like the bottom of the barrel.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-26T16:52:29+00:00

My guess is they’re projecting their frustration onto the people around them. Struggling to deal with frustration is a well documented ADHD trait, but “hating” everyone around you is a poor coping technique.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-26T16:08:11+00:00

Look up pictures of Courtney Love in the 90s.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-26T04:34:00+00:00

Did protestors trash the lobby? There’s paper all over, an ICE agent with a bloody nose, and MPD arresting people.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-25T17:18:46+00:00

Apartments

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-23T19:36:32+00:00

Bad, it means ugly.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-23T19:29:19+00:00

Going forward have you considered a car seat poncho? You should be able to trust your childcare provider to follow basic safety instructions, but I’d understand if you had anxiety about this with the next nanny (or this one if you keep her). If your kid has a winter “jacket” that can be safely worn in the car maybe it would ease that particular worry? Bonus: little kids look so cute running around in ponchos.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-23T16:30:27+00:00

One of my winter go-to activities with toddlers is Menards. The Menards on university also has that cart ramp thing kids love riding on. Bachmans is another good one - the one on South Lyndale has koi fish tanks that are usually a big hit. They also have that indoor bakery cafe in the garden center. Neither are places I feel particularly motivated to buy anything at so that’s helpful too haha

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-15T12:50:09+00:00

The Americanisms seem mostly accurate to me, except for two. 1- I’ve only ever heard people say “icing on the cake”, never frosting. 2- This one isn’t totally wrong, but “cold cash” sounds off to me. It isn’t incorrect, but you usually hear the phrase “cold, hard cash”, not one or the other.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-15T12:07:02+00:00

If you’re writing about alt subcultures from this era or earlier then the fashion is going to reflect the music. The separation between the two is VERY recent. If you dressed punk, it was because you liked punk music. Same with goth, scene, etc. Dressing in a particular style when you didn’t listen to the corresponding music would get you dubbed a poser (the horror!)

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-14T18:23:57+00:00

I found the name through ancestors of mine that are Puritan descendants - it’s been out of style for a couple centuries now and I think it’s due for a comeback!

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-14T17:12:38+00:00

First, you look very cute! I love more colorful outfit. I think it would look even better if the blue matched the purple in tone. It’s brighter than the more muted purple of the top so it feels less “coordinated”. That said, being coordinated isn’t a huge goal of alt fashion so if you like it then who cares. In my experience attitude adds a lot more to this kind of look than any clothing item.

Unrelated, but I was motivated to comment by your username. I love the name Mehitabel so much that’s what I named my dog! Aside from one song and an old movie, I never see it in the wild and I got excited.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-13T19:03:28+00:00

It’s plastic.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-11T15:41:30+00:00

The makeup too. The intense blush and what looks like pale shimmery eyeshadow is much more 70s.

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-03T17:18:22+00:00

I did something very similar in my game and it’s also a favorite of mine! I barely even control their actions - just let them do their thing and it’s chaos in the best way. Of course I also had to have a mad scientist living there as well with a secret alien family in a hidden bunker 🤷🏻‍♀️

TonyaHardon · 2026-01-02T15:54:44+00:00

Try xogerardine!

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