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Help[Opinions] Re: Griselda
in reply to a message by Allibeth
Poor Griselda.
It sounds too much like grizzled, and gristle. And somewhere, possibly Disney?, I've picked up an association of Griselda with a bad witch, the kind with warty greenish skin and a sadistic disposition towards small children.
So a nice girl named Griselda seems ironic, and that seems like the main appeal of the name. IMO being ironic would be a dumb reason to give a person a name, though.
I like the name Mildred. So I'm totally sympathetic to people who have a blind spot to the ugliness of Griselda. Regardless, I would not want to be named Griselda. It's a good name for a cat, or a good middle name. Both Griselda and Mildred should be as fine as Matilda or Bridget, but I think they're not - not at this time, anyway.
- mirfak
It sounds too much like grizzled, and gristle. And somewhere, possibly Disney?, I've picked up an association of Griselda with a bad witch, the kind with warty greenish skin and a sadistic disposition towards small children.
So a nice girl named Griselda seems ironic, and that seems like the main appeal of the name. IMO being ironic would be a dumb reason to give a person a name, though.
I like the name Mildred. So I'm totally sympathetic to people who have a blind spot to the ugliness of Griselda. Regardless, I would not want to be named Griselda. It's a good name for a cat, or a good middle name. Both Griselda and Mildred should be as fine as Matilda or Bridget, but I think they're not - not at this time, anyway.
- mirfak
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Replies
I like Mildred.It would go well with our last name, which is almost all vowels. Our 3 children have quite consonant-heavy names.
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Mildred was my grandmother's name (she was born in 1913 and died in her forties, so all I know of her is pictures of her in relative youth, and the reminiscences of my parents). So it isn't heavy metal to me - it's got a dry earthy wit like Shirley or Thelma. It's a "survived the Depression and WWII, and partied on"-tough name. But my idea of it is already on the way over the horizon, I guess.
I suppose if it is ever renewed as a girlname, it'll have a whole different image for those who use it. The sound of Mildred seems gentle, but isn't soft. I don't hear Mill-dread. I hear it more like Mil-dret. It's like Ingrid or Margaret. Yet, I understand why people react to it the way I react to "Grizz-Elder" Griselda.
Also, the name Mildred seems like it might as well have become Mildreda or Mildreth, which might not frighten people as much.
I suppose if it is ever renewed as a girlname, it'll have a whole different image for those who use it. The sound of Mildred seems gentle, but isn't soft. I don't hear Mill-dread. I hear it more like Mil-dret. It's like Ingrid or Margaret. Yet, I understand why people react to it the way I react to "Grizz-Elder" Griselda.
Also, the name Mildred seems like it might as well have become Mildreda or Mildreth, which might not frighten people as much.
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Ooh, I like Mildreth.
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I think this also depends on pronunciation.
My Sister-in-law (BIL's wife... is that still SIL?)... anyway, her name is Mildred. She is Filipina, and the way his family pronounces her name is actually quite pretty.
When my husband SAYS Griselda, is a fine and lovely name... when I say it, not so much. But, most names with that hard "d" in them don't sound quite as pretty in my accent, whereas names like Mildred, Melinda, Griselda, Imelda, etc. sound beautiful with that Tagalog accent. In fact - One of the reasons that I love Drusilla and Adilet / Adilette is because they sounds so intoxicatingly charming when my husband says them.
Just throwing my two cents in on the Mildred vein of thought.
My Sister-in-law (BIL's wife... is that still SIL?)... anyway, her name is Mildred. She is Filipina, and the way his family pronounces her name is actually quite pretty.
When my husband SAYS Griselda, is a fine and lovely name... when I say it, not so much. But, most names with that hard "d" in them don't sound quite as pretty in my accent, whereas names like Mildred, Melinda, Griselda, Imelda, etc. sound beautiful with that Tagalog accent. In fact - One of the reasons that I love Drusilla and Adilet / Adilette is because they sounds so intoxicatingly charming when my husband says them.
Just throwing my two cents in on the Mildred vein of thought.
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