Reflecting on my strange (and terrible) romantic history, I am struck by the curious fact that the ladies I have been attracted to seem to form clusters. There are certain names that I seem to have a particular weakness for. More than this, even, I seem to be drawn to girls with names that start with particular letters of the alphabet.
I have never been attracted to - nor could I imagine being! - a Belinda or a Beryl or a Briony or a Bernice. Nor a Mary, Marian, Miriam, Millicent. Nor any Annas or Angelas (and only an isolated Amanda and Annabel).
On the other hand, I seem to have an astonishingly high strike-rate with these few letters of the alphabet....
Froog's Top Five (or so!) Fateful Letters of the Alphabet
5=) N
But only for Natasha, a name which causes butterflies in my tummy merely typing it. Natalia, Nadia, Nadezhda etc. might also be in with a chance, I imagine. Bit of a Russian fetish, I confess. I blame Tolstoy.
5=) F
But only because I have a huge soft spot for Fiona - possibly my favourite female name. I struggle to think of any others. I suppose the similar-sounding Fionnula and Fennella might be in with a chance. I've never much liked Felicity or Fay.
4) K
K is the letter that haunts me. I love the name Kirsty, but I've never gone out with a girl of that name (nor with a Kirsten, or a Kristen). Kates and Katherines are mighty fine too; but I always seem to find myself with girls who use the C spelling (see below). And I absolutely swoon for the idea of a Kitty (blame Tolstoy again) - but it remains an abstract fixation.
3) R
Rose, Rosie, Rosemary, and Rosalind, Rachel, Rebecca, Rowan and Rowena.
2) C
Several Carolines (and a Carolyn), a Cathy or three, a Cindy and a Candy and couple of Christines. I've never much liked Carol, funnily enough - although given my obvious propensity to fall for other C-names, I wouldn't rule out the possibility one day.
But what has been the most fateful letter in my romantic life, the most haunted page of my address book??
1) S
Several Sarahs and Susans, a Selena and a Simone. And a Sally or two. It's a tight competition, but I think S shades it for me - on both quantity and quality.
1 comment:
I overlooked V somehow. That's a letter that has also achieved a disproportionate impact in my romantic life: Vanessa, Veronica, Veryan, Vivian, Victoria.
I've twice - no, thrice - been badly smitten with an Eleanor as well, which probably marks E as a 'danger letter' for me. (I very much like the names Emma and Emily and Elizabeth - but I don't think I've ever gone out with anyone with those names.)
Laura, Lauren, Lisa and Linda is another significant node.
I think that's it, though.
Only 8 or 9 letters of the alphabet occurring among the names of all the dozens of girls - probably over 100 by now, I suppose - that I've dated or fancied over the years. There does seem to be something a little odd about that.
Perhaps I should set myself a challenge to try to tick off all the thus far overlooked letters - to find myself a Nina or a Marjorie or a Juliet or a Geraldine... or a Zelda or a Zoe?
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