Monday, April 24, 2017

Tartle and Tenya Wanya

Memory is a fickle thing. You can rely on it most of the time, except when you are called upon to introduce someone, at which point instead of helpfully throwing up the name of the person you are introducing to another, it promptly pulls the sheets over its head and nods off to sleep.
You know the feeling? You are about to introduce person A to person B, and at the crucial moment, you can’t remember person A’s name. That’s Tartle, Scottish for the act of hesitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name.
Generally, I’m very good with names. But if I met you once over a year ago, and the interaction lasted for less than a minute, you must forgive me for going Tartle on you.
So I do the honest thing. I admit that I don’t remember the person’s name, and then the person introduces himself or herself.
I have no patience for those who suffer from Tartle and won’t admit to the truth. When I catch someone afflicted with Tartle, particularly someone who can’t remember my name, I let them stew in their discomfort for a while, before putting them out of their misery.
Have you ever suffered from Tartle?

Tenya Wanya is Japanese for the act of runnng around like a chicken with its head cut off.
As a rule, I rarely panic. But when I do, I panic to the fullest, exhibiting complete Tenya Wanya.
In India, people display Tenya Wanya while crossing the street, darting hither and thither between lanes and cars, often raising their hands, to signal to the drivers and motorists that they should slow down or halt so that the practitioners of Tenya Wanya can cross the street.

Have you ever displayed Tenya Wanya?

14 comments:

  1. Hi Cynthia - Tartle - I will admit to, but I usually preface it with 'I'm sorry I've forgotten your name, I'm Hilary' .. or some such wording! The Japanese words ... not funny - I try and know what I'm doing crossing the road -I don't want to be splattered! Cheers Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/t-is-for-turkey.html

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    1. Honesty helps. As does asking people to repeat their names. People always feel deflated when no one recollects their names.

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  2. Many moons ago, while working in an insurance office, I took a call from a prospective customer. I needed to confirm the quote to him in writing, and although I had taken down every conceivable detail, the one thing I hadden committed to writing was his name. Ever the improvisor, I asked if he could confirm the spelling of his surname for me. "The usual," he said, "S M I T H."
    Oops.
    Keith Channing, blogging at Keith Kreates

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    1. You are so lucky that this conversation happened over the phone. Imagine if you had both been face-to-face when you tried this ploy!

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  3. Hi Cynthia,
    Oh I experience Tartle all the time! I forget names of people I've met so often it's embarrassing. I've also tried the "How do you spell your name again?" ploy- but I don't think it's ever worked! T is for Tempting Titles as you Build a Better Blog. #AtoZchallenge.

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    Replies
    1. You're right, Shirley. The spelling ploy works only sometimes.

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  4. I have the tartle problem at book signings. I look up, and I recognize the person, and for the life of me I can't remember their name... :D

    The Multicolored Diary: WTF - Weird Things in Folktales

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    1. At book signings, you are allowed to forget names. People would understand that you meet so many people, it's hard to keep track.

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  5. I am horrible at remembering names. Especially bad for someone in politics. But I just fess up and ask them who they are. Sometimes it turns out to be someone I never met, but they knew who I was. OTOH, I never panic and run around in circles. Even when I fell a shattered my leg I was giving directives while waiting for EMS. Folks who were there still tease me about it.

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    Replies
    1. Being honest can get you out of the embarrassment of not remembering people's names. It has worked for me.

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  6. Tartle is a good one and it could get a lot of use, since people are forgetting names all the time. The worst is when it's someone whose name you really know perfectly well, but you just inexplicably blank out.
    Alphabet of Relief Block Printmakers

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  7. Tartle is something I've experienced so many times! It's awkward and embarrassing but I tend to admit to it so that's probably not soo bad. :P

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    Replies
    1. Yes, as the sages say, admit your mistakes so the other guy has no option but to forgive you.

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