The Curse of Todd

I've been afflicted by a curse most of my life. It comes and goes, but over the course of my lifetime, the curse has reared its ugly head with regularity.

What's the curse? I call it the curse of Todd.

Unless you happen to be named Todd, you probably have no idea how many different ways people can make fun of your name.

Just a few of the things I've been called over the years:

Toddler
Toad
Toadina
Toddly

But, sometimes people don't even have to change the name to make fun of it.

Like, for instance, when the band Big Head Todd and the Monsters was popular, my sister just thought it was hilarious to refer to her big bro as Big Head Todd. She still does, as a matter of fact.

But, the thing that seems to give people the most pleasure, as unbelievable as it may be after all these years, is to suddenly remember the nerd from Saturday Night Live, Lisa Loopner's boyfriend Todd. Lisa (played by Gilda Radner) was a seriously dorky nerd with a perpetual cold. Bill Murray played her boyfriend Todd.

My boss just remembered the nerds last week, and I was all of a sudden transported back to my early high school years when I'd dread every Monday morning since I knew everyone would've watched SNL and would have fresh new material to torment me with. Now, 20-some years later, I still haven't escaped the curse.

I'm thinking I'll just play along, though. Maybe tomorrow I'll head to work with some polyester pants pulled up to my throat and I'll greet everyone with "hello Mrs. Loopner!" Then, I'll give them a noogie.

Comments

[Lee]

I remember that skit - Todd DeLaMuca was his name.

I've also had "The name game" played with mine. One I get is people automatically assuming it's a female's name...umm...no, not always. I'm waiting to use "go tell that to Lee Marvin." one day.

[Becka]

At least you're not Rebecca from Sunnybrook Farm.

[Steven]

one of my first crushes was on a boy named Todd.

*sigh*

he was devine.

[Todd Too]

Occasional reader/lurker with same name. Had to laugh at this. Got a new nickname in my 30's with my exbf Steve - too many people got too much mileage out of "Odd Todd and Even Steven" (evil book, should be burned). And even though I've lost the Even Steven, I'm still stuck with Odd Todd.

As a kid I got Toddanhoe, which cousins morphed from Ivanhoe. Glad they've all moved away (even 20+ years later).

But the worst is when it is spelled as Tod. There is nothing worse than just one "d."

[Todd]

Hey, Todd, thanks for reminding of one I had forgotten. I got called Odd Todd, too. I also hate the 1-d spelling, not to mention when people insist on pronouncing both d's...Tod-d. Then, there's the annoying question, "what's 'Todd' short for?" Like "Ted" is short for Theodore, so "Todd" has to be short for something. Aargh!

[Todd (yet another one)]

You were called Toad too? I absolutely hated that nickname.

And the 1 'd' spelling. I can't believe there are so many people out there who just assume I spell it with 1 'd'. I've NEVER met a Tod. I've met many other Todds. Why do these people make that assumption???

[Todd]

I always ask people who spell my name with one d if they would spell Bill with one L. For some reason I get called Todd squad.

[todd]

i fucking hateeeee it when they spell my name with one d

[Todd (surprise!)]

my name is theodore but I've gone by todd forever. I've thought Todd was short for theodore, but apparently it's not, boy do I have Egg on my face.