• Those with dead relatives: do you refer to them by their familial title?
    13 replies, posted
When I talk about my paternal grandfather, who died before I was born, I always refer to him as 'my father's father'. My father takes exception to this, and constantly points out that "he's still your grandfather" and that I should refer to him as such. I retort by reminding him that he died before he became my grandfather, and that he was never my grandfather while he was alive. Unlike a Victoria Cross, such titles cannot be posthumous. To resolve this tiresome debate, I was wondering what the general consensus is on this front. Do you refer to your dead relatives you never met by their relationship to you (i.e. 'my grandmother'), or do you use another point of reference (i.e. 'my mother's mother')?
No offense man, but I don't really see the point in identifying the relationship through someone else. It kinda makes it unnecessarily complicated and it's a little disrespectful. They're still your blood relative no matter if you met them or if they died before you. It's still my father/grandfather/great-grandfather no matter how far back and no matter if i met them or not.
I refer to them by familial title only to those outside the family, for context's sake. If I knew them by their first name, I refer to them as such.
It sounds weird and disconnected to call them like they arnt related to you. I can see why it bugs your dad My uncle who died is uncle michael, not my dads brother michael. I only met him once but i miss him My grandfather is grandad, even though he died. That one is still sinking in. Im guessing your problem is that you dont feel any connection to him, you never met i assume?
[QUOTE=Rhenae;41812064]It sounds weird and disconnected to call them like they arnt related to you. I can see why it bugs your My uncle who died is uncle michael, not my dads brother michael. I only met him once but i miss him My grandfather is grandad, even though he died. That one is still sinking in. Im guessing your problem is that you dont feel any connection to him, you never met i assume?[/QUOTE] I suppose that's it. I never met him, and I never heard him referred to as 'your grandfather'. My father doesn't really speak about him much, so I got most of my impression of him from other relatives who referred to him as 'your father's father', presumably for context's sake.
Nah, I refer them by their names if I'm with people who know who they are, otherwise so I just say grandfather or uncle. Seems weird otherwise.
I call my great, great grandad Bill is, and forever will be my great, great grandad even though he's dead (104, not a bad age)
seems like a weirdo thing to do tbh [editline]14th August 2013[/editline] but i suppose not a much since u never met him but if it bothers your dad then just stop
I still call my mother's father "Grandad". It seems a bit disrespectful not to, especially if it annoys your dad.
I call my Mum.. Well, Mum. Seems wrong not to.
I have to call my grandma either Grandma or Ma'am, because she's a stereotypical don't-take-no-shit-from-anybody Irish Grandma. Seriously. One time when I was being an annoying six year old she smacked me across the head, and my dad said he didn't approve of it and that beating kids is frowned upon these days. So she smacked him across the head too. She bakes a nice ass cake though. I love my Grandma.
Refer to them by what?
[QUOTE=Mr Shadyface;41842018]Seriously. One time when I was being an annoying six year old she smacked me across the head, and my dad said he didn't approve of it and that beating kids is frowned upon these days. So she smacked him across the head too.[/QUOTE] Old habits never die, eh? Well, as everyone else said, it sounds a bit disrespectful. Being a father or a grandfather is not a title, either, I wonder how do you reached that conclusion.
honestly if it bothers your dad, just stop i'm sure he would have wanted his dad to know he had a grandson that looked up to him
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