What's your first name....???

Adventures in Bookland

In the Stranger than Fiction Chapter

Okay.
This is a open invitation to all the Todds that I know,
(which by the way are not many)....to do some explaining to me.
What is it about your name, Todd....
that compels you to spell it out for the rest of us?


I don't expect an answer, really. 
It will probably remain one of the mysteries of the Stranger than Fiction scenarios that play out everyday, all day in Bookland.


If you haven't heard the original story, here goes:


I buy and sell books.
If you are selling, the first thing I ask you is:
"What's your first name."


One night, a 20 something guy is selling and I start the process:


Me: "What's your first name."
Him: "Tee, oh, dee, dee."


Now, at the time, I was working with a girl and her husband's name was Didier...pronounced Dee-dee-aye...so I'm wondering if this guys name might be, Teodede and hesitate when I start to write it down....


Me: "Tee, oh, dee, dee?" with a question mark on my face.


He very slowly starts over with....the letters like he's hitting the keys of an old manual typewriter.


Him:   "T."    "O."   "D."   "D."   


Me: (hestitating and squinting of the eyes)...."so, Todd?"


Him: (incredulous...shake of the head) "uh, yeee-ah."


By this time...all the oxygen leaves the area and I can feel the eyes of my co-workers staring at the back of my head...trying not to burst out laughing.


Me: "Okay, ....Todd.....come back up when you hear your name paged.


Dude!
Why didn't you just say Todd?
Do I look like I don't know how to spell it??
(don't answer that).


When I called him back to the counter, it took everything in me to refrain from paging him over the loud speaker as Tee, Oh, Dee, Dee
.....snark, snark.


So, it was one for the books.
We've had a lot of fun with it.


It becomes code for "W.T.F." when you can't say "W.T.F."


Someone says something I don't understand?


I respond: "T.O.D.D.??"


Weeks, months go by.


Another T.O.D.D. incident with another buyer.
We aren't sure if it's the same guy, but it's the same name and the same spelling.
(because...you know...that's how you spell Todd).


Another incident on the southside store...with an employee that transferred down there.
Seems to be a different description, but same spelling.


I refuse to believe that there are Three Todds that do this...


Until today.


Me: "What's your first name?"


Another/different/older senior citizen Him: "Tee, Oh, Dee, Dee.....Todd." Smile.


I swear, I almost laughed in his face.


I have resigned.


I'm filing it under Stranger than Fiction.

If anyone can enlighten me, especially any Todds...

please go ahead and SPELL IT OUT for me in the comments!