Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland?

Is English spelling any saner?
Careful there, Richie, your ol' ethnocentrism is showing again:-)

English spelling is a lousy way to justify the insanities of Polish. Just read this thread and count how many ways there are to say, Rich. Like in, hey, Rich, you wanna lunch?

Did I miss anything by leaving behind all 127 forms in Polish and settling for just 2? Hell, no.

In fact, the ability to mutilate a guy's name 127 ways is only helpful to his enemies. His friends would use the one he likes. In this case, Rich.

Foreigners, Poles included, constantly decry the vagueries and inconsistencies of English orthography, Rich, you just can't get around it by saying that Polish inflections are somehow "worse"!

You're comparing apples and oranges, matey:-)

I am comparing what I personally experienced in Poland with the bs I read here. And what I read here has nothing to do with what men named Ryszard were called. Once you switch from the normal Polish to what the old grandmas use to get cute, you are in a mental institution where every noun can be perverted a dozen ways to express feeeeelings instead of real reality. Like noga, nozka, nozenka, nozuchna. I am not sure about the spelling but I am excused because I am not insane like the old Polish women. That is why when I had my kids, kiddie talk was not allowed. Luckily, my MiL didn't speak English and was too far away to do any serious damage to them.

I guess you're referring to those fetching diminutives, right? What's wrong with gradations of intimacy?

Yes.


The source. Always old women aka babcias. If you let them, they will smother and mother you to death, even after you tell them to cut that sh*it out.

As if that was not bad enough in private, these witches do it in front of your friends when you really are at your most sensitive trying to impress your buddies how manly you are. It can scar a boy for life. No, it's not about me, so stupid comments here.

Admittedly, W.A.S.P. tradition frowns on what are perceived as excessive displays of public affection.
For that reason, I could see why Polish diminutives would seem uncomfortable for you.