Having a non-westernized name in an English-speaking country can be tough. It can seem like every day you have to deal with egregious mispronunciations or an overly friendly nickname to avoid pronouncing it at all. What’s worse is when people try to overcompensate for it, too. Guilty empathy can only go so far. 

This is something that was recently underlined in an excruciatingly cringey way through a story told on Reddit. A US hairdresser failed to pronounce her customer’s Indian name correctly and while apologizing, claimed that she understood the frustration of having a name mispronounced. She claimed this was because of the unusual names she gave her kids, in particular, her son Knon (pronounced Cannon).

Unsurprisingly, Redditors were in disbelief at this justification. There is certainly a big difference between being given a name that is particular to a specific culture, language, or country and dealing with your parents’ decision to get a little too creative.