Ignorant people say "Tin...Tin?"

I have noticed that if someone has never heard about Tintin and I ask them if they have, their first response is:"Tin----Tin?" Then sometimes they say: "Oh, that's dog, isn't it?" (Probably a reference to Rin-Tin-Tin, a dog from old movies) This may only occur in a Tintin illiterate society like here in the USA, but has anyone else ever had someone say to them: "Tin-----Tin?"

Hi beeper.

I was in a book store a few years ago and I noticed each section of books had been given it's own carefully made label. You've guessed it,...they'd labeled our hero's section - Tin_Tin!

This was a large, nation-wide book retailer. You'd think they'd know better.

-Harry-

It really is a big problem. Even some people here on this site type TinTin. the Biggest problem is Tin Tin though.

I think the problem, in the UK at least, might stem from the fact that many people who are over 35 or so know Tintin from the English dubbed Belvision TV cartoons they remember seeing as a child, rather than from the books. Although I think Tintin was spelt correctly in the titles, the hammy narrator/announcer kind of pronounced it "Tin Tin" as he boomed "Hergé's Adventures of Tintin" at the start of each episode.

As a fan, I admit I find this common error as annoying as you do, but looking at it objectively, it's not as if Tintin is any more of a sensible, realistic or logical name for a character than Tin Tin, so maybe I should learn to be more forgiving and tolerant.

And if we start over-criticizing others for spelling the name wrong, maybe we'll deserve to be criticized by others who think we're pronouncng it wrong when we say "Tintin" rather than "Tantan"!

Although it probably had little influence (and certainly less than Balthazar’s Belvision example), Tintin was written as “Tin Tin” when Ottokar first appeared in The Eagle.

Here in Sweden I regularly see the spelling Tin Tin or Tin-Tin but it is rarely I hear one pronounce it as two names. Even some of the official audio tapes/records have the mis-spelling as shown in these pictures of the tape covers:
http://www.sallander.nu/tintin/pics/kil/kilkassettsvensk01.gif
http://www.sallander.nu/tintin/pics/cj/cjkassettsvensk01.gif

The books have fortunately always had the correct spelling.

As much as I like Tintin, I don't see much of a problem if everyone doesn't recognise Tintin. Personally I follow certain fields of (popular) culture very closely, but I still have holes bigger than an elephant in other areas of knowledge.

I do not have much interest f.ex in sci-fi or fantasy, and I don't feel compelled to know much about those fields. I'd like to give that freedom to everyone else as well.

I was not really saying that everyone had to know about Tintin, just that if they have never heard of him, they say: "Tin Tin???"

I know the feeling Beeper; every time I ask someone about Tintin and they don't know who he is, they'll be like, "Tin... tin? What's a Tin tin? Don't you mean Rin-Tin-Tin? Are you talking about the dog?"

XD

~Em

71N71Nfan

Exactly my experience.