embarr-assing moment of the week.

I walked into a client's home and greeted his wife, who's last name, which started with the letter G, could sound like" "Jer-eh-cough".

Without thinking about it, I automatically pronounced her last name with the the soft J sound, (as in Gina) and spoke it rather swiftly, as if with 2 syllables.

"Hello, Mrs. Jerakoff. (smiling) How are YOU?"

She immediately glared at me, as if I said something wrong.

"That's G-erakoff, like Gary-cough. Geh-ri-coff."

"Ah, Gerakoff. OK."

But I'm really thinking, 'Well ex-cuuuuse me with the attitude, biachi ( I happen to have ripping case of PMS), what the heck's gotten into YOU? Sheesh.

And then it occured to me. The way I said her name sounded strange. Mrs. Jerekoff. Jerakoff...Jerk off!!! OH my. I just addressed this man's wife as 'Mrs. Jerkoff'.

It was so strange that I almost started laughing. Hello Mrs. Jerkoff. That is so weird, even more so since it's my general nature with strangers to be respectful, kind, perhaps naiive, but always sincere. God's little sunshine girl who would NEVER on her worst day dream of intentionally hurting someone that way. Not a stranger anyway. It was a Betty White moment.

"Oh, right. Hard G. I'm Sorry." Decided to drop it right there.

When I got out of there, saftely in my car, I looked at his last name again. Sure enough, it can easily be pronounced as a vulgarity. That is just terrible. She's probably gotten that all her married life.