"Dave"? "Dave"?! For the love of God, why "Dave"!?!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It happened again today.

I dropped by the office of someone I'd never met before. At the end of our conversation, he said, "Thanks, Dave."

Okay, so he blanked on my name. No biggie; we all do it, especially with people we've just met. Except...

Whenever people blank on my name, they call me "Dave." My name is John. But do they go for alliteration, calling me Jim, or Joe, or Jeff? No. Do they go for the rhyme, calling me Don or Ron or Tom? No, they do not. Do they pick a random name, so that one time I get called Mike and the next time it's Ed? No, never.

It's always, only, Dave.

This has been going on at least as long ago as grad school, in the late 1980s; it may go all the way back to college, but its happened so often that I've honestly lost track.

This used to amuse me, but after 15-20 years it's honestly begun to freak me out. Is there any logical explanation for this? If not, is there at least a cool, Twilight Zone-y explanation I can amuse myself with?

Your friend,

Dave

[St Leo]

Maybe you introduce yourself as Dave without realizing it, Dave.

[Dinner]

Don't get angry, Dave.

[Agathon]

Asher in 5... 4.... 3...

[Asher]

Hello!

[Asher]

Believe me, Dave, nothing is worse than actually having the name Dave with computer geeks.

Every single one of them has seen 2001: Space Odyssey, and every single one of them thinks that it's funny and inventive to do the HAL9000 joke.

(Did you know HAL is just a one letter shift from IBM...?)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

But I'm not a computer geek! And I've never asked anyone to open the pod bay door, ever! This is maddening, I tell you...

[Asher]

I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't let you do that.

[Agathon]

Every single one of them has seen 2001: Space Odyssey, and every single one of them thinks that it's funny and inventive to do the HAL9000 joke.

I'd actually refrained from making that joke, because I thought it was too lame.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Asher
(Did you know HAL is just a one letter shift from IBM...?)

Yes, but Sir Arthur publicly declared that it was just a coincidence.

...and VMS is also just a letter shift from WNT (Windows NT).

[mrmitchell]

Now I'll use Dave for every single person I ever see whose name I blank out on, just in case I come across you.

Thanks Dave.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Now I'll use Dave for every single person I ever see whose name I blank out on, just in case I come across you.

Thanks Dave.

Here's hoping you never blank on the name of the girl you've just picked up...

[alva]

Do you look like a famous Dave, Dave?

[Asher]

Originally posted by alva
Do you look like a famous Dave, Dave?

He's too old to look much like me.

[JohnT]

Face it: they call you that because you have the internal and external essence of "Daveness", of all that it means to be... Dave.