"Bob"

Chagen

For being the stock "so generic it hurts" name, I have never actually met a person named Bob.

curiousTraitor

What about the guys who were Born On Board?

Noimporta

You never met a Robert?

RedEyedAbyss

Even our resident Bob?

Also, Bob is a shortened form of Robert, which also has a lot more variants such as Rob.

Nyktos

The only Bob I know is in his seventies. But that's the thing: nobody goes by Bob anymore, for this exact reason.

Central Avenue

You know, now that I think about it, the few people I know named Robert prefer "Rob".

Icalasari

I was expecting this to be about the Weird Al Yankovich song

Schitzo

Some girl I know would always refer to this guys as RAWBEARTO. Yes, that exaggerated, don't ask me why.

Ponicalica

I can think of some Roberts and some Bobbys but no Bobs, unless Microsoft Bob counts.

Icalasari

I know a Bob

He doesn't exist though, so you can't meet him



Why IS Bob the generic name?

DonZabu

So when's Bob gonna show up?

Vorpy

RAWBEARTO

Raw Bear Toe?

Icalasari

^ OH GOD IT LOOKS LIKE A FREAKISH BIRD!

GLORIOUSLeader

^^ MADE FROM THE FLESH OF TEARS

DonZabu

Just looks like a giant cat claw to me.

Gelzo

I knew a Robbie in school, and I have an uncle who goes by Bobby.

Neither usually go by Bob as far as I can tell.

Icalasari

^^But the claw is the beak and the two blue beads are eyes!

TOUCAN SAM! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR NOSE!

Khwarizmi

I'm pretty sure I've been called Bob before a few times.

Anyway, I do know a Bob.  He's pretty old.

DonZabu

^^ OHHH, now I see it.

DYRE

My brother has a friend named Bob.

I don't think there's any other Bobs that I know of though.

Chagen

The only Bob I know is my dad's old college friend. I've never met him.

My dad always talks about how hard Bob worked and how he's rich and living the good life now.

He also talked about having to shove Bob's drunk and knocked-out body into his Chevy Nova....

TheMightyAnonym

Did you know that if you flip "Bob" backawards, it still says "Bob"?

Well you're WRONG...

It actually spells "boB".

MousaThe14

I've never met any actual Bobs and the only bob I know of is MovieBob/Game Overthinker.

I mean how did the name become s common and generic? I didn't even know Robert was that common a name to begin with. I can barely stand to hear the name due to it's genericness. How did it get like this?

Elbeem

If it counts, I know a Billy-bob. Then again, I live in the south, so the Redneck Name:Normal Name ratio is much higher.

Nyktos

@MousaThe14: Well, obviously it was more common in ages past.

DYRE

Yeah, it's (assuming "Robert") been pretty steadily declining in popularity since around the start of the 50's.  Though it's been in the top 10 for boys' names up until 1990, so you should still see plenty of Roberts that are over 20-ish years old.  (and it's still in the top 100, so it's not like it's a completely uncommon name)

Icalasari

^ Class in the 50's:

"Attendance! Bob... Bobby... Rob... Robby... Robert... Billy Bob... Bob Billy... Bobert...Bo-I give up. We're using last names from now on!"

GLORIOUSLeader

How you derive "Bob" from "Robert" is beyond me. 

DYRE

Because "Bob" rhymes with "Rob" which is a shortened form of "Robert."  The usage of rhyming nicknames dates back to medieval times.

randomtropeloser

At first I thought this discussion was about Bob.

GLORIOUSLeader

Then why is Dick a nickname for Richard?