Of course, lots of South Indians go by their patronyms too. My wife has found it hard to adjust to the idea of last names. So, since we know a lot of men named Mike, she continues to use the old ways of identfication. Now, it would be a lot simpler if she just identified them by their last names but that would be no fun.
By virtue of playing in her softball team, Mike was given the honor of being the default one. The No-no-no-the-other-Mike , she knows quite well socially. Another fellow is identified by his wife: Mike-and-Mellissa-Mike . Then, there is the married-in-Jamaica-Mike , a fellow who met his wife-to-be in one country, vacationed with her in a second, proposed to her in a third and is to marry her you-know-where. There are also the Mike-with-two-kids and several other Mikes whose identification may cause 'em embarassment.
Ah, last names.
