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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Zoe Williams

I’m going on holiday with another Zoe. Am I going to need a new name?

A woman in her 50s smiles while in conversation with a woman in her 20s on the deck of a boat
‘You’re obviously going to be Big Zoe’ … a friend’s unhelpful comment. Photograph: FG Trade Latin/Getty Images

It’s weird that it should happen for the first time so late in life, but next week I’m going on holiday with someone else called Zoe. I wasn’t particularly worried about it, since it’s generally easy enough to distinguish who is meant by the context, even when two people are the same age and do exactly the same things, as you will know if your name is Ben.

In this case, the other Zoe is a teenager, so it will immediately be obvious who’s who, as our activities will scarcely overlap. Any Zoe who has made a serious error – lost someone else’s passport, backed into a tree – will be me and any Zoe who has forgotten her swimming costume or wants to go paddleboarding will be her.

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