The Name's Plissken

The following scenario keeps happening and I don't know why: Everytime I meet a northerner I extend my hand, look them in the eye and say very clearly, "Hi, I'm Tommy. Nice to meet you." Invariably, the first thing out of their mouths is, "Hi Tom." Every single time.

Is something getting lost in translation here? Look, it's not that I'm proud of my name or that I really care all that much whether I'm called Tom or Tommy. What I don't understand is that I look them directly in the eye and say it very clearly and they STILL insist on saying it differently. Is there something inherent that keeps northern-born humans from adding the letter 'Y' to a person's first name? The first time it happened I thought, "Hmm. That's peculiar." Then it happened again and again, until after about the 10th time I just accepted that it was going to occur everytime. And it only happens with people that have northern accents. Maybe it's their way of belittling us, as if to say, "Silly Rednecks and their nicknames." Who knows? It's just baffling to me, that's all. Peace out bitches.