Introducing people at a travel agency

Why is Bob short for Robert?

In English, many names have a short, friendly form. Bob is the short form of Robert. So a man named Robert may ask you to call him Bob. It is the same person, just a warmer, more relaxed name. English does this a lot: William becomes Bill, Margaret becomes Peggy, and Robert becomes Bob. Friends and family use the short form.

In the clip, a man says: “I’m Bob, but everyone calls me Roberto.” His real name is Robert, but people use short or fun forms. If someone says “Call me Bob,” it is friendly. It means you can use the easy, close name, not the long one.