So my first line of evidence is within in the question. Throughout the TV series, Peaky Blinders, before a victim is shot, the victim's name is often called out by the attacker.

Ex. 1: An assassination attempt on Thomas Shelby after he wins a bid on a racehorse. The assassin cries "Thomas Shelby!" before shooting at him. The assassin obviously knows who Thomas is, so I know it isn't for the purpose of verifying his target's identity.

Ex. 2: When Thomas has to kill some dude, a blacksmith, Thomas calls out the blacksmith's name before blowing his brains out.

My second line of evidence is more vague. I remember years ago, when studying Shakespeare, a historian explained a bit of English culture to clarify the story. In Hamlet, a man is stabbed through a curtain, but his victim's name wasn't called out or something, and so it was shameful. Again, this memory is vague and may be inaccurate.

I had completely forgotten about that Shakespeare historian until I watched (with unbridled addiction) the Peaky Blinders. I noticed that before men are shot their names are called out.

So, is this just a random coincidence to raise drama for the viewers? Or is this a little or well known trait in historic or modern English culture? If it is of historical significance, is it a matter of honor? Professional courtesy?

I looked all over the internet, and used up all the vocabulary variations I could think of in searching Google. I've found nothing. I'm dying to know. And yes, I need to get out more.

Thanks,

• Future Mrs. Shelby