30611
The parents are comparing themselves to comedy characters:

> Father:「 **なっ** 長さん」  
>  Narrator: 長さんと言われたお母さんはにがりきった顔になった。  
>  Father: ??  
>  Narrator: Mum, who had been called Chou, made a bitter face.

I can only imagine that なっ is a contraction of あなたは but that seems to be a bit
of a stretch. What is the correct interpretation, and when is it appropriate
to use it?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-21T19:45:24.307
30603
2016-01-22T00:13:39.547
7944
question
words contractions
なっ at the start of a sentence
な is basically the same as ね in this context, and it basically just means
"hey," or something you use to get someone's attention. A っ at the end of a
word just means the last sound is dragged out a bit.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-21T21:20:01.467
30606
2016-01-21T21:20:01.467
9596
30603
answer
> 「なっ」＝「な」＝「なあ」

Among those, 「なあ」 would be the "dictionary" form.

This is an **_interjection_** that is often used to address a person or call
someone's attention.

**_One thing Japanese-learners should remember is that we only use this
interjection with people who we know well and who are equals or below us in
age and/or social status_**.

You do not use it with your boss, a stranger, etc. under normal circumstances.
You would sound very rude if you did.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-22T00:13:39.547
30611
2016-01-22T00:13:39.547
30603
answer