The former radio host and current Youtuber, John "TotalBiscuit" Bain, often finishes his videos with the phrase My name has been TotalBiscuit, thanks....
I'd never heard this expression before, and it sounds odd to me, as if it implied that his name changed after the show ended.
Is this just a very specific catchphrase? A common expression among radio hosts? Or used more commonly than that?
For instance, could I say it at the end of a scientific conference, such as "My name has been John Doe, and I presented you the results..."?
(As an example, this link takes to a Youtube video just before he says it: https://youtu.be/IydX8R2xxe4?t=51m51s)
Answer
As a native English speaker, that sounds strange to me. I have heard similar phrases where the host uses "has been," but usually in reference to the program, not himself.
e.g.
I'm TotalBiscuit, and this has been The Cynical Brit
In this case, the tense makes sense, because the program is now over, so it makes sense to say, "This has been...". It doesn't make sense to use "has been..." when referring to oneself.
If he signed off with
This has been TotalBiscuit...
I could see that making sense, because it's really a short form of "This has been TotalBiscuit narrating this program," or something similar. But "my name has been TotalBiscuit" makes no sense.
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