I always wanted a nickname when I was growing up.
And, not the bad kind where it's because your dad has a booger hanging out of his nose, and so your friends call you Boog or something, or Cheese because you always cut the cheese in middle school, but the cool kind where you're called Slim or Stringer or Weebay or Bodie (ok now I won't go off on a tangent on The Wire but if you've never watched the show, you simply must, and not just for the nicknames. The writing, acting, everything--is phenomenal, transformative, amazing).
When I first set out to write this post, I was ready to go through the list of nicknames I have had over the years, none of which really stuck, and most of which only one or two people have ever called me. The first were Sheilago and Sheiliegirl, coined by my uncle Owen, then came Beil started by my sister Miss, I think, or my best friend in high school, Leah. I have been called She-Ra (Princess of Power), Sheileah, Wheel, She-She, G-Money, She, Sheiler. Then there was the time I wanted to reinvent myself when, after college, I moved to Washington and Miss and I decided I would be called Shea. It lasted until about, oh, after Deadwood, South Dakota, her calling me that (and we had only begun driving in Minnesota). Lately it's been Gilly.
But then I had an in-depth conversation with some friends the other night about what exactly a nickname is. When I pined for one growing up, it was that I really wanted a diminutive of my name, like Bob or Bobby is to Robert. It felt friendly, intimate, jocular. But during this conversation, one friend argued that real nicknames have nothing to do with your real name at all, and everyone calls you by a nickname, it's not just a pet name one or two people call you. I was adamant in my disagreement, at first, but started to come around.
Dictionary.com lists the definitions here: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nickname
For you geeks for info out there (like me), the original word is from the Middle English ekename-which means an additional or epithet name, but evolved to nekename, then nickname.
So what do you think? I've started a poll here, and I welcome comments, too.
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1 comment:
Since you like listsand you like nicknames, here are some sites:
onepocket.org/Nicknames.htm.
I like "Mountain Man" or "The Beard" and "Kid Delicious" and "Cookie Monster" for my men!
I particularly liked "Kid Irish" for you!
or soem wicked funny ones at:
charmedscripts.tv/friends/nicknames.htm
or
onewal.com/maf-nick.html
List of potential nicknames for ya:
1) Lit-Chick
2) Cat Woman
3) Irish/Irie
4) Lister/Listorama
5) sugarista (as in fashionista, etc.)
mox
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