The Importance of Being Earnest?

[GGT]

This is about nicknames, about Ernie for Ernest, or Jack for John.

My name can't really be shortened, not like Elizabeth can become Ellie or Beth or Liz or Lizbeth, but I've always loved names that could go that way. :)

Anyway, now I find one of my sons desperately wants a nickname. Not an abbreviation of his given name (which has a couple of alternatives) nor the kind we give him at home, but a personality-specific moniker to put on forms, to share with teachers and coaches and buddies.

So, I'm wondering who here has a nickname, how it was "bequeathed", and if you love it or hate it, or would change it.....

[biogal]

My middle son was called "Bob" beginning in middle school. I don't know why, but he liked it, and it stuck with him through high school. I had no idea until I got a postcard in the mail stating that "Bob" was a good student and seemed to enjoy p.e. I never called him that, though.

[tycooner55]

I go by my last name most of the time.

[Ominous Gamer]

People try to call me Jay (from my first name) or Stew (from my last name); but I'm pretty good at squashing it.

Lately I'm noticing my friends introducing me by OG (then Jason) because thats my Myspace tag. People seem to be sticking with OG over Jason.

[Rtoups]

RT or Artoo or R2D2, from Ryan Toups.

[supermarioman]

I get called Scottie sometimes, but I, Like Ominous, try to suppress that.

[Bitter Jeweler]

I've been Bitter Jeweler before i got on the internets.

[oldmunchkin]

I was named "Munchkin" about 25 years ago, by one of my best friends. When I tried to use it online, it was taken the first place I tried to register, so I went to Oldmunchkin! :D Lots of my friends call me Munchkin IRL!

As far as my given name, there is really only one way to shorten it, and only select few are allowed to call me that! :)

[LittleFuzzy]

This is about nicknames, about Ernie for Ernest, or Jack for John.

My name can't really be shortened, not like Elizabeth can become Ellie or Beth or Liz or Lizbeth, but I've always loved names that could go that way. :)

Anyway, now I find one of my sons desperately wants a nickname. Not an abbreviation of his given name (which has a couple of alternatives) nor the kind we give him at home, but a personality-specific moniker to put on forms, to share with teachers and coaches and buddies.

So, I'm wondering who here has a nickname, how it was "bequeathed", and if you love it or hate it, or would change it.....

I have a friend named Taum who used to go by Joey *means of keeping him distinct from his father, also named Taum* but he dropped that as soon as he went to college and got some distance from his family. My grandfather went through most of his life being called Joe rather than Galen as well. He picked up his nickname in the Army, I don't know how.

[Widows Peak Oz]

*Edit: I just couldn't leave information about myself lying around, just couldn't.*

Ah, and GGT, nicknames CANNOT be obtained, they must be awarded.
The degree to which your son desires one is actually the degree to which he will not receive one. Just tell him that some people are meant to have nicknames, either through sudden events, identification and association, etc, and some are not because they are unremarkable.
As an Australian, the world champions of nicknames (of which we owe the British for unfortunately), often we just use people's last names because we're that damn prone to it, or the initials of first and last names, or a blunted version of a name, eg: John = Jonno.

[DecoyMilk]

I have two nicknames: Angus and Goose.

Why? Nobody knows.

[Rugar_The_Great]

Ah, and GGT, nicknames CANNOT be obtained, they must be awarded.
The degree to which your son desires one is actually the degree to which he will not receive one.

My friend in middle school was adamant about having a nickname, and thus pressured people to call him C-Man, but I pointed out to him how that nickname was not the best of choices. Needless to say, he still doesn't have a nickname to this day.

[Widows Peak Oz]

By the way, my nickname is The Don. :)

[GGT]

Ah, and GGT, nicknames CANNOT be obtained, they must be awarded.

:( You're right. He didn't like the one "awarded" to him when he was 6 yrs old, related to his obsession with a certain hat. He managed to shake it off after a few years, so maybe he's just worried about the next one yet to come?

[Widows Peak Oz]

Haha, how does one 'shake-off' a nickname??
They stick, usually through one moment of hilarity from an observer, if it catches, there aint much you can do. But of course, if you arent happy with it, you can discourage it, but your son cannot proclaim himself as "______" because people will take it for arrogance.
If he's worried, reassure him that his nickname will never be his portrait, take life as it comes, and so forth.

[Spawnie]

Oz is right - nicknames are given, not assumed.

Ive never had one either, due to the shortness of my first name. Most people i know find nicknames a mixed blessing. At best.

So what are the identity issues yo boys having that make him desire a nickname so?

[RandBlade]

Sometimes nicknames can be spread by the wearer of them to a group of people who don't know anyone who'd use the nickname. EG introducing yourself as "I'm real name but people/my friends call me nickname"

If that nickname is catchy, it can be adopted by all, even though only the bearer of the nickname has called themselves it.

Although I'm often amused how some people like a nickname but not all that goes with it: I have a friend called Helen who introduced herself to me as having the nickname "Nellie" (Helen backwards) which is what we all call her now. Personally I often like to hum the tune to "Nellie the elephant" (cartoon when I was a kid) but don't often dare call her it to her face, she does not like that! I keep wanting to get the theme-tune to that downloaded as a ringtone for my phone :D

-----

Mine's boring, my name is Philip and I'm called Phil. I've had more interesting nicknames in the past, the worst of all (one I'd describe as being illegal) is one I gave myself as a joke which caught on like wildfire and for the next year (my final at uni) nearly everyone [except a few who found it offensive] in my Hall called me it. Didn't help that there happened to be 4 Phil's in Hall that year so we all needed nicknames.

Many of the worst nicknames can be self-inflicted. One poor guy in hall once had to put up with the nickname "bumsex Tommy" for the duration of uni, or just simply "bumsex" after saying drunkenly in Week One that he'd like to "try bumsex" (with a woman).

[FireCrack]

My dad has always called me Jake, though my name is Jason.

[gogobongopop]

My real name is Bryan, but my friends call me Bruce. However, this has lately evolved into Broooogs.

Bruce, because one of the first bands I was in was a three piece, and we were huge fans of The Jam. I was the bass player, so obviously I was named after Bruce Foxton.

[aoshi]

I don't really have a nickname... My name is also only one syllable so it has no alternatives. :(

[Ominous Gamer]

Haha, how does one 'shake-off' a nickname??

simple
ignore it

[DecoyMilk]

My real name is Bryan, but my friends call me Bruce. However, this has lately evolved into Broooogs.

Bruce, because one of the first bands I was in was a three piece, and we were huge fans of The Jam. I was the bass player, so obviously I was named after Bruce Foxton.

You should lie and say that you're named after Bruce Campbell, because you're so awesome.

That gives you an excuse to say 'Groovy' all the time too!

I quite like Goose (Or Mangoose, as some have started saying) though there was a dude in Top Gun called Goose, and he died! Though he was the only straight one in the film :D

[littlelolligagged]

Goose as in silly goose, maybe?

I can explain Angus, too. :p *moo*

I've been Lolli since high school. There are several different meanings to it - the original nickname came from my best friend as a play on Lolita. Then it became one of those "you are what you eat" references to the school at large.

Most of my usages of "lolli" in longer forms have additional meanings to them - based on one or the other of those, but they are all things I chose for myself.

I despise the name my mother cursed me with. I hate it when people call me it.

[DecoyMilk]

Goose as in silly goose, maybe?

I can explain Angus, too. :p *moo*

I've been Lolli since high school. There are several different meanings to it - the original nickname came from my best friend as a play on Lolita. Then it became one of those "you are what you eat" references to the school at large.

Most of my usages of "lolli" in longer forms have additional meanings to them - based on one or the other of those, but they are all things I chose for myself.

I despise the name my mother cursed me with. I hate it when people call me it.

Your name is Lolita? Awesome!

I'd like to say the Angus was because I'm a rack of prime beef, but it was back when I was in school, and a friend was trying to get my attention by going 'Mark..Mark....Mark...MARK...' and then he just randomly shouted 'ANGUS!' which is when I turned around and said 'What?!'

[Ominous Gamer]

Your name is Lolita? Awesome!


I was guessing from the book/movie...

Just looked it up in urbandictionary. Now it makes sense:
Young girl, normally prepubescent or in early teens, that likes seducing older men, or that, without trying seduces older men with her charm,and/or her body.

[DecoyMilk]

Boo :(

[']['ear]

This is about nicknames, about Ernie for Ernest, or Jack for John.

My name can't really be shortened, not like Elizabeth can become Ellie or Beth or Liz or Lizbeth, but I've always loved names that could go that way. :)

Anyway, now I find one of my sons desperately wants a nickname. Not an abbreviation of his given name (which has a couple of alternatives) nor the kind we give him at home, but a personality-specific moniker to put on forms, to share with teachers and coaches and buddies.

So, I'm wondering who here has a nickname, how it was "bequeathed", and if you love it or hate it, or would change it.....

I've never had a good one myself (the only one being a lame play on my last name). But I've doled out fantastic nicknames to many teammates of mine over the years. Usually some trait of theirs just evokes a name within me. For example, I dubbed one friend Scooter, and another friends Sputnik, and for both of them more people started calling them that than their real name. Or, there was a guy I played ultimate with who was a shut-you-down kind of defender. I said he stuck on D like a barnacle, and everybody started calling him Barnacle, and later Barney.

So just find one that fits. But I think it's something that you can't force. I remember a guy on our team with the last name of Davis, not long after the movie Bull Durham came out. He decided he should be called "Crash" Davis, like the Kevin Costner character in the movie. But nobody would do it, because it wasn't right, and there was something cheesy about a guy nicknaming himself.

[ImAnOgre]

My nick name is Mars. I earned it my first few weeks at college. I was attending GaTech, and I brought some girls up I had attended HighSchool with for a fraternity party.

They met my Fraternal big brother while under the influence of alcohol (who'd thunk it -- college party with booze) and were talking much trash. Anyway, one of the things they told my big brother was that my nick name from HighSchool was Mars because "He's was out of this world in bed".

We won't get into what happened that night after the party, but needless to say my Fraternal big brother remembered what they said and my name was from then on changed to "Mars".

The life of a college student, Good Times.

[oldmunchkin]

My son has been called, alternately, Phred and Rex. I started the Phred with him and a couple friends...we had Phred, Jorge, and Skippy! :D He hates Phred, but answers me when I call him that! :p He managed to convince a few people in school to call him Rex (he thinks thats an awesome name :rolleyes:) and there are still people around here that call him that! :)

When my father was born, his 2 big sisters couldn't say "brother"...all they could get out was "Burr", so it stuck. It was better than his given name, so he kept it. In fact, when he died, I had numerous people calling me saying "oh my god, I had no idea your dad's given name wasn't Burr"! :D

Due to the fact there are a couple songs out there with my name in the title line, that aren't especially nice in terms of what the girl was (IE hooker) I try to make sure that my nick doesn't become something stupid and sexual. But, there are a couple out there who still try, after years of knowing I am going to get pissed or ignore them! :D

A nickname is something that has to "fit" the person, especially since he already has a personality. If you had stuck him with something at birth, he wouldn't have much choice.

[DecoyMilk]

My son has been called, alternately, Phred and Rex. I started the Phred with him and a couple friends...we had Phred, Jorge, and Skippy! :D He hates Phred, but answers me when I call him that! :p He managed to convince a few people in school to call him Rex (he thinks thats an awesome name :rolleyes:) and there are still people around here that call him that! :)

When my father was born, his 2 big sisters couldn't say "brother"...all they could get out was "Burr", so it stuck. It was better than his given name, so he kept it. In fact, when he died, I had numerous people calling me saying "oh my god, I had no idea your dad's given name wasn't Burr"! :D

Due to the fact there are a couple songs out there with my name in the title line, that aren't especially nice in terms of what the girl was (IE hooker) I try to make sure that my nick doesn't become something stupid and sexual. But, there are a couple out there who still try, after years of knowing I am going to get pissed or ignore them! :D

A nickname is something that has to "fit" the person, especially since he already has a personality. If you had stuck him with something at birth, he wouldn't have much choice.


Roxanne? :D

[oldmunchkin]

Roxanne?

:haha: I wish! :p That would have only been 1 song. Right off the top of my head, I can think of 3 with my name taken in vain in them! ;)

[teclis]

I've gone by "stretch" and "slim" both in reference to my phisique. That dropped off in high school though.

A friend of mine awarded himself a new name after college. He just introduced himself to everyone as the new name, and nobody knew differently. other than him though, my friends aren't big on nicks, so oh well.

[Small Print]

I've been called loads of things, mainly puns on my name, such as: Rhys Lightning, Rhysnu, Greasy Rhysy, Rice (well, that's more of a mispronounciation), you get the picture. I've never had a nickname that's stuck for more than a few weeks, but now it's Dave, because I look like Dave Grohl, apparently.

[oldmunchkin]

I know 2 brothers who have the nicks of Puffy and Fluffy, from characters they played in a grade school play. Puffy uses his name, in fact thats how he was introduced to me. :D Fluffy isn't called that except by a select few of us who know about it. (He got drunk at the bar one night and told a few people who were sitting in earshot!) :D

[DecoyMilk]

I can't think of ANY songs with prostitutes other than The Police :sour:

[nickdaegg]

Nick or Eggy.

[oldmunchkin]

I can't think of ANY songs with prostitutes other than The Police :sour:

That is because you are still a young puppy! ;) These are songs from an older time. :p

[Khendraja'aro]

Two weirdest ones I got were:

a) Professor Penguin
b) Highlander

With the first one I honestly don't know where that one came from. I really don't.
The second one has its origin in my wearing a long pony-tail in my teens and a passing similarity to the actor of the TV series (at least that's what they told me). Though I neither wore long trenchcoats nor did I possess a sword. :noob:

[DecoyMilk]

Two weirdest ones I got were:

a) Professor Penguin
b) Highlander

With the first one I honestly don't know where that one came from. I really don't.
The second one has its origin in my wearing a long pony-tail in my teens and a passing similarity to the actor of the TV series (at least that's what they told me). Though I neither wore long trenchcoats nor did I possess a sword. :noob:

Ponytail?!

Haha. If I had any respect for you before, I DEFINITELY would have none now.

[Khendraja'aro]

Ponytail?!

Haha. If I had any respect for you before, I DEFINITELY would have none now.

So, let me see: You're taking something I posted voluntarily and deliberately in a fun thread, something I myself am laughing about, and you try to use that to flame me?

Heh. Really sad.

http://cache.bordom.net/images/b006749d8f589f3c2bdbe14dcc5f74e3.jpg

[Widows Peak Oz]

Khen's nickname: Cacti :)

[Flixy]

Some of my friends call me flix, mostly because it's close to my real name. At high school, a couple of classmates called me 'panch' for some weird reason, and it's ahrd to get rid of something like that!

[Steely Glint]

Some people once tried to give me the nickname "Forest" because of my running, which I vigorously denounced.

[DecoyMilk]

So, let me see: You're taking something I posted voluntarily and deliberately in a fun thread, something I myself am laughing about, and you try to use that to flame me?

Heh. Really sad.

http://cache.bordom.net/images/b006749d8f589f3c2bdbe14dcc5f74e3.jpg

Hardly a flame ;)

I've got a pair of pliers if you'd like that stick removed from between your love cheeks, honey

[GGT]

Oz is right - nicknames are given, not assumed.

Ive never had one either, due to the shortness of my first name. Most people i know find nicknames a mixed blessing. At best.

So what are the identity issues yo boys having that make him desire a nickname so?

Hi, Spawnie! I can think if a nickname for you, easy :)

No identity issue that I know of, just one of those things boys like to do, especially with team mates? Maybe it's just a phase

[Khendraja'aro]

Hardly a flame ;)

I've got a pair of pliers if you'd like that stick removed from between your love cheeks, honey

Yeah, I concur, a miserable failure at a flame. But it's nice that comprehension's finally dawning on you.

[oldmunchkin]

No identity issue that I know of, just one of those things boys like to do, especially with team mates? Maybe it's just a phase

If thats the case here, then his teammates will give him a nickname, if they think he needs one! :D The only problem with this is, if they call him "Shorty" he is never going to convince them to call him "Bear"! :p