Fourth Fret...this is because you started this topic!
A HS friend of mine had a very good masculine, yet uncommon name: Clint. He was a basketball player--star quality--and the whole school picked up on his nickname and all the schools around knew who HHS meant as we cheered for..."Clancy"
What? You say... Well, he had a piano teacher with an accent. She occasionally called to cancel or change a lesson, and when she did, Clint's older brother thought she was asking for Clancy when she was really trying to say Clint Smith. I always felt guilty to use the nickname because I kinda felt like it was making fun of this older lady...but that was the name we all screamed at the games anyway.
Later I gave someone a nickname rather accidently on purpose. I did NOT expect that the poor boy would be known by that name by a whole segment of his life--sorry, Purple, but here it is.
His given name is David, but he moved to town his Jr year, and there already was a David in theatre--and in our household for the most part. This new David had a color for his last name--to this day I cannot remember which one, so I would call him "David Green, Brown, Black. Oh, heck, PURPLE." So guess what stuck? In fact I received an e-mail just yesterday mentioning..."I talked to Purple, and..."
My son, V is especially good at giving other people nick names...just not himself! His HS drama teacher, Mr Hand immediately became Mr Foot. And it spread and stuck. [I think he may have kinda liked it...]
The above mentioned David, [not Purple] had a nephew born who was named Dallas. MY son called him FW for Fort Worth. Even his Mom found that cute--so it stuck [Poor kid!]
V himself, however... was Vinnie growing up. When we moved his Sr year, he decided to be Vincent, but there was already another Vincent in the ward. and MY son found the other Vincent to be a "jerk" so he went back to Vinnie. Foir awhile he was Vin then settled on Vince. But in the family, he'll always be Vinnie.
My grandfather's story is the best, I think...his name was Dorsey and his family nick name was "Dorse." He hated it. When he reached adulthood and moved to Chicago to take a job, he was met at the train station. The other man introduced himself, and asked Granpa's name...he glanced down at his monogrammed suitcase and stuck out his hand saying, "Dave. My name is Dave" It was the first name starting with a D that he could think of. And so it was for the rest of his life. Except to his natal family--it sure sounded weird to me to hear him called "Uncle Dorse" by his nephew!
So, Cara, Fourth Fret, Punk, Zoo, and everybody else, let's share some more of these nickname stories...aren't they fun? :D
17 comments:
Throughout my public education I was known as Heiffer. Yes, moo. The "th" in my name is not a sound that translates well in other languages and that posed a problem as I was in a French Immersion school. My francophone teachers meant well, and did the best they could, but let's face it, the closest sound to "th" is "ff".
Then there's the time I tried to blog about my blog-absense and titled my post I am MIA ... Because it's an accronym it is correct to have all letters capitalized, but it caused some confusion in an unnamed friend who thought my name was Mia.
Let me guess, your favorite animal is NOT the cow.
You needed Spanish--there's the 'th" sound even tho usually spelled with a d:)
nicknames are so... interesting. you hate them, love them, choose them or get nailed with them. and then... without even thinking, you start answering to them. weird.
and pm- i still type "mia" a lot but then think... this will only cause more confusion. you'll always be mia to me. lol
allrie- i loved the purple story. i called my nephew ratboy (no idea why) when he was little, and at times when someone asked him his name, he'd answer- "i rat boooooooooooy." it was awesome. he goes by chey now... which is short for cheyenne. (named after a small town in oklahoma where a lot of our family is from.)
-zoo :P
Allrie, I did embrace my nickname for a while in my youth and make cows my "thing." Heh. I'm so over that now.
FF, you can always call me Mia, and those for whom that confuses, will just wish they were "in." That's probably mean, so don't do it, but you can still call me Mia anytime you want.
pm, I still laugh over that Mia thing, that was a hoot!
I agree with nicknames, but I already posted my nicknames on FF's blog before I came over to this blog. Most people didn't give me nicknames I didn't like, I think they were scared of me . . . .wa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
I HAVE NICKNAME STORY!!!!! yes!!! well sis b. brothere holdaway was teaching our lesson in YW one day, and he was handing out things for people to read and he handed me one and went "here you go lexinator!" and everyone just stopped for a second and went THATS IT!!! thats my official girls camp nickname even though people call me that all the time!!!
and then theres those immature guys out there that have discovered the ONE word my name rhymes with, and well that stuck too. i am now called by numerous guys (in a joking way) sexy lexi, or super sexy lexi. i have liked that nickname though, it makes me laugh! ok im done with my nickname stories now!!!
Remember how we used to try to give Lura nicknames: Lou, Lur, etc. ? Well, when I was visiting her last summer she told me she was so hopeful we wouldn't remember to call her Lur so our kids wouldn't pick it up. I said, "What's wrong with it?" and she replied, "Then I'd be Aunt Lur." Hee hee. Get it? Antler? Aunt Lur? Hee hee hee. I never made the connection before that! But I also promised that my kids would never call her Aunt Lur... at least *I* wouldn't teach them to do it! (*wink wink*)
Whether on FF's blog, or in our memories...aren't nickname stories fun?
Lexi--should I warn your Mom about the "sexy Lexi" tag? :)
PM--good for you! I was being sarcastic about the cows--but what a way to "turn a lemon into lemonaide!"
Ant Lur...hmmm, not quite what I had in mind when I named you Lura--for my great-Aunt LURA [who was also called Lou by the family,incidently] :D
First of all, I will not, nor have I ever, answered to Lou. I do not like it. Just to be clear on that. Next, a couple of corrections/comments. Purple's last name was Brown. Though I just found out a couple days ago that he was just using his stepfather's last name as he thought it would be easier than his legal last name. Little did he know... :) And Mr. Foot actually signs his emails to me "Mr. Foot" so I guess he at least got used to it, whether or not he liked it.
The last clarification is about Vinnie. The real reason Vinnie kept going by his nickname his senior year is really kinda my fault. We hung out with all the same people. So even though he'd tell people his name was Vincent, I'd call him Vinnie. So our friends all picked that up from me, and he kinda gave up. Oops.
Hehe, there's a nickname Vinnie and I have for Sariah, but I don't know if I dare say it, as last time I accidentally called her that she ran from across the room and tackled me. (It really was an accident too. Just imagine what she'd do if I said it on purpose!)
lura, i'll give you a gamillion fake dollars to cough up sariahs nickname. i call her grace from time to time ... in honor of her gracefulness as she stumbles, falls, etc.
but i don't think she'd tackle me over it.
Luraaa, I don't know what you mean by Sariah's nickname either...soooI think you should share---everyne here LOVES sariah anywaaay. Sooo giiive! Pleaeaease! :D
And FF, I'll have you know that Sariah is VERY graceful--I'm the genuine klutz in the family [the cats run whenever my path takes me near them] and my full name fits me so...my middle names are Anna Cecelia meaning "graceful" and "dim-sighted" You can stop laughing now Sariah, Lura, Erica, and everyone one else who knows me personally--a klutzy half-blind person! Oh, and I fell again yesterday--my new skin on my knee is now scarapped off. But the jeans are still intact!
My coolest nickname is S-Dawg. But I have a feeling that is not what Lura is referring to. If you are referring to Stir Fry, well, whatever. The name just NEVER made sense to me. Stir Fry. It's just plain dumb. Lou made LOTS more sense. And we never called you that for long, Lura, because you hated it so much.
Mom, I got your Klutzy genes. Thus, the name Grace. You are definitely worse than me, but we all know how I am turning into you, right?
Yes, Sariah, I was refering to Stir-Fry. I have no idea what started that, and I know it doesn't make sense, but your reaction to it naturally spurred us on (after all, we are your younger siblings, and we live to annoy you).
Lou may make sense, but I just don't like the name. Lur is fine, except, as I've pointed out to Sariah, I don't want to be "Aunt Lur".
I'd forgotten about 'stir-fry' and no, it didn't make sense--but it did make mad! And wasn't thatthe real point to it?
Sorry about the klutz genes--how many new bruises do YOU have today?!
It didn't ever make me MAD! Just annoyed at them for picking a stupid nickname that made no sense. Vinnie was very good at being an annoying little/big brother.
I don't bruise easily. Well, sometimes I do. I used to find weird bruises all the time, but I don't think that's the case so much anymore. I just fall a lot or get scratched or hit from random things around the house.
what are you talking about? stir fry is awesome! how many people get that nickname? that's right. not many.
i think that's why i didn't throat punch anyone for calling me zoo. i don't know many zoos... so i don't have to live up to standards. i'm just sayin'...
FF--I LOVE your attitude.
Sariah, I grant you annoyed rather than mad--but you were very annoyed. Of course, Vinnie was exceptionally good at annoying you ar the time...what a good 'brother' job he has always done!
Of course Tony NEVER [abetted by his sister] caleled Marisa by any murderous nickname that she found equally annoying...no WE were much too "perfect" for that! [I can't even type this without choking!]
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