This coming weekend is our hometown's summer fest. There are fireworks, carnival rides, softball, volleyball and basketball tournaments, events in the park, fundraising dinners, a parade...you all know how it goes. But the thing that is most memorable about the summer fest is how everyone comes into town. You see friends (and non friends) that you haven't seen in years. Some you haven't seen since high school. Some you only see once a year...at the summer fest. Others you see a few times a year, but can always count on seeing them this weekend, too.
So last night I was thinking about the upcoming weekend and my mind drifted to those people we would be seeing. I wonder if So-and-So will be there? I haven't seen Blank in years, wonder if she's married by now? The questions go on and on. Then I started to think about high school, which made me think of our group of friends.
Andy and I are high school sweethearts, as many of you know. We had quite the group of friends and being the goofy group we were (and still are), the guys had nicknames for EVERYONE. And they weren't normal nicknames like Bud and Shorty. No, they were names like Frigate, Heeed, Craven, Dual (which morphed into that from Duo--like the Incredibly Gay Duo from SNL. And no, he's not gay) Skunt, Tit, Ra-ul. We often still call these friends by their nicknames. I can only imagine how it sounds when we all greet one another, throwing those names around like a Bob or Steve or Angie.
Then I got to thinking about nicknames Andy and I have for each other or for the girls. Take Alayna, for example. We shorten her name to Layna or Layner, but we also call her Fred. Lilly is known as Lill, Fredlet or Henry, and Mikayla is Mickey or Ralph. Andy has called me Hebrew for years, and neither one of us know how that started. I call him honey, meatball, butt-munch, babe...take your pick, depending on his mood and actions.
So what nicknames do you have for friends or family members? I know we can't be the only ones, right?! Please tell me we aren't!
Our Life with 3 Daughters...and lots of animals, plenty of frustration, and tons of love.
8 comments:
Haha! Those are pretty funny. Well OTHER than what I nick name strangers...I guess we have a few. I'm usually the one that gives them though.
William we used to call Willum, monkey, hmmm, they are slipping now I can't remember anymore.
Jack is Jack-Jack a lot, but we also called him Jack-a-roo.
Maximus- Has been call Maxa-Moose or just moose. I also call them all monkeys.
Hmm, Doc I call Doc, or Jump Master, or Serg, but those all depend on the mood and tone.
Me, I've been called, Blondie, Shorty, Goldilocks.
I call Bob, Daddy or Honey.
We call Kyan...Bobo's. Aspen even calls him that.
Aspen is baby sister or baby for short and a more recent name baby toot toot which I think will be shortened to tooter in no time.
Well, the only 2 in our house who've had nicknames actually stick are Christopher, who is more commonly known as Bub around here, and Benno (who's official name is Benjamin, no big surprise there.)
What a cute idea for sharing nicknames. Maggie has a few: Magpie, Magster, Mags, and Turkey, to name a few.
Your story of your friends' strange nicknames reminded me of my high school years. One of my crazier friends decided that we all needed "nature names" (this friend went on to be a park ranger and then high school science teacher ... perhaps the nicknames were a foretaste of the future). Think hippie names, and you'll have it pretty much down pat.
I was Sunflair b/c of my red hair. Kirby, the brainchild behind this idea, was Loose Mudd (which she specifically spelled with two D's). Other names included Bear Paw, MoonBeam, and ... ohmygosh I can't remember! I just emailed Kirby to see what the others were!
Oh, forgot to add that in college, a friend nicknamed me Leeler, and that really stuck. It's how I got my BBC screen name.
Evan's official nickname is Peanut, and Hudson's official nickname is Chicken. Evan is sometimes Monkey Butt. I usually greet Hudson in the morning by saying, "Hi Funny Face," because he's just got the cutest little face poking up from his crib! Eric's nickname is Christopher (his middle name), and I use it when I'm mad or pretending to be mad! I don't really have a nickname. Eric calls me the obvious thing like Honey or Babe, but not a true nickname. I use the same names for him, but change them up.
Growing up my sister Tiffany was Foo and my dad named her best friend Stink! Those stuck for a long time!
My nephews on my side call me Aunt Pooh (as in Winnie) because I used to love Winnie the Pooh. I love nicknames.
Darrin's family is big on nicknames. Darrin's dad was Slick, his mom is Anner (real name Ann), and yes, Darrin and his bro. Derek call/called them these names. Darrin and Derek are both Bubba, but Derek is also Dwayne, and Darrin is Herman. Their older sister is Sis. Derek's MIL is the Red Baron, and I am Beethoven.
Oh, I mentioned FIL was Slick. Derek is Slip, and Darrin is Slide, so when the 3 were together it was Slick, Slip, and Slide.
Mark calls Angela Punky & I call her Puddin'Pop or Monkey Sue. When Mark & I were dating, a friends daughter & Angela (both age 3) decided to call us "Hun Buns". So we have been since then HB1 & HB2! My son, David was always known as plain old "son".
So, No it isn't just you. I think that it is everyone but most people don't want to share them, feeling dumb for having them. What can possibly be dumb about a term of endearment? Nothing. I am happy to have a nickname from childhood of "Taddie", short for(are you ready for this?) Tadpole! I weighed in at 4lb2oz & was 16 ins long, everyone said I was no bigger than a Tadpole! Now you know...not an embarassment, just a term given to me by the ones that loved me from day 1!
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