What's in a Nickname?
What's in a Nickname?NBC15 Blog Listing
What's in a Nickname?
Topic Author: Amy Carlson
Posted: 9:09 AM Jun 17, 2008
Replies Posted: 11 comments
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     I called my college roommate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa  to see how they are dealing with the current flooding.  She answered the phone, "Hi, Amykins!".  It struck me how that nickname has stuck over 25 years.  My high school locker buddy, Vance, coined the name.  My sister introduced it to the university community when we attended the same school and it has stuck ever since.  Tammy, my roommate,  still has the nickname of Tina.  It resulted from a night out when a drunk friend couldn't remember her name and since she is very tiny, called her Tina.

     I've run across a few interesting nicknames.  My dad's Navy buddy, Elwin , is still referred to as Ace.  My mom's nursing classmate, Norma Jean, was named Pee Wee because of her size.  I never knew her real name until she passed away.  Did you know that Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick was nicknamed Bun by his siblings?  He was a large child so Bun was short for Paul Bunyan.  Even his own parents still refer to him as Bun.

   Even the new UW Madison chancellor is known by her childhood nickname of Biddy.  Do you have  a nickname?  Do you like it?  What's its significance?

    
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  • by Sharon Location: Spokane Valley, WA (Formerly Verona) on Aug 21, 2008 at 03:31 PM
    I like nicknames! I picked up the nickname "Peewee" 27yrs ago in the Army because I was so thin (5'7" & 106lbs) and no-one could pronounce my last name (it's a good polish name). The nickname has stuck ever since. People I've known 27yrs still use it.
  • by Marty Location: Madison on Jul 24, 2008 at 04:39 AM
    Amy, my initials are M.D., so, you guessed it, first it was "eh, what's up doc", then it was just "doc" in middle school, then "doctor love" in high school, got dropped back to "doc" in college, and when I went to work in a hospital as a nurse, they shied away from that one until one snowy day, I was pulling into the parking lot at work, and my car slid sideways up against the curb, right into a parking space, so now they call me "slider" at work. Patients sometimes ask why they call me slider, and I always tell them because when I put an IV in, it just slides right in. Of course there's nothing like being out bowling/darts w/ folks from work and home and trying to decide if Doc and slider are being called the same person!
  • by Bonnie Location: Morrisonville on Jul 21, 2008 at 08:35 PM
    I grew up with nine sisters and nine brothers. We all have nicknames and there is a story behind all of them. When I was a child I did not like the first name of Bonnie so I asked to be called Jo as this is my middle name. Wish I could share the stories behind all of our nicknames, but unfortunately, I will run out of character spaces. My nickname from high school is Bon Bon and it suites me well as I also love to make homemade chocolates. At least with my family, all of our nicknames have alot to do with our personalities. Thanks for bringing your smile to television! You are awesome!
  • by Jamie Location: Monona on Jul 1, 2008 at 08:07 PM
    I personally love nicknames. They were especially fun as a boy growing up on the farm in Coon Valley. I had friends and siblings who had nicknames such as Screech, Curler, Weasel, Rochester, Ichabod and of course mine... Sleep. I had that nickname all thru high school. I either got it because I had sleepy, tired eyes or because once,when I was sitting on the bench during basketball game and the coached called finally called me to go in, I wasn't paying attention. Anyways, it was always a very endearing name for me. I thought I might lose the name once I headed to college but it just so happened that there was a guy who lived across the hall from me in my dorm who had the exact same name... first and last. To avoid confusion I told everyone to call me "Sleep" and people at college just ate that up. They loved it. I'm not called "Sleep" to much anymore but occasionally I will still hear it and it always makes me smile... For me, it's almost like having another given birth name.
  • by styxrox Location: Western Dane Co on Jun 28, 2008 at 08:59 AM
    My best bud from College days calls my "Spiffy"or "spiff" back from our days of going to school for marketing in the mid 80's and needing to dress professionally and act that way too. I still call her "Slick" because she was a very polished person, and also because she had the short 80's do with the cut out sides and tail in the back. She needed to gel her hair to keep in place. She is still "Slick" to me to this day, and we still are in contact 20 years later.
  • by Susan Location: Roxbury on Jun 28, 2008 at 08:33 AM
    Hi Amykins, I love nicknames although I personally do not have one but I love to hand them out. There are so many folks in my life that are so special that I feel the need to give them a "special" name. My favorite nickname for a friend is Lisa Alphabet because she uses a hyphenated name and the firt name of the hyphenaded name is so darned cute. My friend has grown to love her new name and knows it is me when I call because I call her Lisa Alphabet. I truly enjoy watching you on Channel 15. You bring a sweet freshness to the weather. Susan
  • by Sara Location: Madison on Jun 26, 2008 at 09:41 AM
    Almost everyone I know calls me "Huntie". It's a play on my last name (Hunter), that my husband started using a couple years ago. He used it in front of our friends one night when we were all out, and it stuck. Even though I've added his last name to mine, "Huntie" is still what everyone who's in the "inner circle" calls me. And it suits me perfectly :)!
  • by Dawn Location: Stoughton on Jun 24, 2008 at 03:49 PM
    im called blondie because of my hair color. nobody calls me by my given name !!
  • by Rob Location: Packer fan on Jun 20, 2008 at 08:52 AM
    My nick name is peanuts. i guess i was short and small and it has stuck with me even tho i am 22. friends and family still call me peanuts instead of my real name. I've heard of worst nick names. Sometimes you just have to laugh it off!!
  • by mangels Location: Sun Prairie on Jun 19, 2008 at 05:08 PM
    Mangels is short for my last name - Mangelsdorf. It was my older brother's nickname first. When I was a high school freshman, one of my friend heard one of my brother's friends call him Mangels. My brother is 10 yrs older than me and he went to a different high school, so the name stuck on me. EVERYONE called me Mangels. Friends and teachers alike. To this day there are people that don't know my first name, or that my full last name is Mangelsdorf. I have two daughters and at one time or another their friends also refered to them as Mangels.
  • by julie Location: Stouoghton on Jun 18, 2008 at 09:01 AM
    I got coined the nickname Jules(Jewels) in college. Then that led to Ruby, by another friend, since a ruby is a jewel. Kind of corny, but fun at the time. It held only for my college years. I had an aunt who was called Babe from early on, her real name was Mildred. You might guess why she was called that, her older brother pinned it on her at an early age. Ilove nicknames if they are not offensive, it gives uniqueness to a person. Most people don't have trouble remembering you if you have an unusual nickname. Thanks for the blog, Amy, it is a good one.
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