A Rose by any other name...

What's in a name?

Published on August 24, 2004 By LadyCleve In Humor

O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

Some people believe that names are important and other don't. In fact, some people believe that names are as important as the objects they apply to and have a certain kind of power. We live in a society where names are no longer a description of who we are or what we do, it's merely something we are called. Our "real" (legal) names, at least.

For anyone who participates in a chatroom or instant message service, posts a blog, or even has an email address, though, we have a chance to be known as something else. We can choose our own name. Some use their own names out of lack of imagination or just plain comfort with their "real" name. Others take the opportunity to reinvent themselves by choosing a new name that reflects who they are or who they would like to be. Still others, like myself, use nicknames, or variations on nicknames that have been bestowed upon us by others.

Nicknames.....I have had many over the years, and they all have their stories behind them. Some of them I understand and others I don't. But I enjoy them. If someone has given me a nickname, it implies that I mean something to them, that I am important, special. I LIKE THAT! Even the ones that are embarrassing, and very often they are.

So here is the proposition:

a) tell us a nickname you've been given and the story behind it, or

what name would you choose for yourself and why

I can't wait to see how far it goes, and since I'm responsible, I'll start...

I choose a.
I had a friend in college who gave me several nicknames. Now that he's gone and joined the Navy I can come up with several for him too, but I digress. Anyway, you have to picture this: the upper level of the student center was called the bridge because the middle part was open on the front and back, offices on the sides. They would have banquets and such up there, but usually it was just a place for us to hang out, watch movies, do homework, play cards... There was a group of us, mostly music majors, that played cards alot. This friend would almost always sit opposite me, and I had a habit of stretching out on the floor propped up on my elbows facing the middle. This posture, along with the low-cut tops I wore most of the time provided quite a view (I was unaware of this at first). On occasion I would take a drink of soda, tea, water, etc...and a few times I spilled. No big deal, except for the way I was sitting (laying down). This caused the liquid to stream over my chin, down my neck, and between my.... Well, you get the idea. One night when this happened he started laughing, and we asked what was so funny. He replied by describing some commercial about tires, someone asked what kind of tire..."You know which one, the Aquatread!", and pointed at my chest. Embarassing, yes. Funny, yes. Do I hear about it from some people to this day? yes, and I remember those days fondly.

Who's next?

Comments

greywar

on Aug 24, 2004

The jesus - Given to me recently by some of my soldiers due to them totally overestimating my abilities.

LadyCleve

on Aug 24, 2004

Are you sure it's not a reference to The Big Lebowski?
cool either way...

chiprj

on Aug 24, 2004

Well, the name I go by, is really just a nickname - Chip. I got that as a child. I had the cheeks full of food eating style down and it reminded my parents of a chipmunk's cheeks. So, chipmunk got shortened down to Chip and there it is.

When I got to my first operational Army unit, I was told I couldn't use the name Chip, since there was already one Chip in the unit (Figgity-Figgity). So, one of the guys in the platoon told me that I would be called RJ (based on my last name). So, for about 2 1/2 years I was RJ. To this day, there are Soldiers that call me RJ before anything else.

xtine

on Aug 24, 2004

Growing up I never had a nickname. Everyone called me by my full given name: Christine. When I moved between my sophomore & junior year of highschool to a new state, for some reason people just started off calling me Chris. I didn't mind at first since I never had a nickname before. But then I cut off all my hair. I was a small person, 5'2 and 105 lbs and uh...dimunitive in the chest area. I started feeling very masculine. So I went back to Christine. Unfortunately people from the time in my life still call me Chris. *shudder* I hate it.

My boss calls me X-tine, mostly when writing notes because he's to lazy to write out the whole thing. I kinda liked that so it became my online nick. Otherwise, everyone else calls me Christine.

Oh, almost forgot, I do have another nickname. A very important one: Mommy!

LadyCleve

on Aug 24, 2004

Oh, almost forgot, I do have another nickname. A very important one: Mommy!

Probably the best nickname in the world!

Well, the name I go by, is really just a nickname...chipmunk got shortened down to Chip and there it is.

I think that one's pretty popular. I had friends that called me a chipmunk at one time. I had this problem with uncontrollable laughter (my record is 4 hours--have to write about that sometime), and a couple of guys heard me one day and said I sounded like a chipmunk on crack. I'm glad that one's gone away.....

Texas Wahine

on Aug 24, 2004

LadyCleve: cute post.

My husband calls me "sweetcheeks" and "snugglebunny" and when I was younger, my family sometimes called me "Branflakes". Oh, and sometimes my husband calls me "Brandine" (Cletus' wife on The Simpsons) . . . arrggh! Nothing all that great or witty here.

The Crusaders

on Aug 24, 2004

LadyCleve,
For the past twelve years my partner and I have called each other Babe.....I never use his name unless he's in trouble !!

LadyCleve

on Aug 24, 2004

I never use his name unless he's in trouble

Actually, I use my husband's name all the time, but he doesn't call me by name much at all. In fact, he uses a nickname for me so much that several times he's called me that in public and gotten some very strange looks!

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