Saturday, May 2, 2015

Nicknames

Photo © by dellgirl 

I ran into an old childhood friend last week, it was good to see him after so many years. We chatted a while then went our separate ways. That meeting started me thinking about nicknames, his was “BooBoo” as a child and all through high school.

We didn’t have nicknames. My daddy didn’t believe in them.  He thought most nicknames were silly.  In his opinion, it was ridiculous for a grown man to be called “Junior”, “Junior Boy”, “Lil Junior” or any other variation of the “Junior” theme. 

He thought even less of nicknames that had no connection to the person’s true name.  Maybe that was because his own nickname was “Henny”. I never thought to ask where the name “Henny” came from or what it meant. 

We never discussed it one way or the other.  He was simply Daddy. “Henny” was what other people called him. Mr. Hermise Mason Wilkins - - that’s my Daddy!  Most people called him “H.M’. Some people called him “Henny” - - his nickname.  When asked, he preferred to be called quite simply, “H.M”.

I was born, Leona (Something-dell) Wilkins - - period!  As a child, I was called just plain “Dell” or sometimes, “(Something-dell)”.  The closest thing to a nickname for me was when Daddy called me “BabyGirl”, “DG” or “Dell Girl”.  To him, they were pet names not nicknames.  And, they were for his use only, not anyone else’s.     

My brother was named after Daddy but with a completely different middle name in order to avoid the “Junior” thing. However, Daddy did keep the same middle initial as his own. 

Keeping it real, my brother was called “Herm”. This was just a shortened version of his first name. No nicknames for us! My brother didn’t even have a pet name. Since he was a boy, I guess he didn’t need one. 

Here is a short list of names that Daddy thought were downright silly and didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Included are BoBo, HoBo, JimBo, Bubba, Head, Peanut, PeeWee, Lil Bit, Shorty, and Dirty. What do you think of these? Do you know anybody with one of these nicknames?


Do you have a nickname? Does anyone in your family have a nickname? What are your thoughts on nicknames? 

4 comments:

  1. My family does nicknames all the time! My nephew is Bubba, niece is Princess, Dad is Poppy, and I am called Mare Mare by family and Quiggs by my friends. I can understand people thinking it is strange though. I guess I am just used to it.

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  2. we didn't have nicknames in our family just shortened first names. my dad stanley was stan, my mom evelyn was eve, then i shortened my name from linda to lin. my mom didn't like that...lol!

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  3. Blessings.....
    I never fancied nicknames myself on that me and your daddy agree.

    Nicknames had to streams of thought, one to endear the other to humiliate. The endearment attached to a memory of a loved one passed, a name attached to the personality you see developing on the child, or a name that stock because the child couldn't pronounce it well so it kinda stuck because everyone begin to use it as the child does. Then there is the ones intent on humiliating and belittling from bullies big and small, family and non family members.

    Well that's my 2 cents piece.
    have a fabulous day.

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  4. Oh... So you really are Dellgirl. I'm afraid I didn't have much of a nickname. There was a short time someone said I should be called Yak, instead of Kay. Hmph! I don't think I talked all that much.

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