I have many nicknames, but my favorite is from my daughter.  When she was younger, she loved to watch "The Nanny" in reruns and started to call everbody __-ala (Our dog became dogala, her best friend Mindy became Mindala).  I therefore became Momala.She has also called me the Momster (that was during the Pokemon stage), and I have the poster she made of that on my bedroom door still.   At sixteen, she is past those stages, but she still calls me Momala, and she is my Bubbala. 

My father had nick-names for all of us.  My sister was "tinker-toddler," my brother was "bonzo."  I was the youngest, and when Daddy would call me by my nick-name, my little heart would flutter and I’d just rejoice thinking, "Oh, my Daddy loves me!"  You can imagine my dismay when I grew up and realized what "pot-gut" really meant!

And then, during my senior year in high school, the guys in my physics class started calling me "sparky."  We were discussing St. Elmo’s fire, and I raised my hand to describe the phenomenon that seemed to be happening with increasing frequency when I’d turn down my bed at night…more than static electricity, with a big crackling noice.  Unfortunately, without really thinking, I said, "I mean sometimes I go to get into bed and the sparks just fly…"  "Sparky" stuck.

Some, not all, of family members still call me by a shortened version of my given name.  Maybe it’s a sign of affection, and I can take it that way from my niece and nephews, but it feels all too diminutive coming from anybody else.

I have a bunch of nicknames that are simply an extension of my name. People call me Bee, Bel and BeautyBee most of the time. Very few people call me by my name Belinda Joy.

But the most beautiful nickname I was ever given is "quiet beauty" by a former male in my life. He labeled me as such because he said I had a beautiful face and that there was a "quiet beauty" about it, simpe, soothing….the type of face that makes a person stare. What woman wouldn’t want to be told that about there looks? :-)

But that was then and this is now and I realize he was just giving me a line and was full of crap. But…..I do love that label. Quiet Beauty. I have seen many women in my life who qualify for that, but I should have stock in every cosmetic line in the country, natural, serene beauty I am not! :-)

My main nickname is Judi (short for Judith). However, any woman whose name is Judy (no matter the spelling) will tell you our name rhymes with an unseemly amount of taunt-worthy words just made for the playground.  I offer:  Judy Booty, Judy has Cooties, Judy did you doody?, Howdy Dowdy Judy Kiss my Booty!…need I continue?  

On the plus side, my family/friends also called me Judy-kins, Sweet Judy, Boots, and Ju-ju.

I have always been "Dee Dee" after my mother who was " Dee". As a child I hated it but now that I’m older I am honered to called after such a wonderful woman.

 R.I. P Deborah "DEE" Gilyard

My father was career military and I was called many versions of my given name, Christine, depending on where we lived. I answered to them all. None weere meant to be mean but if there are four people named Chris in a class they will evolve to Crissie, Christy, etc. One teacher never remembered my name he always called me Carolyn. I thought it was amusing.

When our son, Robert, was born everyone called him a different version of his name from Bob to Robin so we called him by his middle name, Dale. He used that until high school when he declared himself Robert because that is his legal name.

Well, girls.

My nickname is part of my log-in, i.e.: "Missy." My, "Missy," is not from Melissa. It came from the other girls at my Girl’s Club. My career as a buyer was over. I was a year and a half without work. I had resumed working but at a job rather than a new career. I was also starting to think about an In-Home catering business. I had two Waitress Uniforms with, "Ms. Susan" embroidered on my left breast. I wore one to my Girl’s Club meeting, one Tuesday night. As soon as I got my coat off, all I heard was, "Hey Missy, where’s my order?" "Hey Missy, you forgot my fries," and the like. It was all in good natured ribbing but my new, white, patent-leather, ankle-straps were, "killing me." I didn’t think too much of it until I stopped off at my favorite Tavern in my home town. The girl bartender, good-naturedly called out, "Hey Missy, your usual?" It was also a gathering place for other Waitresses and Bartenders to come to after their shifts had ended. Some of the girls wanted to call me, "Missy Sue." I asked them for, "Missy Susan." I, "love," my full name, "Susan."

 At my day-job, we have a lot of, "Melissa," named customers. They were all called, "Missy," when they were little. They all like to be addressed by their full name now. Only one does not, "have a problem," with being called, "Missy." The others do. When I was very little and still in grammar school, a few boys made some un-kind rhyming nicknames with my middle name. They used to laugh at me; at my expense. Many of the girls used to snicker and laugh at their name-calling ro me, too. A few of my friends did come to my defense as I was usually in tears. There is a major difference between a nickname and name-calling.

"Missy-Susan," just fits me fine.

If i were younger, I’d look into becoming a part of the "Cooking In Heels," program.

Sistelry yours,

"Missy," Susan Pauline Bauer

I never had a nick name as a child.  Well, I tried to give myself one, but even I realized that was too fake.  My name is Tina.  My mom’s name is Mary, but at work they call her "Christy".  I always felt a little like she stole part of my name.  I didn’t understand why she had 2 first names and an extra last name (her maiden name).  

When we were coming up with names for my children I wanted to be sure that they would be able to have nick names.  By-golly they have names that you can break apart and put back together again in 50 ways, not to mention spell several different ways.  Both kids were named after Austrian relatives and there was great debate over how to spell them.  We choose the English spelling on both birth certificates.  We use the German spelling of my daughters name for her "nick name".  My son is a teenager - he prefers we not talk to him, so nick names aren’t a big issue.

What do you want to bet that their kids have 4 letter names, because their mom stuck them with such long names.  That or they will name their kids some "non-name" name, which would drive their father crazy.