What’s in a name? A lot, really.

I’ve always been fascinated by names and not just because I have a difficult maiden name or a strange spelling for my first name. Names have meaning and character, they fit you like clothing. And, sometimes, they do not fit. They conjure images, thoughts, and feelings. Naming things and people are important. That’s why I have a lot of nicknames for people, places, and things. It’s a long-standing habit. It has helped me keep things straight in my mind, but also means there’s a special place for the differently “christened” person, place, or thing.

Why with the nicknames? Generally, it means that you are dear to me and some inside joke has landed you a nickname. Sometimes, it’s my humor that’s created one. There are also trauma nicknames and shortcut nicknames. But every nickname has a reason. It’s important and created not from a place of being mean-spirited, but one of love and/or observation. However, that doesn’t mean that the nickname is necessarily free from being little off-color, sharp, or even inappropriate. 😬

My immediate family has always had nicknames. Multiple. The dogs? Many, many nicknames. I decided to use nicknames for the newsletter and all my posts because my family didn’t ask to be written about. I also keep the super personal things private–I also almost always ask when I’m posting something specific about someone. One time, a reader hit reply to The Tomfoolery (please subscribe if you haven’t already), and asked me what my nickname is because I had one for everyone in the family and beyond. Here you go…

Top-tier nickname: Chicki.

Chief, my husband, calls me “Chicki.” Funny, no? Very much like “Chicken,” but that’s not where it comes from. It’s a derivative of “cheeky,” and it comes from Michael Meyers SNL skit about Simon in the bath tub and his “draaw-rings.” What poor little Simon is talking about is actually very sad, but we couldn’t get over was his pronunciation of drawings, as well as “bum-looker” and “cheeky monkey.” We kept calling each other both and eventually “cheeky monkey” turned into “Chicki.”

Yup.

I might have to bring back “bum-looker” because I can’t even with that one.

Are there nicknames that you have for your loved ones? What are they and where did they come from?