Via Giant Ginkgo @ Flickr.
We’ve already had at least one post on the ins and out of naming here at Harpyness, but here’s another. Names have always been weirdly important to me, perhaps because names are meant to give us some individual mark, and my birth name might as well be “Blandy Ann McBlanderson.” Really. My tenth grade history class had about 15 girls in it, and six were Blandys. The teacher (who was a coach, not a teacher), assigned us each a number, based on the row we sat it, to go with our name. I was Blandy 6.
That’s the most egregious example, but there have been hundreds of other occasions where being one Blandy among millions has led to frustration and or embarrassment. Suffice it to say, I’ve always had nicknames. Lots of them. I’ve sought them out. Some were derived from my name: “Blan,” “Blanderella,” “B-Mac,” etc., since my equally generic older brother, “Blandon McBlanderson,” had already been given our last name as his go-to moniker. Others had to do with characteristics, or weird in-jokes with friends: “Lady Lovely Locks,” “Nugatory” (or the short form, “Noog”), “Girf,” and my favorite: “Newt.”
It’s my favorite for a couple of reasons: I came by it at a camp that makes up a very happy chapter of my youth, and I sorta picked it for myself, after introducing myself as Blandy, but then joking “but please call me something else, anything, like Turtle, or Lizard, or Newt.” It stuck, and for a small group of people who knew me when, I’m still Newt. Or Newty. Or Newtron. Or Newtella. (Nicknames of nicknames!) If any of those people read this blog, well, I’ve just outed myself. Hi MSA! Find me on Facebook under my real name!
Anyway, the question for today’s FFT is: What is your most common and/or favorite nickname, and why?
I never had any other nicknames from friends (because I hate any and all shortenings of my name) until my last year of high school when I came in with a yellow streak in my hair. I was called Yellow by my friends for the enitire year and still am by my other friend.
Almost every single person over the age of 55 who has said my name pronouces it Chrish-ten, so my friend will randomly call me that, so I guess that’s a nickname. haha.
My friend’s name is Chelsea and she has a couple nicknames from many people: Chel-so, Cheltsea, Renee (don’t know where that came from), and Chels.
My cousin has also been Sissy all her life, and I didn’t know her real name until I was about 13 or 14. haha. My mother also called my little cousin Uncle Hughs, and his sister Courtney-Lou. 
I have to agree with Sadie about ‘Sissy Panty Buns’ being the funniest nickname and that it will be even funnier if enough women get up the nerve to take up his pleading and daring and actually help make him famous for modeling women’s full brief panties. I left him a comment (in moderation) over at http://www.sissypantybuns.com/wordpress/?cat=4 Don’t you agree that it’s hilarious? I don’t care whether or not it’s feeding a troll, I think it’s FUNNY! In his favor, he does advocate women’s rights and causes – but it’s still a riot.