Fun Monday, Made up Names

Nikki, as the host of this week’s affair, asked that we share our special made up words. I didn’t quite play by the rules. I’m going to tell you about the made up names that have been a part of our family life for many years.

Dad made up names for us. He often called me "Shorty." As the youngest, the title served me well until I grew taller than two of my sisters.

I have perfect recall of a Sunday ritual, when dad would call out, “C’mon, Shorty, you want to go to town with me this morning?”

My eldest brother had the most nicknames. At first he was Ronny Jew-Baby. (Dad spent the 1920's "hobo-ing" around the country and saw and received much hostility and bigotry. That is why I know this nickname was not meant to be cruel. I never heard dad ever ridicule or belittle anyone's race or religion.)

Then as the years progressed dad and mom added to that the names "Hotshot" Manure Pile. The last two had to have something to do with an event in the barn yard.

My next brother answered to “Ta-mass’-cat.” This was a play on words with his middle name. As he grew older, no one ever called him Gerald. He was and still is Thomas.

The one exception for silly names may be my my late sister Nelda. No one can say if she was called anything else. Our 87 year old Aunt Deloris said that Nelda was named after one of dad’s old girlfriends. Apparently Mom loved the name when dad suggested it and didn’t care to whom it had belonged.

Sandra recollects dad walking through the door late each evening and calling out “There’s my "Sandy-bogus.” Eventually he shortened it to just "Bogey."

She also answered to Do-Do – so named by her younger brother Michael "Doodle Bug," before he could pronounce her name. I called him worse things when I was growing up, because he really bugged me. (Brothers!) He certainly was cute as one, too.

"Nick-Oh-Luj" (pronounced with a long U) was my mom’s largest baby and was also a chubby toddler. Another brother said that dad would sing a song about “my fat baby” growing up “to be a man” when he rocked the little chunk to sleep.

All of us were light-haired toddlers except for my sister Patricia. She inherited the straight dark hair of our mother. I remember dad calling her his “Little Indian Princess” on many occasion. But for the everyday nickname he called her his “Trish-Oh-Lish.” I am so happy that dad didn’t rhyme my name and connect it with an “Oh.”

The tradition carried on with our three daughters. Doodle Bug brother christened my eldest as Karmyn Gooey when she was yet tiny. Gooey stuck. Our next two girls earned the names of Juice and Cakers. All three of these names are derived from the twisting of their middle names. The hubby still refers to them by these monikers when he speaks of them. (He's should be happy that no one calls him by his high school title of Wart Finkner.)

Now our grandchildren must abide by the family tradition. They are: Lil Bud, Red Headed Girl, Jammin’, Goober, Buttercup, Curlymop, Peanut and Dinkum.

We have a new nickname arriving in late May. Any suggestions?

Please take time to enjoy others entries to the St Paddy’s Day Fun Monday . You'll laugh yourself green.