A rose by any other name

What's in a name?

Everyone's given a couple at birth. They may be shortened or lengthened, or abbreviated, or changed completely. Many women change them shen they marry. Other people can give them to you, but somehow it's not cool to give one to yourself. Although making one up can be acceptable in some situations.

Most people somehow seem to suit their names. Either that or they grow into them.

I personally go by Jacki. My full name is Jacquelyn Marie, but only my grandparents call me that these days (Mum held out for years, but even she's given up!).

For some reason I'm not entirely sure of, Mum occasionally calls me Jacquelyn Marie Theresa Henrietta.

I'm quite often called Jackster/Jaxta - something started by my friend Rossco (also known as Rissko - when he's had a few and gets a bit cheeky, Groover - a long story, and "my boy Ross" - usually proceeded by "not" and referring to what his mum might make of his many and varied shenanigans) many years ago, I believe.

My friend Sandy also has a drinking alter-ego: the ever-charming Shandy.

When I'm receiving unwanted attention I'll go by Agnes. The expressions of people when you introduce yourself by that name are pretty priceless.

A couple of people call me J. The ultimate shortening. I've always particularly liked this one, but as I said above, you really can't influence your nicknames.

The boy calls me a number of odd things. But he kind of does that to everyone. Pretty much everyone he knows has been called Crazy-pants at least once. I get a few too cheeky (or soppy) to put on here, but also get such pearlers as funky-duds, cheeky-chops, Jacksterino, and fluffy-fuzzy-bunny-feet (when I'm wearing my fluffy slippers, of course).

My friend Louise and I used to let our inner children out to play sometimes. They were called Chloe and Molly. They like to Spice Girls and singing into hairbrushes.

When I was in primary school, my dodgy surname lead to quite a lot of nicknames. The less said about those ones the better. I think I'm still traumatised. Although I may have done better than my youger sister and brother who ended up with unusual first names, as well as surnames (I think Mum & Dad ran out of ideas after the first 2 kids). Bronte and Petrina (who you could be mistaken for calling "PetrinawithaP" for the way she has to always introduce herself), your names will always be normal to me...sorry I can't speak for the rest of the planet.

So that's pretty much the history of me and my names (and those of a few of my friends). Does anyone else have any pearlers?

J.