Nicknames

In 1440 AD, misdivision of ekename (an eke name, literally "an additional name") led to the Middle English word ekename which was later corrupted into nekename.  In ViWoking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni or uppnefni which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a weiner formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.

To accompany the random bit of knowledge I learned today all of the nicknames/aliases (that I can remember) and who they have bonded me with! Horray!

Probably my earliest nickname is Wo-Wuts.  I think my little sister Jen came up with it. Whenever I did anything to her she would complain to my parents, "Wo-Wuts to me!"  So now ever since then I have occasionally been addressed as Wo-Wuts by my parents, siblings, and Uncle Preston. 

The next one that popped into my head is Whit. It's kind of a no-brainer how I got this one but for those of you aren't quite the brightest brick in the drawer I'll explain it... Whitney - ney= Whit. See! Simple math!  This nickname was more popular for me when I was in elementary school.  I told all of my teacher that I wanted to go by Whit.  I think I just wanted something to say after they tell us to tell them if we go by another name.  But even today when I go to visit my favorite elementary school teacher, Mr. Welch, he still calls me Whit! :P

Here comes Whitney Bob!!  I'll have you all know that even though Spongebob is a great and noble sponge he stole this name from me. It came to be in February 2003 up at my cabin. We had gone up there for a night with Jessica's friends for her fifteenth birthday.  Jess, Roo, and I were sitting in the red room late at night while everyone else was sleeping. I don't remember exactly what she was talking about but out of nowhere Roo turns to me and asks, "Isn't that right Whitney Bob?" We must've been really tired cause it was the funniest thing ever!  So I adopted the name and got some of my friends to call me by that name and I wrote it on all of my notebooks at school.  Occasionally Whitney Bob will be followed with a 78 or a Amber Joe Jane Thayne 78. I'm not sure how the Joe Jane got thrown in there but 78 is my favorite number and whitneybob78 was my forum name for a while.

Speaking of forum names here are a few of the aliases I've had online: whitneybob78, _goofy_, drowning_art, Alynelle (Alyn for short), Kialyn, Jackalyn, wathayne, and tiger_ninja_girl.  So if you're reading through forums and you see any of those screen names chances are its me! Woo!

Throughout my Sophomore year I had the name Fish #2 or just Fish for short.  I shared Mrs. Eisenharts US History Class with Jenna. Whenever one of us looked exceptionally good that day instead of saying "You look nice," or something along those lines the other would chastise the other saying, "Jenna/Whitney you're so superficial! You always have to look so good to feel good." After a while superficial just got old or too long so instead we just resorted to calling each other fish. Jenna was Fish #1 and I was Fish #2.  Still to this day when I see Jenna I alway say, "Hey Fish. How's it going?" I'm pretty sure she finds it annoying but I enjoy it! Ha!

Hacker came to me in ninth grade.  I was on MSN and Laura was on the computer next to me. I didn't really want to talk to any of my friends so I asked her who she was talking to. She was instant messaging Derek, a red head boy from school. Laura gave me his e-mail address and I added him.  Foolishly he added me without knowing who I was. I immediately began chatting with him. When ever he asked who I was, I avoided the question by asking him a question such as, "So you're Derek, huh?" or "How do you like foods third period with Reber?" (Information given to me by Laura). After pestering me as to how I had so much information on him I confessed that I was a computer hacker and by accepting my buddy request I had gained access to all information connected to his e-mail.  I told him I was coming to visit him the next day in school.  To say this frightened him would be quite an understatement.  Trying to convince himself I was lying he told me that when I found him I should call him chickenfeet so he would know it was me (why he picked chickenfeet is beyond me).  I told him that would be fine and that I would see him tomorrow. I bid him good day and signed off.  Laura and I had a good laugh and eagerly awaited school tomorrow.  The next day at school I followed a few paces behind Laura to chickenfeet's locker. When she stopped to talk to him he had his back to me and he began telling her all about this hacker was coming to find him today and how he was admittedly  a little scared.  I decided that was the opportune moment and tapped him on the shoulder and said,  "Hello chickenfeet."  The panicked look on his face was priceless! After that day I called him chickenfeet and he affectionately referred to me as hacker. 

In eighth grade (I'm kinda working backwards here...) I earned the name Saxophone.  It's actually quite a simple story.  I was friends with Wendy and we were both in band with Miss Ugaki.  Wendy had another band friend whose name I didn't know and she didn't know either.  She played the Trombone and I played the Tenor Saxophone so we would call each other Trombone and Saxophone.  I think her real name may have been Kelsie... *shrugs*

A nickname I earned in my early instant messaging days was kat.  My sister, Jess, and my cousin, Andrea, would all chat together and we all picked emoticons to be our little nicknames.  I chose the emoticon of the cat but didn't want the real spelling of cat so thinking I was creative I chose kat.  I only remember one of them chose the lightbulb and was lyte. So yeah... the end.

Jessica's little sister is one of the names I have been called my whole life. I guess that's what I get for having such an awesome older sister. When ever anyone (teachers or students) heard my last name or thought for some bizarre reason I looked like Jess they would exlcaim, "Hey you're Jessica's little sister!" I would reply with a bored, "Yeah that's me."  Even after learning my name some would still refer to me as Jessica's little sister.

Biscuithead was used by Raven in a That's so Raven episode and for some reason Laura started calling me that one day... Yup.. It's pretty much dead now though.

Sandra was given to me by my Uncle Jeff.  He thinks that I'm the spitting image of Sandra Bullock so no him and his family call me Sandra.

Gravity to the rescue!!!  Ha ha! Gravity is kind of my superhero name I guess... One day my sister Jen was picking on my little brother Josh. She was picking him up off the ground and he was yelling, "Help me help me!"  Jokingly I said, "Don't worry gravity will help you," meaning that gravity made him too heavy for her to hold for an extended period of time and eventually he would hit the ground. Apparently he didn't get it because he started calling to me, "Help me Gravity! Help me!"  I rolled my eyes and rushed over there to save him.  So too this day I'm Gravity the superhero and Jen is Anit-gravity the villain.

Thayne isn't really a nickname, but some people call me Thayne. In soccer I used to be called Thayne because that was what was on my jersey and when my coach got frustrated and into the game he wasn't really capable of thought to he just read our jerseys.  Besides soccer, the ROTC cadets call me Thayne or Miss Thayne. Many of them don't even know my first name and I don't know theirs and I don't really care.

I got the name Cowgirl in junior high when I had a crush on Jeff.  Us girls had nicknames for the boys we liked so we could talk about them without anyone knowing.  For some reason we name Jeff after Jack Kelley's nickname on Newsies.  Since Jeff was Cowboy I was Cowgirl.

This name was short lived and I don't think it really has a story. For a bit Laura called me Muffin and I called her Macaroni. I don't know why but yeah, that's it.

Finally I've gained the nickname Whitikers.  Jen claims Lydia made it up and Jess claims she got it from some Whitney from her work but where ever it came from doesn't matter. Jess, Jen, Josh, Lydia, and Heavy Kevy all call me Whitikers.

Well that's all I can think of right now.  I hope ya'll enjoyed the stories from my random past.