Sunday, October 21, 2007

My Nicknames

First, let me talk about the nicknames I have acquired over time. My nicknames are precious and they have specific meanings to me


I'll start with my favourite:


Sisi - It means 'young lady' in Yoruba. Reason I love it the most is that, it is a term of endearment given to me by my father and mother, don't know who started using it first, my mum or my dad but I suspect it's my mum. When I hear it, it just sounds like they are calling my very own name and it just sounds like 'love'. They called me sisi more than they used my original name when I was younger. My mum would tell me stories of how I was a primadona when I was a child. Lol. I would sit pretty at the back of the car with my head held high, legs crossed, staring straight ahead, then maybe in traffic, someone shouts out 'sisi' on the road, which is quite common in nigeria, I would look around in annoyance and fuss 'who is that calling my name?' My mum said she used to have fits of laughter just watching me do that.


When I started going to pre-school, my dad dropped me off and in the process of petting me and promising he would check on me as often as possible while i was sobbing, he forgot to tell the teachers my first name as they only had Miss XXXX (insert surname). The teachers came to me and asked me what my name was and I told them with much confidence 'Sisi'.

They asked me if I was sure and I said yes, so they assumed I had a lisp and was trying to say 'Titi'. Hence I became Titi for a few days till my doting father overheard them in one of his visits. There's even a song that goes with the nickname...

I still love it when my dad, mum or brother call me that, which they do when they have missed me much or we haven't seen each other in a long while...it's such an intimate thing! I might call my first daughter Sisi too...



My second favorite nickname would be Elenu O. It isn't so much about the nickname but rather the person who gave it to me. She was a friend of my mother's who was one of the most motherly women I have ever known. They were part of a ladies' society together and all the women in the society doted on me. She however was a favorite so she nicknamed me, after my tiniest mouth that she said was permanently shaped like a little cute o (my mouth was pretty much a tiny pink o on my face)..then she got the nickname 'Mummy Elenu O'. It sounds long but people got used to it so quickly that it was not that long anymore. Everytime she saw me, which was at least twice a week, she would spoil me with loads of junk that my mum never allowed me between meals; chocolates, ribena and loads of assorted sweets!! I took a great liking to her. I still saw her two years ago and I spoke to her this year and yup, she still calls me 'Elenu O'


Cinderella, Barbie, Redskin, Indian: Were all given to me by 4 different guys in high school. Each obviously needs not much explanation, the redskin and indian ones, well...lol.

Oh and there's Irish that my darling 100%lighty gave me. I don't know how she came about that because she couldn't even come up with an explanation herself, but somehow, it stuck, that's what she stored my name as on her phone and that's what my username on my laptop is. Lol. I liked it cos it was very original and no, I am not irish.

Speaking of names, choosing one's children's names must be a very daunting task, just thinking about it hurts my head. Wow, there are so many decisions to be made in life, and some of them, would affect your life and other people's life for the rest of your life. I think of those who name their kids 'Fellowship' and I think, how unfair!

Anyway, I'm off to eat a very late lunch.

Have a fab week!

~Mimi~

28 comments:

cinnamonqueen said...

I love Sisi - I might even name my daughter that if you don't mind, pretty please? :)
Love nicknames, they're the perfect token of intimacy. Have you noticed, we only call people with their nicknames if we really like them or are really close to them? There are also those nicknames for peeps we don't like that only get whispered behind their backs :)

Jennifer A. said...

haaaaaaa...lol...who named their kid "fellowship?" Ahn ahn now, that's really not fair (also names like "God-is-good"~ I'm not kidding I know someone called that)...

Awwwww...I like the whole idea behind your 'sisi' and 'Elenu O' nick-name. Hmm...I'm sure ur mouth is still shaped as a pink O...lol...cuteee!

Yeah, we have to be very careful how we name the kids...even the bible says, "as a man's name is, so is he." :)

Admin UD said...

Irish sounds...erhmmm...sexy. My fav. Think i'm gon start calling you that :)

Anonymous said...

Mimi, thanks for the b-day greeting you left on Jaycee's blog.

Nice stories about your nicknames.. lol. Have a good week.

Justme said...

interesting and funny..........my nicknames never stuck

laspapi said...

hallo sisi,
I was called Indian as a 12 year old, amongst other names. I think you just gave me an idea again for another post- one on nicknames.

How've you been, ~idol~? You went M.I.A.

LurLar said...

lol Sisi,
Hmmmmmm Elenu oh,dats classic.

Lighty 'neferet' Kopearl said...

i love Irish too.

@ugo... thx 4 spotting the sexiness in my very own nickname. even though i doubt Irish people are sexy. umm i wonder where than came from.

mimi, thing is; if i culd do it different ill give u Spanish instead. wot u think? u like???

Joy Isi Bewaji said...

what's up babes? irish? real cooool! lol!!

Carlang said...

Hello Irish!
I think you have really cool names.
Sisi Irish.
lol.
have a lovely day. Thanks for stopping by my world.
Have fun wherever you are.
Knock em dead.
er...
Cinderella, Barbie, Redskin, Indian?

Take care
lol

Yours usually called.
carl

Miss Opeke said...

Have heard someone name their child 'Breakthrough'...

♥♫♪nyemoni♫♪♥ said...

LOL..Sisi...How are you?

EDNUTEY said...

LOL...when I was in Nigeria, this woman named her son "Thy will be done"...so they call him "Thy will"...can u imagine...such kid growing up and his friends will start making fun of his name...I'm sure he'll hate his parents later...lol "thy will"

I am definitely naming my first daughter "Ariyike" or "Atinuke"...and of cos an english name "Daisy" or "Ariel"...love those names...so SISI, bawo ni? lol...not calling u Mimi again...abeg madam sisi...pity us with dis word verification thhing...I type d thing like 5 times b4 I get it right

Anonymous said...

na wa ooo all this names just for u?

BiMbyLaDs** said...

lol.. sisi!! lol.. anyway I was telling my sis in law that I am gonna call my kid ' rainbow' and she laughed her head off.. pls what is funny?

love,
Iya Rainbow.. lol

...toyintomato said...

Irish sisi...great nicnames..

laspapi said...

~mimi~....

Anonymous said...

lol..... Sisi sounds really cool.. used 2 know a Sisi back in skool. most ppl didnt even know her real name..as for rainbow, breakthrough, thywill etc, they sure dont sound half as ridiculous as budget yes budget no typos....i hear she was born on d day d budget was read...can u beat that???

Joy Isi Bewaji said...

er... i think its time to update! lol!!!

Uzo said...

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES NAME YOUR CHILD SIS....NONSENSE...

Naija Vixen said...

c u oh! u didnt even add the name i gave u...can u imagine?....i will stop callin u that...iv gotten a betta name 4 u..or shld i say worse!

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

Wow, that's a lot of nicknames!

I have never really had a nickname that stuck, except for Mimi when I was a baby.

Instead, I have been the one doling out nicknames to people. Oh, my Husband has a nickname for me. I won't share it though, lol!

Aramide said...

LOL KEWLLL

i believe i have like 65 nicknames or so haha

Writefreak said...

chei! you get plenty nicknames o! I had one as a child and i have only been able to reveal it to my hubby less i be ashamed...lol

As for naming a child, one has to consider it very well, i have heard some names recently and i'm like WHAT DA...! Some children's names will not even enter JAMB form

Sam Oracle said...

Most of the nicknames i ever had was given to me by my classmates and even teachers. Itz all a school thing.
One man at home calls me Kunta kinte although i noramlly reject the name, he just wouldn't stop. I haven't seen the man in a long time.

At home everybody is used to calling me "Junior" coz i bear daddy's name
I guess i'm kinda used to it

Unknown said...

Lol at all your nicknames ... Irish is my favourite. I can't wait to pick names for my kids, it must be so much fun deciding out of all the names which one suits them best ... unfortunately for my future kids, I quite like slightly out there names.

Aijay said...

We share the same nickname.
My dad calls me Sisi among other names.

Uzo said...

U need to update now....ah ah