I still remember the day that Audrey and Jane got back into my car after picking up a couple of hot dogs at our local hot weiner joint… and Jane said, “Grin gave us two extra ones.”
Without batting an eye, Audrey added, “Grin knows you love the ones with extra onions.”
OK. Two extras were good. I guess.
I do love extra onions.
But… who (or what) was Grin?
Grin? Oh, he was the guy who didn’t talk much. But he always had a great big smile.
When I finally realized that Jane and Audrey had nicknamed this hot weiner worker based on his, well… GRIN, I couldn’t help laughing out loud.
There was no malice. No libel. Nothing disparaging or malevolent.
It was simply an observation.
Of course, I had to explain that although it was true that the nice man did GRIN, it certainly would not be necessary to call him that outside of our car. Or home. And certainly not at the hot weiner joint.
But my initial laughter at the appointed nickname did create an avalanche of sorts that did not stop at Grin, and that has continued to this day.
We’ve had Swish… the ever-efficient woman at the Dunkin’ Donuts counter who opened bags in such swift swish motions that she became known to us simply as “Swish.”
The frazzled lady at the ice cream shop who self-admittedly one day said (to Audrey and Jane) that she was a train wreck. OK. She became “Trainwreck” from then on.
Or the guy who meticulously swept his bagel shop around customers as they dropped anything… even morsels. How could they resist the name “Sweep?”
And how could I forget Shift. “Shift” worked at our neighborhood pharmacy… and I cannot recall her EVER not being there. On the job. Covering her never-ending Shift.
Then a kind-of really gross one. Shell Toes was the older (well, he was probably the age I am now) boyfriend of our next-door-neighbor. He had crusty, yellow, clam-like toenails, and he ALWAYS wore sandals. The nomiker “Shell Toes” was downright kind!
And due to that pesky little thing called genetics, this nickname thing has found its way to Audrey’s little guys. Yes, it happened today.
It was William’s last day of pre-school, and Audrey told him that he could pick out a special toy from Toys “R” Us to celebrate his wonderful first year. Once inside, William looked wide-eyed at all his choices, and finally settled on a Star Wars Light Saber. There was one left with a torn box, so William’s solution was to ask Fingers for one with a good box.
Fingers?
Seems that William had seen one of the stock-persons stocking the shelves.
And yes. He had the longest fingers that we had ever seen.
Oh, boy. History does repeat itself!
– Sharon
Oh Mom… don’t forget O-Tay! Even as an adult, I still couldn’t resist this one. He worked at the diner right next to my NYC apartment (58th and 9th) and ALWAYS said “OK… ” but it always sounded like “O-Tay!” Voila! A nickname was born! Even William calls him that… to this DAY! He was a special man who took such good care of me throughout my pregnancies with William and Alexander. He always asked how I was… even took special care to make sure I crossed the street. O-Tay… is a special nickname, for a special man. Who I will always hold dear in my heart! He saw me more than my own family got to see me when I was pregnant the 1st 2 times!
xo,
Audrey
Thanks for the laugh, that story was too cute! Funny how history has a way of repeating itself. I really thought I was the only one who gave people nicknames like that!
I was with you until shell toes, very descriptive…maybe too descriptive 🙂 I like your family’s creativity.
Adam
http://adam-finch.eachday.com
my husband is just like that, he gives everyone nicknames…
I love this! Seriously, Sharon, I want you to adopt me 🙂 I love the way your family loves to laugh and have a good time!!
Hahahaha! The toenails one was hilarious! We had a pediatrician who had fingernails like that, and all I could think was, “If he can’t even treat his own fingernails, why am I letting him care for my kids?” I didn’t listen to my instincts and he turned out to be horrible.
This reminds me of two stories:
1) My senior year in high school I worked at a Chik-fil-A restaurant near my house. There was a boy two years younger than me (and he was one of only a few that spoke English well enough for me to converse with him) and I called him Legs because he was tall and I am short. I always needed help reaching things when we were restocking up front so it was his job to help! Luckily I married a tall man and now every now and again I call him Legs and ask for his help too. 🙂
2) When said husband and I were dating I was sitting by him in his apartment. We were watching a movie with his rooommates and I was snuggling up to him a little bit. After a while he sat up straight and said, “Alright, Leany…” You’d have to hear it for it to be really funny, but I got a kick out of that. If we are snuggling now and that happens and I am leaning on him, it’s almost a joke to see who will bring up my Leany nickname first.
I loved this post of yours.
I’d be afraid I’d slip and use one of the nicknames to someone’s face 🙂 What a cute post!
This may cause Audrey some problems in the future LOL
LOL! My husband and I give people nicknames also. It’s all in good fun.