If done lovingly, can any moniker work for anyone? I rarely use birth names for my boys, wife or anyone I give two cents about. Usually, my older boy I call Boy and my younger son, usually Chub Chub. My wife gets Big Girl. From there, we can go a couple different directions, if I tell my boys do such and such and they do the opposite, I am quick with a "Donkey."
My mom, who has recently been visiting a lot (great since I don't feel guilty about not going to my hometown), hates when I use that word. I say it's just a word and when said lovingly "come here my chubby little donkey" (with plenty of honey and charm), any word can be disarmed. We go round and round for awhile, usually she'll let it go. I gotta give props to Adam Carolla, I spent years listening to him on Loveline then re-listening to almost ten years worth of nightly shows. Then the last about five years he's been doing a Podcast, great stuff, one of his stories, he mentions how his high school coach would line them up and if not up to speed, you would get on the "donkey squad". I always found that story hilarious, Adam, not above his stories, accepted the donkey title fair and square. I love that dude, modern day genius.
Old school dudes all seem to have pet names for each other, which I always found strange, but I guess just accepted it. They called my dad "Güera" (Spanish for blonde), puzzling since he's a standard shortish beaner from south Texas. His best friend "Pachanga" (Spanish for rowdy party), I could've bet you his liver gave out at some point (it did). My dad still smiles when anyone calls him Güera, my brother in law half-mockingly, calls him that, I think he feels cool when he hears it. I got Nuni (which is just junior in Spanish). I know my father-in-law is Kino, not sure what it means, not from his birth name though. My Sister-in-law calls my wife Kix, which I have never understood, she's got little legs, she ain't kicking no one, maybe when they were young, but we've been together since she was 14, I don't know.
I can't say my boy has cool nicknames like that for any of his friends, and we've had a mess of them float through. A couple got Knucklehead by me, by that was mostly short lived. A couple of the Girlies going through have gotten Princess and Butterfly and Short Stuff and Itty Bitty and those are fun and harmless although I do see idiots arguing over girls being called Princess. Like they should only be labeled Queen or Your Majesty? I don't really get it, but be glad she's pretty to be called a Princess, she could get little Ogre or worse. I don't own girls, happy for that, so I am not an expert.
People will always use pet names for the ones they care and love. I guess strangers use them too, though. How many times have you called the bad driver in front of you, Asshole!! or think of the slow lady in front of you at the checkout lane paying with a check "fucking grandma, you're slowing the world down". Be glad most people address you lovingly "Sweety Peety".
Very nice, Sweety peety!
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