Tagged: Nicknames

Found out Jane tagged me.

Sure, why not?

List ALL the names you were called by and the people/person who called you that. Tag at least 5 members of your contacts and give a comment on their site for them to know they've been tagged.

(Here we go)

Amy Concepcion - my christened name. Amy means "beloved" and was picked up by my parents at the back of the old Webster's Dictionary we had at home. (Clearly they didn't bother to venture to the letter B. Concepcion, because I was born on December 8. Some of my friends know there's a back story to this, pangnobela.

Amy (as in Austria)- the pronunciation I usually go by (and respond to when people call me from across the street).

Amy Austria - (now the cultural references will really be lost for Ilia, Sarah and their generation) Amy Austria was a popular actress back in the 1970's and 1980's. She had short hair, like I did for most of my life. Ah, my grade school apple cut.

Ming/Meng - an invention of Tatay, when all he bothers to pronounce is the second syllable of a three-letter name.

Amelia - also from Tatay (I think). I'm also called this when I'm being asked to do something (in other words, pag uutusan na ako).

Ahmee - technically not a proper response for this tag, but it really sticks out as the most horrible misspelling of my name back in grade school. The teacher went through the trouble of making IDs for each one of us. Ahmee. Ah-what?

Aimee - also another misspelling, but this one's more acceptable, the French origin of my name.

Amygirl - my former dorm mate Diane used to call me this in her high pitched-voice, like "Amygurl!" (ala Ruffa baga)

Ams - for some reason, I got called this more when I studied in Diliman and started teaching. I suppose people got lazier saying a three-letter name.

Amy (as in Carter)- my beloved deceased prof Isang Mallari was the first to call me this. It stuck with the entire class that when I enrolled the following semester, some former classmates were calling me to no end "Amy! Amy!" Didn't realized they were calling me until Teny nudged, "I think they're calling you." Actually, I prefer to be called this way. I associated this version with the Diliman phase of my life.

Wait a sec, does anybody still know Amy Carter? (O siya, a little history: she's the youngest daughter of US Pres Jimmy Carter.)

Ma'am Amy - when I started teaching.

Ma'am Colanta - a more formal, more detached reference to me.

Mammy - A short cut to "Ma'am Amy." I can't recall who started calling me this. I think it was Sarah. In a way, I suppose, a more affectionate maternal reference.

Amy dear - Eva at the office sometimes calls me this (especially when she wants me to finish something, haha). Panimula din sa mga sulat sa akin, very apropos.

Amy love - From Ava, who always started her text messages with it.

Bruja - My sister's concoction, until I told her recently that I hated being called like that. But then, if it's spelled with a j, somehow, it reads more elegantly.

bananaducky - my blog name, obviously.

bipolar burr - courtesy of Jane, no thanks to my infamous mood swings and depressive moments. Somehow, it makes it more, well, endearing and forgiving, I guess. Also reminds me of how Jane says "hurr." As in "It's getting hot in hurr."

Pilar - I own up to this concoction. If durga has her jane, bananducky has her pilar. Also the lovely name of a deceased aunt, Nanay's elder sister.

So there.