Tue 13 Feb 2007
Interesting and Fun-to-Know Fact About Me #47: I spent the first two decades of my life almost exclusively going by the nickname “Chip.” Surprisingly enough, I still have people who I consider pretty good friends look around my apartment and suddenly blurt out, “Who the hell is ‘Chip’ and why do you have a poster signed by Dave Barry to him?” So I might as well get it overwith for the rest of you: yes, they call me Chip at home; I’m a Jr., and that’s apparently what you can do with that, so go on, get it out of your system and let’s get back to behaving like adults. Done?
I’m not really sure when I decided to eschew the campy nickname for my more formal legal name — okay, that’s a lie, I know exactly which straw broke that camel’s back, but I’m not sharing the story right now. I did, however, gradually deprecate its use like an obsolete piece of HTML, primarily by no longer correcting new professors on the first day of class when they went through roll call and asked for corrections and nicknames. As I transitioned from the class of ‘96 to ‘97 in the Aerospace program (thanks to the five-year liberal arts double major), most of my new not-quite-my-friend classmates knew me only as the professors knew me — Shelby — and I myself got used to my new-old grown-up name.
The final nail in the coffin for the notion of ever going through life under a diminutive nickname was when my new department receptionist for my first Real Job asked me exactly how I wanted my business cards: did I want the Jr. on there, or a nickname, or what? I thought about the work ahead of me and decided that the last thing I felt should be associated with advanced turbomachinery that might one day fly on something as formidable as a Comanche or a
Now, as I steer my career toward the political, I keep seeing the best and final reason to drop the whole nickname nonsense once you pull the punk rock posters off your wall.
Randy “Duke” Cunningham sentenced to eight years for bribery and fraud.
I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby on trial for obstruction of justice during CIA leak investigation.
Ex-CIA No. 3 Kyle “Dusty” Foggo indicted in corruption inquiry
I don’t know what the hell is wrong with all of these people, but there’s something about their douchey nicknames that brings extra douche to their criminal douchebaggery. If I get caught up in some crapstorm someday, I’m going down with my proud, legal name, no-middle-name and all.
February 13th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I wonder if I’d rather be called Rusty or Russell by the newspapers if I was convicted of a heinous crime.
I went by Rusty for 20 years, then tried to shed it, but it didn’t work. And I’m at peace with it now, even going by Rusty at work for a bajillion dollar web company.
February 13th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Yeah, but you’ve got a couple things working for you: Rusty is a fairly straightforward derivative of Russell, it’s not like these bizarre out-of-nowhere monikers like “Scooter” and “Duke,” nor a culturally coined (from the “off the old block” phrase, perhaps?) substitution like “Chip” or “Skip” or “Trip.” And second, while web design is certainly not golf, tennis, or surfing instruction, aren’t you web wizard types almost expected to come with some kind of non-standard presentation, like a nickname, colored hair, or funky t-shirt in the office? :-) I thought that was just one of the perks of wielding the magic code. And there are other professional reasons for going with the nickname; isn’t it the Vonnegut character Billy Pilgrim that decided to use Billy rather than William as an insurance salesman because it made his prospective clients feel more comfortable and familiar with him? I just figure the grey-suited types who are involved in pushing nations into wars ought to go with more staid, formal appellations than what sounds like a Muppet or something.
“Scooter.” I mean, seriously. And “Dusty” Foggo? What the Fog is that?
February 13th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Try “Spacey” when you’re, uh, my age. And I wonder why I have this nagging feeling that I’m not being taken seriously…
February 13th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Chip makes me chortle. You don’t really strike me as a “Chip.”
Were Shel or Shelly ever tossed about as options?
One of the unfortunate things about my first name is that it has no natural nicknames. When I was little I always wanted a cool nickname like Katy or Vicki or Cari. But that may have been because it was the 80s and virtually every girl had a name that ended with i or y except for me.
February 14th, 2007 at 2:26 am
I was called Speedy Reedy from 4th grade until graduation. It was cute when I was younger (and I was called that because I was a fucking fast runner) but as I got older being known as “speedy” wasn’t exactly the reputation I wanted for myself. Cuz you know, that would suggest I was a whore. An easy whore.
February 14th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Happy Valentine’s Day, CHIP! (Would you prefer Shelby “Brat” Highsmith?)
February 14th, 2007 at 10:13 am
I think I have finally ousted Chip and have replaced it with Shelby in my head, but I still have to think about it.
Of course it usually gets reduced to Shelbert. Y’know. Cause I don’t want any turbine blades.
Whenever I see “I. Scooter Libby”, I wait for whoever is saying it to stand, raise their right hand, and continue on with either:
- “do solemnly swear, to uphold the constitution of the United States” (oops!) or,
- “Take thee, Nikki, to be my wife”
February 14th, 2007 at 10:31 am
You know, I can actually live with Shelbert, at least from you guys. (Ah, Dana, your legacy lives on.) I always felt handicapped in college by the fact that my last name didn’t roll off the tongue, so I missed out on that whole convention, too.
Some people around here try the cheap crop to Shelb; that is not acceptable.
February 14th, 2007 at 11:34 am
I’m with Todd. I have almost extracted the last remnants of Chip from my speech. Sometimes, though, I still have to think about it.
I don’t think it’s too bad of a nickname. But that’s coming from a chick whose name is already a nickname and tried to sell “Ed” as a plausible alternative - just because there was an E and a D in her actual name. I’ve always wanted a nickname - hey, that’s not an invitation to find one. ;-)
February 14th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
I went to law school with a guy who went by the nickname Chip, and who was also the son of a Federal Judge. Is it part of the oath they have to take when they are sworn in to saddle their sons with that nickname?
February 14th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
legacy, what legacy…and for that matter, do you mean me ‘DANA’ or another dana? i’m so confused. but we know this.
regardless, i’m glad i heard this tale first hand and in person you know with gestures and enunciation and everything…so i guess i’m lucky that way.
February 14th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
man I hope this Dana is the Dana he was referring to and I was thinking of. Dana, if you were a friend of his and know a friend of his named Todd during college, than yes, it’s you. And Hi, by the way. If not, well, hi.
February 14th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Yeah, no — different Danas. Commenting Dana is from Atlanta. College Dana doesn’t come around these parts.
February 14th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
i’m not the only dana? well damn. :(
February 15th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
While not nearly as much of a “nick” name, I went by Cathi (oh yes, with the “i”) until I was nearly 30. It was when I met a 40 yr old woman named Cathi that I realized I better go to my full name and quick! There are a few people who still call me Cathi even after more than 20 years…
I am so NOT a Cathi now. I am always surprised by people who I meet for the first time and think they can call me “Cath” or “Cathy” or “Cat” or whatever. Yeah, Steven, I’ll just call you “Ste”, or Shelby, “She”.
But, the whole reason I ended up with my name is because my father, Warren, hated to be called “Smitty” (last name Smith) so he named his children names that would be shortened. So, there were were in the 60’s: Andy, Sam, and Cathi Smith. Say it with just the right sing-song and we could have been a TV sit-com family. (”The Beatniks Move to Suburbia”)
February 15th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I went to college with a guy named Dana. He sort of looked like John Malkovich. He was bald and shiny and I liked him until he accused me of thinking that God was corporeal. It wasn’t the accusation that made me not like him as much as the fact that he used the word “corporeal.”
February 16th, 2007 at 11:49 am
I’m just impressed there are 47 fun-to-know-about-Shelby facts!
February 16th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Wait, the last two posts are from Kate and Katie and I’m another Kate. This is getting tres confusing. We need more creative handles just so all of Katherine derivatives can be distinguished.
February 17th, 2007 at 12:50 am
You’re absolutely right, Other Kate. Where I live, I’m Kate the Blonde to distinguish me from Kate the Brown (who, by the way, hates her epithet). But I’ve seen the myspace Kates, and I’m pretty sure we’re all blonde. This post alone has a Katherine, a Catherine, two Kates and a Katie.
P.S.
I was the only Kate in my graduating class.
February 17th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Also, I’ve known Shelby for about four years now. Based on what I’ve gathered in that time, I can guarantee we already have nicknames.
February 17th, 2007 at 3:21 am
OMG KKK WTF!!!
February 17th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Wowsers, I hardly know where to go with this.
And yeah, I’m blonde, but only sort of. I’m what I might call “mousy” or “dishwater” blonde, but those don’t sound like appealing handles. Mousy Kate or Dishwater Kate…hmm, notsogood.
In an attempt to find a handle, here’s a short bio: I’m the Kate who knows Shelby from Young Democrats of Atlanta. I live in Atlanta with my husband, new baby, giant dog and three cats. I work at Turner doing internet stuff.
So I could be Young Dems Kate.
Or, sort of like Baby Spice, I could be Baby Kate. This would refer to the fact that I *have* a baby, but am not one myself.
Or I could be Crazy Cat Lady Kate.
Or Turner Kate, although best not to associate my work stuff with personal blogging stuff.
Or I could be lowercase kate since in the thread above, there were Kates and Katie but I was kate.
Or I could be Feisty Kate, which is how Shelby referred to me within the links on the right rail of his home page.
But that’s about all I got. Tell me who to be.
February 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Hmmmm…my full name is Kathryn, I’ve always been referred to as Katie, but several of my close friends call me Kate. I knew Shelby from Young Dems as well….I don’t have a nickname.
February 17th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Sure you do.