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HelpTerrible nickname?
Was just wondering if everyone thought Daffy is a terrible nickname for Daphne.
I understand that it means silly, but is it really such a terrible nickname?
My mum has been crapping on again about how horrible our names are and how Daphne will get teased with the nickname Daffy, but I don't see it as terrible. Especially here in Australia nicknames can be terms of endearment in funny ways, like my husband always calls his mum duffer, short for silly duffer which is basically someone who has done something silly. It's not used in a horrible way, it's more like a friendly/joking thing, for instance if one of my students tries to leave at the end of the day without his school bag or something I might laugh and call him a silly duffer.
So do you think Daphne "Daffy" is awful?
(The whole Daffy duck thing doesn't bother me at all).
I understand that it means silly, but is it really such a terrible nickname?
My mum has been crapping on again about how horrible our names are and how Daphne will get teased with the nickname Daffy, but I don't see it as terrible. Especially here in Australia nicknames can be terms of endearment in funny ways, like my husband always calls his mum duffer, short for silly duffer which is basically someone who has done something silly. It's not used in a horrible way, it's more like a friendly/joking thing, for instance if one of my students tries to leave at the end of the day without his school bag or something I might laugh and call him a silly duffer.
So do you think Daphne "Daffy" is awful?
(The whole Daffy duck thing doesn't bother me at all).
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Double post - please ignore - sorry
I love Daphne. If you or who ever is called Daffy and likes this name, then this is perfect. It seems this name is used affectionately, no?
I love Daphne. If you or who ever is called Daffy and likes this name, then this is perfect. It seems this name is used affectionately, no?
This message was edited 7/16/2016, 2:31 PM
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I love Daphne. I you or who ever is called Daffy and likes this name, than this is perfect. It seems this name was used affectionately, no?
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I like Daphne and think Daffy works as a nickname
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Kinda.
Daffy immediately brings to mind Daffy Duck. I don't think it's a good idea as a nickname.
Daffy immediately brings to mind Daffy Duck. I don't think it's a good idea as a nickname.
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It's not a nickname I would pick or encourage anyone to use, but I think it's okay as an occasional, at-home, affectionate pet name for those moments when she actually is being a "Daffy Daphne." If I had a Daphne, I'd work hard to make sure it never became an established nickname.
My almost-4-year-old niece is a Daphne, but "Daffy" has never been on the table. She's called Daphne 95% of the time, and Daph once in a while. Daphne is one of those names that's better without a nickname, imo.
My almost-4-year-old niece is a Daphne, but "Daffy" has never been on the table. She's called Daphne 95% of the time, and Daph once in a while. Daphne is one of those names that's better without a nickname, imo.
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I think it's fine. She'd definitely get Daf or Daffy in my family but I doubt it would stick outside the family. My whole family exclusively call me by my nicknames (Lisey, Lisey-Lou, Lissy) but they introduce me by my full name and I've always introduced myself by my full name. Only very very close friends have ever adopted it and I would be uncomfortable if someone outside the family ever just called me that. I think a lot of nicknames are like that.
Daffy is cute and fun for the family. It would be silly if you planned it out that she would go by Daffy though- as in, if I ever have an Edith, she'd be Edie 90% of the time across contexts.
Good luck with the birth! I hope it goes safely and the way you want. Can't wait for the announcement :)
Daffy is cute and fun for the family. It would be silly if you planned it out that she would go by Daffy though- as in, if I ever have an Edith, she'd be Edie 90% of the time across contexts.
Good luck with the birth! I hope it goes safely and the way you want. Can't wait for the announcement :)
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I wouldn't want it to be in wide use, that would be fairly awful. But other than little kids being unable to pronounce it, I honestly don't see it happening. I do think it could be cute at home.
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If it's planned as a name that will definitely used to replace Daphne, then it's terrible IMO.
As an affectionate nick that just sticks to a person, and the person does not mind, it could work.
But in my culture at least, I think it's unfortunate when such nicknames stick SO well, that people end up using them professionally or with strangers. People who aren't familiar, just don't get it - they can't. It's sort of like being named Darling ... any endearment, whether it's teasingly derisive or whether it's sweetly affectionate, just doesn't work well for strangers to use. If I went to the doctor and the assistant introduced herself as Daffy, I wouldn't think: Aw, she is loved. I'd think: wha... you poor thing, that sounds so incompetent (even though I know it's a nick that probably was bestowed affectionately and became habitual).
As an affectionate nick that just sticks to a person, and the person does not mind, it could work.
But in my culture at least, I think it's unfortunate when such nicknames stick SO well, that people end up using them professionally or with strangers. People who aren't familiar, just don't get it - they can't. It's sort of like being named Darling ... any endearment, whether it's teasingly derisive or whether it's sweetly affectionate, just doesn't work well for strangers to use. If I went to the doctor and the assistant introduced herself as Daffy, I wouldn't think: Aw, she is loved. I'd think: wha... you poor thing, that sounds so incompetent (even though I know it's a nick that probably was bestowed affectionately and became habitual).
This message was edited 7/13/2016, 9:54 AM
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Agreed.
My husband has a good friend whose nickname is Baby.
I just.. can't. I have to call her Rose. She doesn't like it and assumes I don't like her. But I just can't call her Baby (or put her in a corner ;))
My husband has a good friend whose nickname is Baby.
I just.. can't. I have to call her Rose. She doesn't like it and assumes I don't like her. But I just can't call her Baby (or put her in a corner ;))
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I can think of plenty worse nns than Daffy! And what's so bad about Daffy Duck anyway? Just teach her the right kind of quack, and she'll be fine.
The only Daphne I've known well didn't have a nn as far as I recall; nor did her sister, who was Isabel. Thinks: maybe she was Daff sometimes. Not sure.
As for your mother ... just tell her nicely that if she really can't face the name, she needn't visit the baby. That should work.
The only Daphne I've known well didn't have a nn as far as I recall; nor did her sister, who was Isabel. Thinks: maybe she was Daff sometimes. Not sure.
As for your mother ... just tell her nicely that if she really can't face the name, she needn't visit the baby. That should work.
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It's not something I'd choose - Daphne doesn't need shortening, and if I really felt I must I'd go for Daph or Daffs - but it's no biggie. Like you say, nns are often affectionate. My niece gets called Loopy Lu on occasion and she isn't traumatised.
Hang on in there. Soon she'll be born and your mum will have to shut up.:)
Hang on in there. Soon she'll be born and your mum will have to shut up.:)
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I wouldn't appreciate being called Daffy. It could be funny and quite while she's very little, but after that... And Daphne doesn't need a nickname anyway.
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QUESTION
To everyone who said Daffy is okay: Would you call your son Goofy as a nickname?
To everyone who said Daffy is okay: Would you call your son Goofy as a nickname?
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Yes. Daffy, Goofy, Silly, Goofball, all are descriptors of being silly and fun. Although they can be used meanly, they don't necessarily have to be. I wouldn't call my child Stupid as a nickname, but there are no good, fun connotations of Stupid, unlike the other nicknames I listed.
This message was edited 7/13/2016, 2:55 PM
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Possibly, yes.
I think sometimes nicknames just stick.
My cousin married her fiancé last weekend. His name is David but everyone calls him Tug, because the doctor had to "tug" him out at birth (possible TMI).
Even the priest referred to him as Tug during the ceremony.
In the Philippines sometimes people have legit nick"names" like Bebot, Ding or Wing-Wing that are used even professionally. Their real name might be Conchita, Virgilio or Andreana... and you would never know!
(Bebot means the same as "hot chick" and was used for a guy).
For what it is worth, I used to call a kid I met in this orphanage in Russia "Goofy". It stuck and everyone started calling him Goofy. Though, in fairness, the Disney character was not so popular there that the reference was obvious.
I think sometimes nicknames just stick.
My cousin married her fiancé last weekend. His name is David but everyone calls him Tug, because the doctor had to "tug" him out at birth (possible TMI).
Even the priest referred to him as Tug during the ceremony.
In the Philippines sometimes people have legit nick"names" like Bebot, Ding or Wing-Wing that are used even professionally. Their real name might be Conchita, Virgilio or Andreana... and you would never know!
(Bebot means the same as "hot chick" and was used for a guy).
For what it is worth, I used to call a kid I met in this orphanage in Russia "Goofy". It stuck and everyone started calling him Goofy. Though, in fairness, the Disney character was not so popular there that the reference was obvious.
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I suspect not, but that probably also has something to do with the fact that there's no obvious full name Goofy might be short for. Daffy may mean silly or crazy, but there's no denying that it at least sounds like a nn for Daphne, or might even be the way a little kid would mispronounce Daphne.
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I wouldn't spread it around to common use, but I do call John "Goofy" on the regular (as a name not a descriptor.
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yes, there's a difference ...
Between nns that are just used privately at home and nns that are used by friends and teachers.
I have a friend whose son is named Joshua, but when he was learning to crawl, he got the nn Monkey, because he would get up on his hands and feet and move kind of like a monkey. This would have been fine for just a private, at-home or occasional nn, but if he'd gone to school answering to Monkey, well ... if I was his teacher I wouldn't be very happy, and it would be hard to explain to him that Monkey wasn't an appropriate name for teachers to be calling him.
Between nns that are just used privately at home and nns that are used by friends and teachers.
I have a friend whose son is named Joshua, but when he was learning to crawl, he got the nn Monkey, because he would get up on his hands and feet and move kind of like a monkey. This would have been fine for just a private, at-home or occasional nn, but if he'd gone to school answering to Monkey, well ... if I was his teacher I wouldn't be very happy, and it would be hard to explain to him that Monkey wasn't an appropriate name for teachers to be calling him.
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I knew a kid called Bug. His real name was Joshua but he had a hearing problem as an toddler and he called himself Bug because of the way he heard his name. It stuck and he's in highschool and everyone calls him Bug.
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I took a class at uni with a guy who insisted on being called Shrimp. I refused to call him Shrimp. I wasn't friends with him and a nickname like that has a certain level of intimacy, at least in my opinion, and I didn't feel comfortable using it when I barely knew him.
He had an ordinary name like David or Daniel and I don't know why he didn't want us to use it.
He had an ordinary name like David or Daniel and I don't know why he didn't want us to use it.
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I use to know a man nicknamed Squid. These seafood names! I don't know what his actual name was, I didn't know him that well.
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I actually never realized that daffy is a word meaning silly. I've never heard it in that context, only as the duck's name (which I guess I should have picked up on, but still).
So to answer your question: I'd call kids Daffy and Goofy on occasion, for fun, but not as a permanent nickname.
So to answer your question: I'd call kids Daffy and Goofy on occasion, for fun, but not as a permanent nickname.
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I think at the age at which I might use Daffy, I'd use Goofy too.
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Yeah if the nickname came up naturally for whatever reason. If this hypothetical son didn't like it though, I wouldn't call him that.
This message was edited 7/12/2016, 11:29 PM
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Seeing as how I have a niece who goes by the nickname Dewey, I can't really talk.
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I think Daffy is just fine. It reminds me of daffodils as much as Daffy the duck.
Anything can be mean, or endearing, depending on the intonation. I was teased with Catlin. Which means nothing mean in itself, but it got under my skin, and the other kids picked up on that.
We've always called DD silly and goofball, and she likes being called those things. So if you use daffy endearingly, she may actually like it. I would definitely use it as a nickname myself, to set the tone for it.
You should use the name you love, shut your mum out for the rest of your pregnancy, and don't worry about it. Frankly your mom is being an ass.
Anything can be mean, or endearing, depending on the intonation. I was teased with Catlin. Which means nothing mean in itself, but it got under my skin, and the other kids picked up on that.
We've always called DD silly and goofball, and she likes being called those things. So if you use daffy endearingly, she may actually like it. I would definitely use it as a nickname myself, to set the tone for it.
You should use the name you love, shut your mum out for the rest of your pregnancy, and don't worry about it. Frankly your mom is being an ass.
This message was edited 7/12/2016, 9:30 PM
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I don't think it's that bad, but I also don't think it's necessary. It's only one small sound away from Daphne itself so I can't imagine it being used all that much except for fun, as you've explained.
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I think it's cute. I don't understand the big deal about nicknames honestly. They're not permanent or have to go on any papers.
I think cutesy and dorky nicknames are the best, they're full of character. I particularly like the juxtaposition of how gentle and sophisticated Daphne is with how funny and clunky the nickname Daffy is.
Really the only thing that matters is how Daphne feels about the nickname. And she's a baby right now, I think... right? So when she's older she might hate being called Daffy or she might like it and that's all that matters.
I think cutesy and dorky nicknames are the best, they're full of character. I particularly like the juxtaposition of how gentle and sophisticated Daphne is with how funny and clunky the nickname Daffy is.
Really the only thing that matters is how Daphne feels about the nickname. And she's a baby right now, I think... right? So when she's older she might hate being called Daffy or she might like it and that's all that matters.
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Yes, it's terrible! Daphne doesn't even need a nickname; it's only 6 letters and easy to pronounce. Daffy Duck. That's what will happen.
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I think that Daffy is a terrible nickname because of Daffy Duck (and I dislike the sound), but you don't seem bothered by it, so there's that. However, there's no way of knowing whether or she will love or hate the name. Daphne is a beautiful name, and comments like your mother's should not deter you from using it.
Personally, I like "Daffodil" as a nickname for Daphne.
Personally, I like "Daffodil" as a nickname for Daphne.
This message was edited 7/12/2016, 6:33 PM
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In the US, a duffer is a golfer, usually a not-very-good golfrer.
I sure wouldn't like to be called Daffy unless I was older and had chosen it for myself or otherwise signed off on it.
I sure wouldn't like to be called Daffy unless I was older and had chosen it for myself or otherwise signed off on it.
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Yes, I do think it's terrible. I would so not appreciate being called Daffy. Obviously the Daffy Duck thing doesn't bother you, but that doesn't mean it won't bother your daughter.
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As a fellow Aussie, no I don't think it's terrible. I think your mum is probably being overly sensitive about her soon to be born granddaughter and if she hates the names, then she's probably trying to put you off the names in any way she can!! :) Go with what you and DH love, it's your DD, nobody else's. How long to go now?
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Less than a week. I'm feeling utterly miserable because of all the dramas my mum is causing. I'm seriously tempted to have the baby, not tell her, not tell her the name and then disappear for a year or something!
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This is exactly the reason I never shared our children's sex with my family before they were born, and it never crossed my mind to discuss names with them.
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agree
We did share the sex, and there were discussions and suggestions about names, but we never told them what the final choice (actually two choices) were.
We did share the sex, and there were discussions and suggestions about names, but we never told them what the final choice (actually two choices) were.
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A relative of my husband's had twins this past January. I'd seen her at a family gathering,before the birth, and asked her, as others did, if they had chosen names. She said, "Oh, there's a few favourites, but we're not sure yet." which was a polite way of saying"Not telling".
So I didn't, of course, press her!
So I didn't, of course, press her!
This message was edited 7/14/2016, 5:40 AM
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Well my reasoning was to get them used to it so taht I wouldn't be dealing with a massive backlash when she's born.
For the most part it has worked nicely, my grandparents, brother and friends are very used to the two names and they have grown on them, however my mum.. not so much.
I think for the next baby i'll move overseas and not tell anyone that i'm pregnant.
For the most part it has worked nicely, my grandparents, brother and friends are very used to the two names and they have grown on them, however my mum.. not so much.
I think for the next baby i'll move overseas and not tell anyone that i'm pregnant.
This message was edited 7/13/2016, 12:41 AM
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She'll adjust when baby is here. You don't hold your first grandchild and whinge about the name- she'll marvel at how amazing and brilliant and beautiful and precious she is. In the future, maybe don't share?
Our family mostly make up ridiculous names for babies and tell everyone it is that as a joke. My youngest bro was Chauncey and my nephew was Godfrey haha
Our family mostly make up ridiculous names for babies and tell everyone it is that as a joke. My youngest bro was Chauncey and my nephew was Godfrey haha
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Not Godfroi? even better!
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Less than a week? So exciting! You poor thing though, you don't need drama from anyone right now. My family never liked the name Jasper, but knew that if I was to ever have a DS, that would be his name. I really didn't care what they thought of it and knew that when he was born they would be so in love with him, they would get used to the name. And that absolutely happened. It's still not a name any other member of my family would choose, but they love my DS and he is such a Jasper! Actually they weren't totally sold on Jethro either, but got used to that too and again, it absolutely suits him. All the best with the remainder of your pregnancy and the birth. Can't wait to her the announcement! :)
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