On Nicknames

I have a mate who hates his nickname. Problem is, I'm the culprit who gave him that nickname in the first place and I cannot get it out of my mind whenever I refer to him. He hates it with a passion (not sure why as it's simply a contraction of his name, sorta like Bazza is a contraction of Barry) and I find myself stuck as it feels very strange for me to call him by his proper name, instead of the nickname. Oh the humanity! :-)

Which led me to ruminate on the nature of nicknames. I give nicknames out of familiarity and friendship. For me, it's basically saying, "Mate, we're not associates anymore. We're friends. So I gift you with this nickname. You may find it a bit strange, but it rolls off the tongue for me and is a sign that I consider you a good friend and am relaxed enough i your company to give you a nickname."

Sometimes, the nicknames I give don't stick. They just do not seem to fit, and we revert quickly to the mate's proper name. Other times, they do, like a glove, and the friend forever becomes known to my mind by that nickname.

I want to say: "Get over it. It's a compliment."

But somehow, I don't think he'll agree with me.

:-(