Are they dysfunctional bears? Does one drink a lot?

Well one is a dancer... (I knew someone would catch that).

They could be Binkley and Milo. Or she could do like the Madwoman of Chaillot (the Countess Aurelia, natch) and change their names each hour.

Beverly is impossible to nick, though it can be dimmed to Bev.

Aren't diminutives nicknames? How do you define nickname?

A dim is a shortening or lifting of the name or part of the name. A nick can be anything: Gipper, Flash, Cranky, Curly (my bald father's nick was Curly), etc. Usually referring to an event the nicked might rather forget, or to an outstanding physical attribute or lack of one, etc. And often, nicks use or allude to part of the name--"Speed" for Speedle on CSI:Miami, for example. Smitty for someone named Smith.

Sparks for the communications officer is a nick, as is Lou for a lieutenant.

Where as Miranda or Miriam is dimmed to Mindy, Mimi, or Randi/y, Elizabeth to Eliza, Liza, Liz, Beth, Betty, Bess, Betsy, etc.

A nick can be anything: Gipper, Flash, Cranky, Curly (my bald father's nick was Curly)

So it's not that Beverly can or can't be nicked, then? I mean, if it's not a shortening or a lifting, no name is ever nicked. Just dimmed.

I've never encountered that semantic distinction before. My father's nicknamed Moore because he has a brother Les(ton). My cousin's nicknamed Wenty because Wentworth was too long. My mother's nicknamed Del because her middle name is Delores. My aunt is called Ann because that's what they'd meant to name her in the first place.

All nicknames to me, except, sometimes for Ann, since I'm not sure she always knew her real name.

Hey, I got the wireless to work! Yay.

Oh good. 'Cause my laptop is wireless, but I can't beat the cable OR dialup hookup process/number thingy out of Roadrunner, and there's no wireless at my MIL's, Weymouth or the beach condo. Stoopid Roadrunner.

Beverly is impossible to nick

'Verily?

'Verily?

No, see, you've dimmed Beverly. Verily's no more a nick than Bev is.

Of course, every name is impossible to nick, since nicking isn't something you do do names.

Well, he's home, pretty much in the same shape as when I left him this morning. Another episode of the same problem that we're trying to get solved.

On to bed.

I'm glad he's home, connie and no worse for wear. I hope the problem does get resolved, and with as little stress as possible, for the both of you.

Well, my TT name was BeVERly, close to Verily. There are friends who still call me BeVERly. I think most people just call both nicks and dims "nicknames," and don't disinguish between them. Thus, a diminutive of a formal name can be a nickname, as can a derrogatory or descriptive.

I have a Deeeeennnaaa, I have a Deeennnaaa.

I win.

I'll see you a family of Buffistas and raise you A FRIKKIN EAGLE!