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!

(and if billytea isn't dead yet, as I type this I'm eating lamb)

Killed. Totally dead. Oh, except I whipped up a lamb salad tonight with a mint yoghurt sauce, because I WANT TO LIVE! Even so, very jealous of the r-r-r-raptors.

In like a lion, out like a liger.

Canberra Zoo has tigons. Apropos of nothing.

I had a phone therapy session this morning. The good news: I'm not depressed, my life really does suck. So I'm a realist. Huzzah!

One of these days, I am SO getting to Cincy to see Steph and the aquarium.

The zoo has multiple species of penguin. IJS.

I would name a kid Fredrick and call him "Frodo".

I was called Bilbo growing up.

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

If you start raising an eagle, Dallas is going to freak.

Which reminds me of that story last year (?), about the guy with a tiger in his NYC apartment. Which they finally managed to snare and remove, allowing them to tackle the alligator in the bathtub.

Now there was a guy with a use for Hello Kitty products.

Conversation a moment ago at Chez tea:

Me: "Now I want to see someone do a puppet version of I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream using Hello Kitty dolls."
Brendan: "...If I said that I knew what you were about to say then, I'd be lying."