I read this fast and thought you were saying that someone's nickname was "Ass Chicken." This makes me giggle because I'm 12.

Poor HN, because it may be now! Not really...well maybe...

I don't mind first name usage in anything but a cold call. My friends' children call me Miss DJ and family members' children call me Auntie DJ, regardless of actual relation.

Any of you are welcome to call me by my first name, or DJ or Daisy or whathaveyou, though in mixed company people will be confused. They have a completely different set of nicknames for me.

Also? I cannot stand it when people add the y to my husband's name. I hate it worse than when they misspell it with an h. It's overly familiar is what it is, and I will cut you.

Okay, first, Steph, your name has two syllables: Steffle. It`s like amych/amyth in that it has by now become irreversible in my subvocal reading. And secondly, we`re weird in that we are in a field where all our coworkers go by Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. but we don`t. It`s deliberate; we`re setting ourselves up as adult non-authority figures. But it does make it sound odd when all the other teachers are formally addressed and we`re talked to as if the kids were kicking it with their buddies.

I have the same problem, only inverted. I introduce myself as Steph -- simple, one syllable -- and invariably the person will reply, "StephANIE?"

I bet I would do that. Mostly because I would want to spell your name out in my head in some weird way as if asking the longer name would give me a clue. Ridic.

My f2f name, Heather, doesn't lend itself to random shortening or nicknaming. My bff calls me "Heathen" now and again, or "H-girl" but by and large it's "Heather" in first name situations and Ms. Lastname in others. My job has a very first-name culture, from the CEO on down. I'm happy to go with either first names or Title Lastname, as long as a) I know the rules and b) I'm included in them.

I'm starting to get ma'am-ed in grocery stores around here (US, southeast). It started about the same time the clerks stopped carding me for booze. Eh, I'm 42, and getting ma'am-ed is appropriate for me in the local culture.

I am Calli, mostly. I get shortened to initials or H1. (HN will sometimes get H1N1 lately). Heathz is popular with a few, as well as Mrs. Glenlevet.

I've been ma'amed since I was in my 20s. I hate it. I've never called anyone ma'am, but I haven't worked in the service industry for 20 years.

The first time I was called ma'am was when I was 18, by a guy about the same age, at freshman orientation. It was weird.

I get called ma'am, too, Calli. And I'm 34.

I'm pretty informal, and so is my workplace. Nobody uses Mr. or Ms. at my workplace, not even for Big Bosses.

Only nickname I ever rejected was Sarutsa, from my host sister in Moldova. Hated the sound of it. We settled on Sarchika. But then, my name doesn't shorten well.

Uggh. My tummy does not feel well. I overate Chinese at lunch and it's triggered my borderline IBS I think.

Also, I've entered the wild world of OK Cupid. Should be interesting, and at least it's free.

One of my cousins just got engaged, and she met the guy on JDate, and now my mom wants me to sign up for JDate again. At least she's saying that I should sign up after I graduate, not right now.