But I do think people should specify what they like to be called! I didn't mean otherwise, just that ... I'm a name slut apparently.

So being greeted with "Stephieeeeee" made me go from pleasant to evisceration in 0.4 seconds.

oh, how I feel your pain. I had a meltdown with a "friend" who insisted on calling me Stephie. I constantly told him that I hated hit and he'd always say "oops!" He made the mistake of doing it after my dad died. Who was, of course, the only one allowed to call me Stephie.

Said friend does not do that anymore.

Man, I'm easy. People call me Aim, Aims, Amy, whatever, doesn't bother me. Possibly I just like it when people talk to me.

Me too. Maybe it's an Amy thing.

But I do think people should specify what they like to be called! I didn't mean otherwise, just that ... I'm a name slut apparently.

What Amy said again, too, of course.

ION, I give up, the fruit flies have won. I'm just going to let them live here instead of me. I'm sorry I ever tried to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, or compost. Bah! They are everywhere.

Said friend does not do that anymore.

The finality of this implies you killed him, which pleases me. Or, like, ripped out his tongue.

My parents were very adamant about no alternate names. I'm not sure they picked up on the fact they named us nicknames...I'm pretty sure they didn't. My sister, though, does let people call her by a further diminutive, as well as the expanded version of her name. Me, NSM. Well, I don't have a canonical expanded version, so that helps.

I've always been just Allison. For a long time I wouldn't let anyone but Mom call me Ali, I didn't want it as a nickname because it rhymes with our last name. I was teased enough I didn't want anyone to have more ammunition with a rhyming name.

Now I don't mind, in fact I usually sign all my emails Ali instead of Allison but I never introduce myself as Ali.

I'm also not picky about how people spell my name unless it's something official.

Amys united!

I also think Amy is a pretty short name, so you're not going to be far off unless you walk up and said "Aimerino" or something bizarre.

And the presumption in addressing, say, an Elizabeth you just met as Beth or Liz is pretty arrogant.

I've always been Kathy (with alternate spelling during my high school and college years), but I'll occasionally use Kathryn when I call for work stuff, and my sister always calls me Kat (and sometimes Kit-Kat).

Well, I don't have a canonical expanded version, so that helps.

Oh no! You mean it's not "Nanita" as I had always hoped??

And the presumption in addressing, say, an Elizabeth you just met as Beth or Liz is pretty arrogant.

Completely.

I once had to deal with a woman who refused to accept that I was a woman with a "man's name". Just wouldn't accept it - I'd talk to her on the phone and use my name, send her things with my name written ... nope, couldn't be. She calle me "Pat" for the three or so years we had dealings.