nicknames

I got a new one tonight : Merg.  Or Merg Berg, if you're not into the whole brevity thing.  It's a take off of the Merquez Burger at the Blue Javalina.

It made me ponder the clutch I've accumulated over the years.  Each point to a different time in my life, sometimes a specific person:

Margie- hard G.  First nickname of childhood.  Only the people who know me best can use this one

Margie Maggie Moogie- a longer version of the above

Marg- family

Maggie- sophomore year in high school.  Didn't stick

Margerine- my brother-in-law.  Substitutes 'Butter' sometimes

Madge- first waiting job at Romeo's

Margarita- every kitchen staff I've ever worked with

Mags- Alpine, courtesy of Tim Parsons (Maggs to John in Denver). The single M version was even written in lipstick inside a heart outside the women's bathroom at the Blues for like a year and a half (there are a lot of prepositions in that sentence).  I don't know who wrote it or even if it referred to me, but I always smiled when I saw it

Margar- (said like Mordor and usually followed by "the battle waitress") The Gage because my tickets cut off the "et"

Meg- California and Chara

Megger- (must be followed by M-E-double G- Er) Edward

Shuga- Priyanka

Shug- John

Mar- Dan and now Zach (I actually really like this one, like the sea)

Magma- my nephew's first pronounciation of my name (sounded more like Mogma).  He doesn't use it anymore, but it's still my favorite. (Now it's closer to Market)

Magnum- a growing Boulder name

Names I don't tolerate: 

Marge (thanks to PeeWee Herman's Big Adventure- "Tell 'em Large Marge sent cha!")

Margo(t)- way snobby 

and no one's every tried it, but Peggie.  Hardly related to the original name at all.

I can't imagine there could be many more, but then again, tonight surprised me.  It always comes back to Margaret in the end, which becomes more and more okay with time.  I used to hate the name. Now I appreciate its flexibility.  Maybe I'll pass something similar down to my kids... like Bartholomew or Lakeehatria (a suggestion I saw recently). Pregnant with possibilities.

To add to the list:
Margs and Magi- both from Jefferson