The Proper Use of Nicknames
What do you call yourself in front of others?
Hello.
I'm Ayaka.
I used to long for a middle name.
Getting carried away, I introduced myself as "Saika Margaret Okome," and ended up being given the nickname Maggie. I really like it.
Just because I really like itdoesn't mean I can actually use it in the real world outside of social media.
Back in junior high, it was trendy among the girls in my class to use our surnames as nicknames.
If your name was Yamada, you were "Yamada"; if Saito, you were "Saito." So my female friends also called me by my surname, "Okome." Since my maiden name is a bit unusual, my friends still call me "Okome" to this day. No one calls me by my given name, and they don't even add "-san" to call me Okome-san.
I got married and live in my hometown, but my younger brother runs a business there. Unlike me, who is a total introvert who basically stays home and doesn't actively socialize, he is sociable and well-connected. But my brother Tsuguo says:
"How many acquaintances do you have, sis? People ask me all over the place, 'Oh, are you Okome's brother?' Are you still being called Okome? How many years has it been since you got married?" It's been 27 years.
It was the same during school events for my daughter, Maruko.
There were about ten of my former classmates among the parents of Maruko's classmates. When only my husband, Megane-san, goes to school events, my former classmates, who have a slightly skewed sense of personal distance, apparently ask him, "Where's Okome today?" Megane-san often says, "I'm confused by the atmosphere, which is different from the area I grew up in, and why are you being called Okome?"
Ayaka, Okome, Margaret, Maggie.
I'm happy to be called by any of them.
But if I were to use these four in the real world, it would be difficult to know when to use which. Besides, no matter which one I used, it would surely cause a stir among those around me.
It's not cute at all, and the impact is quite something.
I guess I won't be popular with the guys like this.
[Announcement]
《Laughing is the Best Solution!?》 Episode 42
~Solving Your Worries~
Monday, July 28th, 9:30 PM
Live broadcast on "Participatory Radio Connecting People and Goods"
This time, it's [Mr. Tawa's] worry.
I find it difficult to know when to use "boku," "ore," or "watashi," and I want to know which one I should use to be well-received by career women.
If I use "watashi," it sounds like I'm strictly there for business; if I use "ore," it sounds arrogant and incompetent; so I tried taking the middle ground with "boku," but no one would let me be pampered.
Why is it that women sound cute no matter what they use, but men aren't pampered no matter what they use?
It's a real dilemma.
We are waiting for many wonderful solutions to this problem.
━☞ We are always accepting your questions
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The top image was borrowed from 《Saito-san》.
Well then.
Thank you for reading until the end.
Bye now