First of all… if you follow me on twitter you know I’ve been a crazy ass Ranty McRanterpants. (Yes it’s been so bad that the capitalization is needed. It’s a proper bloody name in my case.) Part of it is… well a shit ton of stuff. And some of it, is the name. Or lack thereof.
We all know I go by “Limecello” or “Lime.” That’s how it is, and that’s how it will be. Perhaps in some unforeseeable future that’ll change. But… well, I’ve carried on this way for almost six years (if not longer) and… I don’t see why I wouldn’t continue to do so.
Recently, however, I have noticed there are a veritable spate – yes a spate – of people who refuse to address me as such! They’ll sign their names to every email, message, what have you. And I’ll sign mine. And address said person with his/her name. And yet they won’t return the courtesy. It’s just “Hi.”
Now, I wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to expect every correspondence to be formal. If a person stops signing their emails, well it’s perfectly natural for them to not use an “address”/name for me. But these persons don’t do that.
They don’t ask my name… and I’m bratty and bitchy and fed up enough that I haven’t asked “why not” or “what’s the deal?” either. I do, however, determinedly continue to sign each message “Limecello” in the hopes that said persons will pick up the hint. (Incidentally, none have.)
So my friends, I’ll give it up to you to help me sort out this conundrum. What should I do?
And for more fun – and what interests me more – give me reasons. Why will these individuals not call me Limecello? Or ask for an alternative name? Some people call me Limecello. Some call me Lime. Jennifer Haymore calls me “Limey.” Angela James refuses to call me Limecello, so she calls me “LC.” (Remember, I’ve wondered why she won’t just go with “Elle”…)
You’re free to come up with a new special – yet fitting – name for me. Give advice, or a reason why so many people now wish to contact me, yet refuse to call me Limecello. Or Elle. (It’s not as if I make it a state secret…)
And that’s my question and my contest. The person who comes up with the best answer gets a prize. To be determined, but I hope it’ll be something good.
Now for the winners. Courtesy of randomizer.org as usual…
The lucky winner of Abigail Barnette’s fabulous post is vanillaorchids69. (Incidentally, if you haven’t read this post yet, you really must.)
Remember when Michelle Beattie came to visit with us and talk about games? She very kindly offered up two prizes! So her winners are myrandaroyann and Mary Kirkland.
And last but not least – the fantastic excerpt that Megan Hart shared from Pleasure and Purpose. The winner is willaful!
Winners! You have until Thursday, February 2 to contact me with your information. It is your responsibility to send me your email or mailing address, depending on what the prize is. Which should be easy, because I’d like for you to include your prize in the email please. (That makes it easier for everyone, and guarantees you’ll get the prize you’re supposed to.)
If you didn’t win this time… well no worries. There are always plenty of other giveaways going on. In fact there are a few still open on this very blog! If you would like more certainty… well I can’t tell you anything but that you might try making a few sacrifices to the randomizer.org gods. 😉 Or the developers. Whichever you think will work best for you.
Hmm, I don’t normally put an address at the start of a blog comment. I guess I do it once in a while. Is it good etiquette to address the blog writer? I will have to think on that. But, as to your issue, I agree that correspondence should have at least a little bit of formality. I try but I can’t say that I always achieve it. For nicknames, I suggest sticking with some form of your name. I have always liked that you go by Limecello. It’s very catchy. Many years ago I complained about some of the ways my coworkers shortened my name so they decided to really go for it and call me If (short for Jennifer) or sometimes Iffer. So maybe you could go by Mec or Cell. Good luck finding just the right nickname!
I’d be happy to call you Lime-a-dime-a-ding-dong but that’s kind of a PITA to type. How about Limey Lou? I could sing it to the Scooby Doo theme song. Limey Limey Lou… How are you? I’ve got a book to write on. 😛
And alters are great. There is a whole other world out there that knows me by KZ. No, those are not my initials. Yes, it stands for something. No, I will not tell you. I get why some peeps might have difficulty calling another by a “screenname” but that’s just how you roll. I dig it. Feel free to call me Vodka. Or Cheryl. Or Etch-a-Sketch. Hell, I might even respond to “Hey, Dumb***!” But this is definitely a case of “It’s them, not you.”
well, I’d go with Limey… although isn’t that an old-fashioned insult for an English sailor (i.e. had to eat limes to avoid scurvy)?
I’m not sure why someone will refuse to use the name you go by. I mean, maybe it’s that people are uncomfortable pronouncing the full name and so avoid using it, even in written form. I will admit, I noticed many years back that when I’m speaking to people I rarely ever say their name. I don’t know why that is though. And it’s very hard to change my ways with regards to that but I’m kind of a shy person, in person, and I don’t know if that’s the reason.
I don’t want to suggest another name for you because I don’t see why you should have to change. Of course if you truly wanted to, then go for it but otherwise I don’t think you should. Who’s to say that if you were to change your name to something different everyone will use it? I mean, maybe that’s just the way some people are. Besides, so many people know you already as Limecello (or a shortened version of it) so changing might just make it confusing.
Pam
Man, I’m guilty! Yikes. (hanging head in shame). I don’t normally start emails with a hey-your-name-here unless it’s a formal email or a first-time to email to someone. It may be a cop-out manners-wise, but I realize that I kind of consider the TO line to be that intro, but that’s a throw-back to my office days and memos. So I’m very, very sorry if I contributed to your rantings. Truly. And I’ll try to be good from now on, Lime. 🙂 I agree with Cheryl (aka vodka) that it’s most likely not about you at all. I certainly am comfy calling you Lime and like it, although your real name is very nice, too. I guess I go with Lime because it’s what I associate with your blog.
I usually will start an email with the person’s name IF they used mine. I do sometimes feel weird doing it, especially authors, I guess cause they are like celebrities to me. But generally, if a person uses my first name, I take that as an OK to use their name. I am sure that I have slipped at times, but I generally try to be as friendly and respectful as I can be to others.
BTW, I love your name!
Hell…now I’m trying to remember if I have ever done that.
I usually only start out with a name if it is more formal an email, or to someone like my kids teachers or something.
Would be kinda hypocritical for someone who goes by the name Kiwi to object to your use of Lime or anyone’s use of anything really.
And yeah, I think I’ll probably stick with calling you Lime, like everyone else here.
I always start with “Hi Lime” in my emails to you. There are times when I’ve only wrote “Hi” and it’s because I don’t know the person’s name.
Congrats to the winners.
Ack – quick note before everyone (more people? Some of you? Any of you?) Start to worry and get paranoid… I can’t think of a single blog visitor much less regular who has thus offended me.
And I definitely don’t think it’s necessary to start comments with Limecello/Lime/Elle/Hey Crazy Bitch. (Especially that last one…)
Nor, as I said, even all emails. Maybe an initial contact, as Jane said, you don’t know the person’s name. And in the romance community it can be a bit dorky to write “To Whom It May Concern” … unless you’re writing to RWA I guess.
Although if you’re writing for a review request…
But anyway, once you know the person’s name… if it becomes obvious that you (plural) are AVOIDING his/her name… that’s awkward/annoying.
E.g. – Liz – that’s fine. I’ve never gotten annoyed at your emails and I know you have no problem calling me Lime/Limecello. I think it’s at the point where it gets weird that I get peeved.
If said person is so uncomfortable with my online name, why does s/he even want to interact with me? And also if said person has no idea I run around online as “Limecello”… why even approach me for anything? I have a feeling such person might think I’m Suzy Sunshine. Perhaps it’s all that pink on the blog. More fool him/her.
So… you see it’s a lead into a bunch of stuff I guess.
As you can see it bothers me. But it’s not such a cut and dried across the board thing, just when I can tell/ that person continually steps foot in the wrong place.
That’s when we get HULKSMASH!Lime. 😀
I was one of the peeps getting paranoid! 😉 I realized that I hadn’t addressed you in my emails but I also don’t usually do that in emails unless it’s a professional one to professors or the like. I’m sorry to be rude, I honestly wasn’t trying to diss you! 🙂 Maybe it’s because I’m so bad with remembering people’s names in real life that I’m avoiding them in virtual life too? I am a ninja at avoidance techniques. I shall go forward more conscious of this quirk of mine!
I wasn’t really getting all that paranoid, but thanks for the extra update. I would be annoyed if I was you, too, considering the circumstances.
Hi Lime! I hope I have not been one of the guilty ones. I always try to address people/authors/blog persons by their first name when corresponding with them. I think it’s a little bit more personal that way.
I like the name Limecello or Lime and wouldn’t change it if it was me. It’s really catchy.
Have a good week.
There have been a few times that when replying to people in an email I will just say “HI” and not add their name..but most times I do put their names. I have a sister in law who shortens my name to “Mare”…I don’t know why she does that and now a fb friend does it to…is “Mary” really to long to say that you have to shorten it? I don’t get it, I’m not a horse..*Looks at her behind in the mirror* nope not a horse.
Speculation.. perhaps they feel weird calling a person “Limecello”. There are strange people out there who do not like using such a handle when corresponding with people.
As people mentioned… “Limecello” is unique. It is garaunteed that no one is going to forget it. So really you shouldn’t change it. You said it’s been you for six years? It’s a facet of who you are, a side of your personality now.
Now usually I don’t use names unless I’m responding to an email and they did.
My name sticks out to people. It’s different. It’s unique. Now I do have people asking me how to pronounce it, and yes, they even shorten it to just Rao which is cool by me.
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