I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but my word for "children" is "spup." Yes, it is bizarre, but it is a contraction of "small puppy." Kids are like small puppies, right? (Okay, stop laughing.) I only use it in context of my own children, as in, "C'mon spups, we're gonna be late to swim lessons!"

(As an aside: It is one of my huge pet peeves when someone else uses a pet name for my kids or husband. Ordinary nicknames are fine, of course, but the unique ones we come up with are sort of "owned" by us.)

As further evidence of my language addiction, I am one of those folks who is obsessed with names. I used to write lists of them as a child, trying to picture what characteristics might go with which name. I would loop the letters of "Amy Beth" with playful bubbles but write in perfect slanted cursive "Barbara Ann." Indeed, there are psychology tests out there that show there are definitely stereotypes connected to how names sound or are spelled.

Spelling is a fun consideration. "Ann" and "Anne" seem like different people, don't they? And of course my name "Kari" can be spelled many ways: Cary, Carrie, Carey, Kari, Keri, Kerri, Kerry, and so forth. In fact one model on Project Runway last season was "Cerri" - which looks like "sairy" to me, but is pronounced just like my name.

Although I have two children, I sometimes wonder what I'd name imaginary others. A favorite girl name of mine is "Isla." But then two years ago I met an "Ayla," and suddenly the former didn't seem as "cool." And I used to know only really suave, popular people with a particular name, but then met someone who defied my image so much that my perception has shifted completely.

When I was naming my boys, I thought of "Ian" and my mom immediately quipped, "Oh no! That Ian Jones* was such a troublemaker! You can't name your son Ian!" So I suppose that means that my various prejudices about particular names aren't completely unreasonable. Completely.

Still, it is funny how language works. What we choose to call something can be rather obscure at times. I remember during a cognitive science class studying how people parse different categories. Like I might call something a "tree" but someone who actually studies trees might always identify the tree: "Oh, beneath the maple" or "Beyond the birch." I always call cola "Coke" even if it might not be (while Splig calls everything "Diet Pepsi.") Strangely, my dad always calls jeans "Levi's." But then of course, sometimes we just make up words!

Hmmm, I wonder if I could really be a "Carrie...."

*=not real name
--
Disclaimer: The word "starfy" goes to a DS game with my Amazon code, so if you happen to purchase it or anything else on Amazon after clicking my link, I get a few cents.