The FastDay Forum

Lizzie is actually my real name, although no-one but family call me that as I changed my name over 30 years ago! So it's not really my name. If you see what I mean

Snap @callyanna!

I was reading through this thread and came across your post

My real given names are Carol Anne but Callyanna was the affectionate pet name my lovely granddad always called me by...so much nicer than the 'Carol the Barrel' I used to get from my dear brother!

What a coincidence, my real name is Carol Ann and after I had put on so much weight I laughingly called myself 'Carol the Barrel'.

Not any more I'm pleased to say, I'm a comfortable 9st 7lb now.

This has been a very interesting (and time-wasting) post to start my Sunday. Some really great stories.

So I will share some about Fishbaum...

I am not Jewish nor am I a fisherman. I do not own any fish, feed fish, draw fish or use the name to symbolise any born-again meanings or that I am a Jew (baum) who converted to Christianity (fish) or vice versa. I have nothing to do with the author of the Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum) and (to my knowledge at least) the name is not derived from some topical oily balm extracted from fish.

...And, yes, these are all questions I have been asked since I started using Fishbaum as a nom de plume some 20 years ago.

Truth is...I just made it up. Well..I thought I made it up when I was trying to think of the most bland and boring family name I could invent to add to an already created incredibly boring first name to use in some stuff I was working on. Originally it was designed as a name that people would say, "Oh you poor thing." You know, like when you meet someone named Roger Rogers or a real Joe Bloggs or worse still a Joe Boggs.

Turns out Fishbaum is a real name so I am not sure if I had heard it said somewhere in the late 80's, early 90's and it stuck in my subconscious or what. It just came to me one morning in an epiphany and I've used it ever since.

However, over the twenty or so years since I started using it, some other Fishbaums have turned up here and there...so when I signed up here I was kind of making a statement, I guess, that I was...THE Fishbaum, not some cheap copy of a Fishbaum (whatever that might be).

With apologies to any real Fishbaums, Roger Rogers, Joe Bloggses and especially Joe Boggses out there.

I no longer think Fishbaum is boring. It is, in fact, incredibly interesting and has become very much a part of who I am. Sorry for the length of this.

Snap @callyanna!

I was reading through this thread and came across your post

My real given names are Carol Anne but Callyanna was the affectionate pet name my lovely granddad always called me by...so much nicer than the 'Carol the Barrel' I used to get from my dear brother!

What a coincidence, my real name is Carol Ann and after I had put on so much weight I laughingly called myself 'Carol the Barrel'.

Not any more I'm pleased to say, I'm a comfortable 9st 7lb now.

Hi @coffeetime, you still sound a 'barrel' of fun to me! xx

Thought I would bump this as we seem to have lots of new members for the New Year and it is an interesting thread.

Thanks @windsinger123 for doing that..it was on my mind to do it coz am curious about all the new names flying in!
C'mon newbies don't be shy! Spill!

[carieoates]

Thanks for bumping this thread, can't believe I didn't reveal all.
Nothing special. Carie is the nickname my hubs uses, and our surname is oates.

[Betsysgr8]

Yes, if anything a few people here not checked in for a while. @the fishbaum you can take your Santa hat off now

BlueHeather .... Blue after my Football (soccer) Team Manchester City colours and Heather as it's my name ! Pleased to meet you all x

Mines embarrassing. When I was about 14 (I'm 23 now) I fancied this boy who's msn address (it was all the rage back then) was his name21_711 and I loved him. It became one of my email addresses and I used it ever since.

But reading that back I can kind of see why he didn't want anything to do with me

My other (more used) name on internet (twitter and Instagram and such) is my surname then first name with no vowels. It's funny because I know loads of people who I go to football with call me run-dul in real life because I met them through friends other football friends on twitter and that's kind of how it looks.

My username is made up of my first name (my real name is John) plus the initials of my middle name and surname, and the year which I joined this forum. Because of this, everyone will be at able to at least guess that I joined this forum last year (in 2013). That way, if this forum is still around in 10 years' time (for example) and I am still part of it, that username will be a reminder of when I first joined the forum and from that, I will be able to see how far I have come in that time.

Right from my childhood i'm fascinated by the word "ALPHA". No clue why.. I use it in all my games/blogs, etc & 22 being my birthdate - Lo behold my name "Alpha22"

'The Lover's Ghost' is the name of a folk song by Vaughan Williams and I have always loved it; the chords in it are beautiful. Hence the username.

I have enjoyed this thread and your explanations!

Mine is quite simple - when I joined this forum, nearly a year ago now. - I had never been on a forum and had to think of a username. I live in a place called Stowgate, hence 'StowgateResident'!

Well, we can't all be imaginative and inspired/inspiring, can we!

I chose mine after my son looked at me recently and said 'Mum, you've got a lot of gravity haven't you because you're a big object'. !! (Learning about space in school). Thanks son, it was very funny. I guess he inspired me to think about my health.