Helen doesn't readily lend its self to being shortened-Hell! is not a nick name(well not a desirable one!)
and while i realize that there can be hostility in some nicknames, not having a nick name can be sad too.. my parents never used them, and my ex had no special name for me.. (he was usually called Jimmy- not James, one freind called him grif, and a favorite aunt used, and i copied, james the lesser, (at one point, jesus claims James the lesser (or younger) son of (somebody--Zebidiah?) as his favorite apostle)
i have a very soft warm spot in my heart for Faldage, who has often called me ledasdaughter,--i view it as a kindness all out of proportion to our 'just friends' relationship.
names, and naming are powerful tools of kinship...and i think we often use them that way here.. (what do you say Juan?)
many societies have public and private names-sometimes diminutives of given names, sometimes very private family names. I think the our fiend is right, in saying naming is different than name calling.
OP
