Nicknames are really quite wonderful. They represent a closeness between two (or more) people, a special way of greeting that goes beyond the formality of a person’s actual name.
For example, I call my dad “Fred.”
He calls me “Muffinhead.”
Still, you have to be careful that the moniker that you bestow does not have a double meaning. If it does, regardless of your sincere intentions, other people are going to think you’re an ass.
This is why one of my good friends who’s planning on referring to his future wife as “Muffintop” should not.
Not familiar with that term? Well, in many circles, that seemingly innocent epithet refers to the layer of fat that rolls over a person’s jeans … not nearly as endearing as it sounds.