I've never had a nickname stick. One thing though, my father rarely ever called me Nancy.

Let's start with the nickname foundation: My full name is Nancy Elizabeth Lynn King (nelking, get it?) If I was in trouble it was Nancy Elizabeth Lynn.

My father instead frequently called me:

Nell, or Nellie (my initials NEL)

This was usual accompanied by a his rendition of "Hang on the Bell, Nellie" by the Chad Mitchell Trio. As the story goes, Nellie must prevent the town bell from ringing at midnight to save her father from being put to death for a crime he didn't commit. She hangs her torso from the clapper, so the bell won't ring. (I am not making this up)

Lizzie: Using my middle name, Lizzie was the more popular of the two. Here, my father would recite the rhyme:

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

Not familiar with Lizzie? She is the spinster daughter who was accused of chopping her parents to death in the late 1800's.

My father also rocked us to sleep as small children singing sea shanties like:

"Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep so beware!"

Or

"What do you do with a drunken sailor"

And then there was Sport: All six of us were called Sport. Not sure why... the dog was even called Sport.

As I aged, I became Nan most of the time, but every once in a while he'd still call me Lizzie.

Is it odd that I fondly think of my father's nickname for me? After an Ax Murderess?