My mom’s parents were regular old Grandpa and Grandma.
Everyone called my dad’s mother “Mamaw”. His father died long before I was born, so I never knew him, but I believe I have heard him referred to by one of my older cousins who knew him, as “Papaw”. I think Mamaw-Papaw is an Appalachian thing.
On my mom’s side I called my grandma “grandma”, and on my dad’s side I called them “baba”(grandma) and “dida”(grandpa), which are the customary names in Croatia. They had emigrated from Vela Luka which is an island in the Adriatic sea on the Dalmatian coast. Directly on the other side of the sea is Venice.
On my Dad’s side it was just a plain ol’ Grandma and Grandpa.
My mother’s mother is Mimi, my maternal grandfather was Papa. What’s odd is that I call my Aunt Julianna Nana; it was the baby-talk version my older cousin used, and it just stuck I guess.
We were boring. It was Grandma lastname and Grandpa lastname on both sides. Now, my cousins called my mother’s mother Happy lastname. I have no idea why.
On my mom’s side - “Grandmother,” my grandfather had died before any of us were born - but he’s always been referred to as “your grandfather”
On my dad’s side, we didn’t see them very much, nor did we talk to or about them often. When we did, we tended to call them by their first names, mostly 'cause that’s what my dad called them. His brothers and sisters called them “mom” and “dad” and I think their children might have called them “grandma” and “grandpa” but we didn’t see them much either.
Maternal grandmother: Na-Na (which, believe it or not, is pronounced differently from Nana)
Paternal grandmother: Granna (Grandma + Anna, her first name)
Paternal great-grandmother: Gram
These were all firmly established by older cousins by the time I came around. One of my aunts-by-marriage attempted a coup to change Na-Na to Grandmama, which she felt was more elegant, but the rest of family shunned her and her high-falootin’ ideas.
Once, when I was a freshman in college, I decided to address the envelope of a letter to Na-Na to “Mrs. Firstname Lastname.” Not the actual letter, mind you, just the address on the envelope. I figured the US Post Office had enough to deal with as it is. Well. I got an earful from Na-Na on that one. *What? You go to college and suddenly you’re too good to call me Na-Na? * This is still brought up in our family as an example of how truly ungrateful young people shame and disrespect their elders at any given opportunity.
I only had one grandma (my mom’s mom) and one great-grandma (my mom’s dad’s mom). My grandma was “Gramma.” Her great-grandchildren were taught to call her “Granny,” which she was not thrilled about, but didn’t want to say anything. My great grandma’s last name was McCue. One of my cousins had tried to call her “Grandma McCue” when he was a child, and it came out as “Gramma Coo.” So the great grandkids always called her “Cue” (pronounced “Coo”).
paternal, grannie and grandad
maternal, grandma and grandpa
dull = yes
true = also
straight dope = it is
more interesting becasue of this = no
me waffling on = yes
me caring = no
me feeling silly for making such a pointless post = much
me going now = yes
you saying ’ thank god’ = much
paternal, grannie and grandad
maternal, grandma and grandpa
dull = yes
true = also
straight dope = it is
more interesting because of this = no
me waffling on = yes
me caring = no
me feeling silly for making such a pointless post = much
me going now = yes
you saying ’ thank god’ = much
Sorry, tried to stop post so that i could correct spelling.
now, not only have a bored you all to tears, i ahve done it twice.
or 3 times including this apoligy.
sorry guys
:: blush ::
Mainly because they live in Mexico and altjhough they speak English I never got them to use it around me I call my grandparents Abuelito and Abuelita, or when I talk to the family about my grandmothers I call one abuelita and the other my gramma madrina because she’s my godmother.
Bubby and (until he passed away recently) Zaydie, which are the Yiddish terms.
I always found the name of the quarterback Bubby Brister funny, since it gave me the mental image of my 80-something year old tiny grandmother in a helmet and pads, throwing a football.