Will it make all the suffering in life just fade away?

[sovay]

Tonight my godchild called (and then texted, because the actual call kept dropping) to find out how I felt about being their "unty . . . a mix of uncle and auntie" because they had decided that my significance in their life warranted a more directly familial title than "godparent." I have no idea how often I will be actually be addressed as such, but I am informed the nomenclature has made it into my contact information on their phone. I am honored and delighted. Later in the night they reached out again through their mother to make sure I knew about mac and cheese on toast. I do now.

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, that's lovely!

[sovay]

Aw, that's lovely!

It really made me happy.

[rydra_wong]

Congratulations on your untyhood!

[sovay]

Congratulations on your untyhood!

Thank you!

[cmcmck]

Mac and cheese on toast sounds rather good!

[sovay]

Mac and cheese on toast sounds rather good!

They seem to like it!

[a_reasonable_man]

Your godchild (neiph?) is such loving kid!

[troisoiseaux]

I've seen "nibling" used as the gender-neutral of niece/nephew, but "neiph" has a fun ring to it, too.

[rydra_wong]

Yes, "niblings" is in use in my family as a plural for practical reasons, because referring to my "nieces and nephew" is a pain to say.

[sovay]

Yes, "niblings" is in use in my family as a plural for practical reasons, because referring to my "nieces and nephew" is a pain to say.

"Niblings" is the term I'm familiar with.

[rydra_wong]

It's a useful one. But it occurs to me that, having put thought into "unty", maybe the godchild already has thoughts on what term they'd like applied to themself?

[sovay]

But it occurs to me that, having put thought into "unty", maybe the godchild already has thoughts on what term they'd like applied to themself?

I wondered if they wanted a reciprocal new term, but it didn't come up! Whereas the status change on my part seemed imperative to them, in that I am told they spent most of the day brainstorming an appropriate designation. I figure I can always ask just to make sure.

[selkie]

The group chat of unicorn tweens was inconclusive on what they'd want to be called. They often wake up with Big Massive Ideas and carry them through the day like intellectual chew toys, and yesterday's Big Massive Idea was that S. is incredibly important (which, true) and ought to be familially roped in, and what was the perfect title.
[It isn't always people; sometimes it's business plans or Rube Goldberg machines or training the turtle to play the thumb piano.] If I ask them, they will probably say "I dunno, nephew," because if they aren't a boy I will eat my fountain pen without ketchup.

[sovay]

and yesterday's Big Massive Idea was that S. is incredibly important (which, true) and ought to be familially roped in, and what was the perfect title.

It's still rather marvelous to me.

If I ask them, they will probably say "I dunno, nephew," because if they aren't a boy I will eat my fountain pen without ketchup.

They filled out "demi-boy" on the questionnaire for Pride, which I have been assuming they know whereof.

[sovay]

Your godchild (neiph?) is such loving kid!

They are wonderful.

(Is neiph your own coinage? I've never seen it!)

[a_reasonable_man]

I was thinking about trying to coin one, but then decided to see what others had devised. There turned out to be several existing options. Although "nibling" apparently has a 60-plus year history, and charm, "neiph" was my favorite. (See https://www.dictionary.com/e/aunt-uncle-niece-nephew-words/.)

[sovay]

Although "nibling" apparently has a 60-plus year history, and charm, "neiph" was my favorite.

It's delightful. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

[asakiyume]

Nieph is wonderful.

[troisoiseaux]

to find out how I felt about being their "unty . . . a mix of uncle and auntie" because they had decided that my significance in their life warranted a more directly familial title than "godparent."

AWWWWWW. How sweet!

[sovay]

AWWWWWW. How sweet!

I went and hugged my mother a bit afterward.

[oracne]

Yay Unty! There's this one bar in Philly, Good Dog, that has a really nice oven-baked macaroni and cheese. Strangely, they serve it with blueberry cornbread. I guess they feel you need some carbs with your carbs.

[sovay]

Yay Unty!

I'm told it was peer-reviewed by a bunch of queer tweens.

There's this one bar in Philly, Good Dog, that has a really nice oven-baked macaroni and cheese. Strangely, they serve it with blueberry cornbread. I guess they feel you need some carbs with your carbs.

I mean, I do eat potato knishes . . .

[oracne]

Mmmm, potatoes.

[umadoshi]

"unty . . . a mix of uncle and auntie"

I have to remember to mention this to scruloose! We've been quite grumpy about not being able to find a good gender-neutral word for this, and I like this one. ^_^

What an excellent kidling!

[sovay]

I have to remember to mention this to scruloose! We've been quite grumpy about not being able to find a good gender-neutral word for this, and I like this one.

Nice!

If it catches on beyond our family, please let me know so that I can pass the news back to my godchild.

What an excellent kidling!

They really are.

[vass]

Congrats on the new title.

[sovay]

Congrats on the new title.

Thank you.

[selkie]

I know why we're all here, I just
We owned, at that moment, cherries and strawberries and cucumbers and carrots and celery and seaweed and mini tomatoes and roasted chicken and peanut butter and oatmeal and yogurt and feta and little mozzarella balls to have with the mini tomatoes, they did not have to enact rationing

[sovay]

We owned, at that moment, cherries and strawberries and cucumbers and carrots and celery and seaweed and mini tomatoes and roasted chicken and peanut butter and oatmeal and yogurt and feta and little mozzarella balls to have with the mini tomatoes, they did not have to enact rationing

I think your child just likes starch.

*hugs*

(They don't want that seaweed, they can ship it to me.)

[gwynnega]

Excellent!

(I suspect mac and cheese on toast is a taste sensation. It reminds me a bit of the spaghetti toasted sandwiches I used to eat in New Zealand.)

[sovay]

Excellent!

Thank you!

(I suspect mac and cheese on toast is a taste sensation. It reminds me a bit of the spaghetti toasted sandwiches I used to eat in New Zealand.)

Talk to me about spaghetti toasted sandwiches!

[gwynnega]

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but back in the 1980s, toasted sandwiches containing various fillings were ubiquitous in New Zealand. My favorite was cheese and onion, but other popular fillings included corn, baked beans, and tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce. The sandwiches were made in a sandwich press, which sealed in the filling and made for a surprisingly pristine sandwich, even with messy fillings.

[asakiyume]

Oooh. Yum.

[sovay]

The sandwiches were made in a sandwich press, which sealed in the filling and made for a surprisingly pristine sandwich, even with messy fillings.

That's delightful!

[asakiyume]

Unty is a fabulous gender-comprehensive, role-comprehensive term! Your godchild has the same linguistic esprit as their parent(s) and godparent(s) (plurals in parens because while I'm sure the linguistic esprit applies to all parents and godparents, I'm only aware of one each).

[selkie]

Just the one godparent! Spouse's powers lie in numeracy; they took four years of extremely comprehensive Russian, though, in the forlorn hope of serving on a nuclear submarine, which I am very glad they did not do.

[asakiyume]

Oh man, I hope spouse wasn't too disappointed about not getting a post on a nuclear sub--I'm entirely with you on that, though. No way.

[sovay]

Unty is a fabulous gender-comprehensive, role-comprehensive term!

I'm really pleased it's what they want to call me.