<p>Sounds too much like Libby - people may get confused.</p>
<p>Personally, I like Olivia better - prettier to me</p>
<p>I agree with creative, but Livy is cool, too.</p>
<p>"Livy has nice classical-history connotations, too "</p>
<p>But the classical Livy was male: Titus Livius.</p>
<p>The proper feminine form of the name would be Livia.</p>
<p>@ Novelisto (and with apologies to Olivia/Livvy for taking this detour): So, the Brontosaurus is now a bodiless creature? Why?! Why does the head finder control the naming rights? Why didn't the other group simply find the skull of the Brontosaurus, meaning they get to name the head of the other beast? Or is the rule that the last verifiable bone-finder gets to name the critter?</p>
<p>These are questions of the utmost importance, so before just tossing them out to the ether, I felt duty- and honor-bound to see if I could find the answers myself. Naturally, I first turned to the world's most reliable resource for questions often pondered but rarely answered: Cecil the Magnificent.</p>
<p>He didn't fail me. And he largely verifies your telling of this travesty. Here's some heady information that explains why the brontosaurus is "the paleontological equivalent of the unicorn": <a href="http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_011.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_011.html</a></p>
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<p>@ olivia567: After much deliberation and consideration, I've come down on the side of being against it, especially if it's foisted on others. I like Olivia -- as it's as melodious as Ophelia. And I would be appalled if a child I named Ophelia was called "Pheely" by her high school friends. So I think Livvy is a brutal and needless defilement of a perfectly dulcet name in its pure form. If uncultured souls prefer to call you Livvy, let their choice forever stain their souls and reflect on their crude upbringings. Those who appreciate the Aesthetic would invariably prefer to let the mellifluent "Olivia" roll off their tongues than suffer the indignity of being compelled to rasp out "Livvy," which sounds like a Cockney term for a public water closet. That's just one man's opinion, of course! :)</p>
<p>wow. the people on this forum are sooo creative. i hope you got enough responses, Livy.:)</p>
<p>I know, but of course the Brontosaurus (sp?) discussion was the most enlightening. :)</p>
<p>So far I have five yes-es to four Nos. For most of the people who seemed undecided, I gave them a no.</p>
<p>I think I'll go with Livy?</p>
<p>But D'yer has given me some pause.. gosh, a public water closet? ;)</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your "creative" responses (to borrow a phrase from hopeful). And it's nice to see this board up and running again.... of course, it starts up again right when I go away from home. ^_^ Now I'm off to read the "Exeter is a living hell" board.</p>
<p>D'Yer -- Now we are both a head in the game....(couldn't resist!)</p>
<p>As a general rule, I'm not in favor of diminutive knicknames. My own name is easily shortened to a name best known for a famous doll. I went by it when I was younger. Even though I have my own proper and full name on everything from checks to business cards to book covers, and I always introduce myself with my 'real' name, people invariably attempt to be chummy or patronizing and use the diminutive instantly. I hate to make a fuss about it, so will ofttimes let it slide, but how much more clearly can I state my preference? The one type I do insist on using my <em>last</em> name is doctors. It's hard enough asserting your dignity in a paper towel without them turning you into a child. </p>
<p>However, if you feel strongly that you are in fact a Livy and not an Olivia (though that is a name with strong and beautiful antecedents), then you should go for it. Don't expect your mom to call you by it -- it's been more than 20 yrs since I gave up my childish name and my mother still calls me by it!</p>
<p>I didn't know we were supposed to vote.</p>
<p>Put me down for a Yes. I like it. </p>
<p>Bruno</p>
<p>I like Olvia better.</p>
<p>D'yer: on the matter of Peking vs. Beijing, I am very sorry to report that the original ("Peking") was a dreadful westernization of the Mandarin pronunciation of that city's name..."Beijing" sounds at least marginally more like the way someone who actually speaks Mandarin would pronounce it. And as for Peking Duck, well, Chinese food isn't really chinese so it doesn't really matter what we call it, does it? It's just tasty.</p>
<p>Olivia: I've always liked the nickname Liv or Livy (my sister-in-law, whose name is Elizabeth, goes by Liv and it has always struck me an a nice, unusual diminutive), but I really love the name Olivia. It does sound formal I guess for a rising freshman (what is it Choate calls you guys? Underformers?) but there is so much romance in it, I would find it hard to give up.</p>
<p>I could just use it for high school. :D </p>
<p>Aw, Helen, when we get to Choate you could just betray me and tell everyone my real name is Olivia, right? ;)</p>
<p>Well everyone's gonna know your name is Olivia, lol. But I can still call you Livy if you want me to..I just prefer Olivia.</p>
<p>No, actually I was planning on telling everyone my name is Livy. :D Hehe.</p>
<p>I'm soo excited till Choate. Maybe our rooms will be near each other?</p>
<p>@ smile dog: My son was in China last summer with his best friend and his friend's mom -- a native of Beijing/Peking -- and for my son's birthday they went to a restaurant and he had Peking Duck! I thought that was funny, because (in some quarters) they are playing catch up with us as to how to pronounce Peking/Beijing!</p>
<p>Olivia, I'm sure people will find out your real name is Livy. On the first day your teachers will probably call for attendance or something.</p>
<p>D'yer: Oh jeez! That is funny!! :D</p>
<p>Yees, Jonathan, but I could just say I prefer to be called Livy. :D</p>
<p>I prefer the name Olivia. For one thing...you are a freshman now and what if your senior year you decide that you wish to be called Olivia? There is no going back with a nickname. Plus livy sounds a tad childish to me. I think liv is classy like liv Tyler. But that y presents a childish air IMHO.
Whatever you choose I'm sure itd be great!
Also this may sound odd but when your classmates want to google you in 15 years they can't look up livy!!!!</p>
<p>Well.. I dunno. :) I still like Livy.</p>
<p>
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Olivia, I'm sure people will find out your real name is Livy. On the first day your teachers will probably call for attendance or something.
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</p>
<p>Woops.. I meant Olivia.</p>