Euphemisms for Grandparents

February 26, 2019, 10:44 PM

My wife and I have one grandchild, and a second coming in March. It never occurred to us to be anything other than grandpa and grandma to our granddaughter, but we’ve noticed that we seem to be the exception, rather than the rule. I swear sometimes it seems <I>everyone</I> else is “paw-paw,” “papa,” “memaw,” “nana,” and a dozen other euphemisms for grandma and grandpa.Parent or a grandparent. Do the kids refer to your parents (if they’re your kids) as something other than grandpa and grandma? Do your grandkids call you something else?<BR><BR>If something else, share it if you like.The kids say “grandpa” and “grandma”The kids call us (them) something else

February 26, 2019, 10:47 PM

Johnny 3eagles

Memaw and Papa.

February 26, 2019, 10:50 PM

bobtheelf

Two of my grandparents died before I was born.

My grandmother was grandma, and my grandfather was Papa.

February 26, 2019, 11:07 PM

ridewv

My young children referred to me as Daddy, which changed to Dad as they aged.
Their children (my grandchildren) call me Poppy, which (I assume) will change to Pop when they get older.

February 26, 2019, 11:10 PM

ElToro

My kids call my parents Papa and grandma. They call my wife’s parents grandma and grandpa. We asked them what they wanted to be called when the 1st was born and that’s what they wanted to be called.

I called my grandparents grandma and papa and for a while until I was about 10 my great grandma we called nana.

February 26, 2019, 11:17 PM

LS1 GTO

My grandkids (five of them so far) call me Grumpy.

My wife is called Snow White

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

"If dogs don't go to Heaven, I want to go where they go" Will Rogers

The definition of the words we used, carry a meaning of their own...

February 26, 2019, 11:22 PM

LS1 GTO

quote:
Originally posted by ridewv:
My young children referred to me as Daddy, which changed to Dad as they aged.
Their children (my grandchildren) call me Poppy, which (I assume) will change to Pop when they get older.

My son, currently 26(ish?) called me daddy when growing up to this day will let it slip in front of his wife and/or in-laws.

What is strange is my father also called and referred to my grandfather as "daddy: for as long as I can remember. My dad passed away before my son could meet him. One time, when at deer camp, my son called me "daddy" and his peers (15 - 18 year olds) gave him a strange look. Then I told my son's peers about my dad (which was the first time my son found out). They backed off and my son slipped me a sly smile.

February 26, 2019, 11:30 PM

akcopnfbks

Grammy & Grampus on my side, Grammy & Grampy on my wife's side. I am Papa to our kids, we decided on that instead of Dad/Daddy, and I really like it much better.

_________________________
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than omnipotent moral busybodies" ~ C.S. Lewis

February 27, 2019, 02:46 AM

flashguy

My paternal grandparents were "Grandpa" and "Grandma"; my maternal grandparents were "Gran" and "Grandad". I never married.

I called my parents "Daddy" and "Mother" all through my life. At some point late in life I shortened "Daddy" to just "Dad".

flashguy

February 27, 2019, 03:20 AM

Gibb

For me it was Nanny and Grampy on one side, Grandma and Pap (Pop-Pop when we were younger) on the other.

My wife had Mémère and Pépère on one, and Grammy on the other (her grandfather passed before she was born).

February 27, 2019, 05:01 AM

gearhounds

For my gen and my kids alike it seems to be whatever the kids can pronounce and say at their youngest sticks, usually to the delight of said grandparents.

For my brothers and I it was granddaddy and grandmommy on one side, grampa guad and nanny on the other. For my kids it was Aba and pop-pop, and grammy and grampa.

It seems that unless one is raised in a strict Victorian household with rigid rules about such things, whatever sticks, stays.

February 27, 2019, 05:27 AM

egregore

Sorry to be a grammar Nazi, but euphemism is not an appropriate word in this context. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/euphemism

With that out of the way, my family says "grandma" and "grandpa." Since moving to the South, I hear "meemaw" and "pawpaw" used a lot.

February 27, 2019, 05:53 AM

gearhounds

quote:
Originally posted by egregore:
Sorry to be a grammar Nazi, but euphemism is not an appropriate word in this context. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/euphemism

With that out of the way, my family says "grandma" and "grandpa." Since moving to the South, I hear "meemaw" and "pawpaw" used a lot.

February 27, 2019, 06:30 AM

arfmel

Never had kids, but I called my grandparents “Nanny and Pa”, and “Grandmommy and Grandpa”. Mom and Dad were, well, Mom and Dad.

quote:

February 27, 2019, 06:35 AM

PHPaul

Grandkids call us some version of Grandma and Grandpa - usually Gram and Gramps or Grampy.

Great-grands call us Nana and Papa to avoid confusion.

I suspect there are times when the grandkids (all well out of their teens) call us some other things...

We tend not to be overly sympathetic when they are suffering the consequences of their own stupid choices.

February 27, 2019, 06:52 AM

TheFrontRange

I am “Pops” to my grandkids. My wife is “CiCi” to them (a play on her name).

One of my grandmothers growing up was known as “Grandy.” The other I actually called “Grandmother,” no cutesy name. The one grandfather I had while growing up was “Grandfather.”

My kids had “Grandpapa and Mimi” on one side and “Papa and Maga” on the other. Yep - Maga. That’s how our oldest first attempted to pronounce “Grandma,” and it stuck. It threw me for a moment when the MAGA acronym first popped into popular use in the last Presidential election ha-ha!

February 27, 2019, 06:58 AM

MRMATT

"Mom-mom" and "Pop-pop"

_____________________________
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." George Washington.

February 27, 2019, 07:00 AM

Shaql

Maternal grandparents were Babcia & Dziadzi. Paternal grandparents were Grampa and Gramma.

My Mom is Nana and my Dad is GrandPops to my kids. My wife's are Grandma and Grandpa. So no confusion.

February 27, 2019, 07:05 AM

RogueJSK

quote:
Originally posted by TMats:
My wife and I have one grandchild, and a second coming in March. It never occurred to us to be anything other than grandpa and grandma to our granddaughter, but we’ve noticed that we seem to be the exception, rather than the rule. I swear sometimes it seems everyone else is “paw-paw,” “papa,” “memaw,” “nana,” and a dozen other euphemisms for grandma and grandpa.

My lone step-grandchild currently has:

2 grandfathers
2 grandmothers
2 step-grandfathers
1 step-grandmother
4 great-grandmothers
3 great-grandfathers
and something like 6 or 7 other great-grandparents from their step-grandparents.

...We can't all just be "grandma and grandpa". Hence all the various names.

My wife and I (paternal grandmother and step-grandfather) are Nana and Pawpaw.

Besides helping keep track of all the various convoluted grandparents, I've found it's also a vanity thing (mostly among women). I've heard more than one person say something like "Oh, I'm way too young to be 'Grandma'... I wanna be called Gigi" or the like.

February 27, 2019, 07:11 AM

Sig2340

Grandfather.
Grandmother.

Then I always called my father "Father." Mother preferred "Mom" unless we were in front of others and then it was "Mother."

All my grandparents were dead when I was born, save my maternal grandmother, who I think I met two or three times. She died a month or so after we came back from Africa.