I figure pet names rank high on everyone’s love/hate list, especially when examples are at hand. I personally hate generic cutesy terms of endearment. They’re way too bland and I think if you really knew a person you could give them a pet name or nickname that was unique to them without being ridiculous. Snookums? Love or Luv-y? Sweetheart? Sweetie? Babe? Baby? Sugar Dumplin'? Sugar? All terrible.
But instead of ranting on bad ones I’d like to talk about an exceptional job one author has done in the pet names department. The author is Cat Lindler and the nicknames refer to the hero and heroine of her novel Starlight & Promises
The heroine was referred to at Tigrina. This is one of the smallest cats in the Americas (though still technically considered big game as it’s a predator.) It’s just over a foot tall and under two feet in length. The tail can give the cat up to an extra foot and a half lengthwise. This type of cat weighs on average between four and eight pounds. The face is similar to a house cat. It’s a feisty little thing and absolutely perfect for the heroine.
The hero morphs with the saber-tooth tiger in the heroine’s dreams and during lovemaking. No he’s not a shapeshifter, but he represents the large cat in her mind. The official name of a saber-tooth tiger and the hero’s nickname is Smilodon. It’s not a tiger at all and doesn’t really resemble one either. It’s a large cat with a lot of superficial resemblance to a bear because of its stunted tail and shortened lower limbs. Not to mention those canines and boy does the hero have teeth!
Some other pet names I have enjoyed in the past are: Minx and Hellcat. They're a little common now from overuse which is why I really would love to see nicknames along the lines of these: Sassafras (Sassy), Plumpy, Little Shrew, Worrywart, Fussbudget (Fussy), Spoilsport, Short Stuff and Spitfire.
What have been your favorite or least favorite pet names in books? What ones do you want to see? Share in the comments!
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1 comment so far ↓
Glad to see you liked the pet names I picked for my hero and heroine. I’m a cat person, as you may have deduced, and have spent most of my non-writing life as a scientist studying these small furry creatures, such as the tigrina, though my research animal is a related species: Geoffroy’s cat. But I personally know some tigrinas, have held them in my arms, and they are indeed as feisty as my heroine. I always go for the unusual in my books, and pet names are just the beginning. Good reading! Cat Lindler
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