Oh Fell. It Seems To Have Triggered...
Body & Soul1 min ago
When did we adopt Nan instead of Gran?
My partner is quite touchy about it, she prefers to be called Nan or Nanny instead of Gran or Granny, and if anyone calls her Gran she hates it, she said it makes her sound old.
But I always thought a Nanny was someone rich people hired to clean their house, it seems odd to me using Nanny instead of Granny.
Not sure what decade this started as it just seems to have crept up on us.
No best answer has yet been selected by renegadefm. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Since when did the Nanny clean the house? Thats the job of the housekeeper or maid. The Nanny is to look after the kids, I think you may be confusing it with an Au pair.
In our house its Nan and Nana. Granny is the great grandmother (94) which is probably why the Nan/Nana feel old if called Granny.
I'm Grandad 😀
I think what is puzzling is Gran is short for Grandmother. So based on that theory Nan or Nanny shouldn't really be used as an alternative to Gran or Granny.
It doesn't really matter to me as such, but when I see my partner get a bit irritated if someone describes her as a Gran or Granny I find it amusing, but then on the flip side, I find the use of Nan or Nanny irritating as it reminds you of a Nanny goat, or to hire a Nanny.
I suppose I found it a modern use of the term because I never heard it used until roughly 20 years ago. I think it was from when my sons friend from school said something like I'm staying at my Nans tonight, I suddenly though whats that, and said don't you mean Grans, he said no way, it's my Nan, like he didn't like the term Gran, almost was embarrassed by it.
My late son would be 68 now, he always called my mother Nan.. his son called her Nan-nan..for Gt Nan.
Born late 30s i called my maternal Grandmother Granny..my paternal Grandmother Granny M''' using thr first part of her surname. My grandfathers both passed away.
As a Gt Grandmother I'm called Gran-nan..my husband as Gt Grandad was called Pops.. I never liked his name but not my choice.
My granny was called granny because "a nanny is a goat or a children's nurse, and I am neither of those", she said.
I live in an area where less affluent people come for their holidays. Every grandmother who I've heard being addressed is Nan, nanny or nana. I've hardly ever, probably never, heard 'Granny' from a holiday maker here.
Sorry, but I think Granny is a bit posher, even if you do have visions of her with grey hair and doing some crocheting. I am Granny, but I dye my hair chestnut and can't crochet 🥂😁
"...a lesser person used to look after children"?
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And in London...they're paid up to £18 an hour. Not 'lesser'...but a job with a fair amount of responsibility.
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