MetaFilter

What's the deal with your nickname? How did you get it? If your nickname is self-explanatory, then tell everyone when you first started using the internet, and what was the first thing that made you say "wow, this isn't just a place for freaks after all?" Was it a website? Was it an email from a long-lost friend? Go on, spill it.

in case the reason for my nickname is NOT self evident, my first name is Coral. quite often when introducing myself to people, they hear "coral" and don't quite get it. They think "carl" or "cor-ral", or they read it and think "carol" or something to that effect. Even spelling it gets lost of these folk. But when I began introducing myself as "Coral...[wait for confused look] you know...like the reef?" and it all made sense to their minds. SO i've take up the "like the reef" name because of that. variations include "theReef", "reefer", "big daddy". Ok so that last one isn't really a variation, but if you wanna call me that, that's fine by me.