just read this thread on NDPeeps,facebook about the giving of nicknames to our iconic merlion.

the suggestions ranged from the insipidly lame to outrageous.

winky, merleo, merly, 大头狮鱼 (in hokkien), singa, leo the lion... pussy...

haha, yes, someone actually suggested 'pussy'. i have nothing against this name but don't you all think that 'pussy' only covers the head part of the merlion. what about the fishy body?!

fishy-pussy? pussy-fishy? kind of ironic to link the name of the prey-and-predator into a name though.

humour aside, i do think that it is time for singaporeans to have a more affectionate name for our icon. calling it merlion all the time causes the statue to seem so distant. in fact, come to think of it, we ought to have nicknames for all our icons ;)