Xi-sign vs. "fuzzies"
 

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The only chapters I've ever heard of having hand signs are UCF and Auburn.

Also, regarding us being called "fuzzies" -- most chapters that used to do that don't do that anymore. I've also heard that FH doesn't really want us calling ourselves that.

Personally, hearing people refer to us as "fuzzies" is my nails on a chalkboard. Ugh. It gives me the willies.

ETA: I wouldn't even say we're called "fuzzies" in the North -- the only state I've heard most of the chapters still do that is Ohio. So, it's not the entire North. :)

Hand Signs
 

Xi chapter at University of Kentucky used the hand signs when I was there but we learned them from other chapters during the recolonization process. So they are other chapters out there using them.

Our Georgia chapters use them too.

In the midwest we're not the fuzzies and we don't use hand signs. I HATE the fuzzies thing... sounds stupid to me really. Just my personal thought on it. :)

We're known as AZDs on my campus. We do the hand sign. "Fuzzies"....is just a word that is so wrong on so many levels....I think if someone ever called me that I'd have to backhand them.;)

We used the hand sign at UTK as well. Does anyone ever think badly of using AZD? If we are actually using the Greek-English alphabet to establish lettering, it should be AXD, "Z" isn't the right letter.

Can I ask what's WRONG about the word Fuzzy and being called such? It's a cute word TO ME. Just asking...

check your PMs....

Sorry to crash your thread, but when I was @ UF in the 80s & AXiD was there, they referred to themselves as "Fuzzies" & even used Fozzie Bear from The Muppets as an unofficial mascot.

I know when I first heard it (our A Xi Ds didn't use it) it made me think they needed to shave their legs, LOL. But the chapters that still use it seem to like it. It's all in what you're used to. We have an ASA chapter (one of our oldest chapters) that goes by the nickname "Apples." Their campus is fine with it, but I think if we had ever said "come on over to the Apple house" at our school they would have laughed us out of town.

We were taught as new members that fuzzies was a nickname for Alpha Xi. We used it occasionally amongst ourselves, but no one else on campus ever called us that. We were AXiD to everyone else. We were taught to never write out AZD (because our second letter is not zeta), but if we wanted to write a shortened version to use AXiD. As far as hand signs, I had never heard of them until I came to GC.

My chapter used hands signs for a while but not the same as the one posted.

Auburn didn't have a hand sign until fall 2003 (my junior year). I think someone in my chapter learned it at Convention that summer. As for nicknames and what is or is not appropriate, I think it all depends on the campus. If your chapter has been known as the Fuzzies forever and everybody knows you as that, I don't think it needs to be changed. Also, before Betxi Bear was the mascot, it was Al Fuzzy.

ETA: I dod a google search for "al fuzzy" and this popped up. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0820607/ Check out the sometimes credited as section and year of birth!

I also came from a chapter where we were fuzzies. Never seemed strange or silly to use.

We didn't have hand signs. In this day and age, those can get you shot in the wrong places.

Why worry about who uses what? Let each do what they want!

IN THE WRONG PLACES.

And while you're quoting me, why not add what my last line said? I said to let everyone do what they want!

once again, you did not get the post.

I know of at least one chapter in the south that uses Fuzzies. They say it very casually, and are apparently used to it. I thought it sounded odd the first few times I heard it, but got over it. :) They have several members from Ohio, and they say they grew up hearing AXiD referred to as fuzzies.

Another chapter I know of will use the hand sign in the picture occasionally, more of a fun thing to do than a constant .

I am a third year Alpha Xi from FIU!!! We are not known as fuzzies or Alpha Xis...we are usually called AXiD's and thats how you spell is abbreviated...We do the Xi sign also =)

I am from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH. We are called Fuzzies. All the fraternities know us as Fuzzies and so do the sororities. They also call us AXiD's and Alpha Xi's. I have even heard our house referred to as "The Fuzzie House". Our Philanthropy is Fuzzie Football. I know some chapters look at it as offensive or embarassing or whatever but it's something that we were taught is OK and we should be proud. It's a nickname that is built into our name alPHA XI delta (emphasize the caps and you'll hear it). We also have a lot of sororities that begin with Alpha so it helps PNMs and new members distinguish and remember us! I say to each there own and we can all be happy!!! Also, we never really use the hand signal. We learned it last year after our exec went to a retreat but thats really it. I still think it's neat though!!

Xi love and fuzz love to all,
me :D

I'm from ONU, and we call ourselves Fuzzies, casually. Although, the other Greek chapters on campus usually either call us the AXiD's or the Alpha Xi's. We've only really used the Xi-sign once, at the end of our Greek Sing song for Greek Week last year. Sometimes we'll use it in pictures too...but we don't use it often.

UT in Ohio uses Fuzzie... I like it personally... everyone else is just they're "english" letters.. like A-Oh-Pie, Chi-O, K-D... But ours is an actually nick name... then theres also AXiD's, Alpha Xi's, Xi's...

one i have heard on another campus did offend me though... the "Ee-Xi-D's", implying the girls were easy... but thats the only one...

We do two different hand signs... the fingers crossed w/ a pinkie to spell Xi.. and then also we'll turn our hand horizontal with one hand having the index finger and pinkie out (with the thumb, middle, and ring finger folded into our palms) and then the other hand only has an index finger out (and it's placed between the other two fingers) to create the greek Xi sign...

We recently started using those hand signs (to spell the word Xi)
And my chapter is not allowed to call ourselves or each other Fuzzies. Though a girl who transferred from Miami of Ohio said they were called Fuzzies over there.

We're either called Alphas or Alpha Xis or AXiDs on my campus. We've tried to stay away from "Alphas" but since the other three sororities usually go by their first letter, people assume we do too ... we sometimes use the Xi hand sign in response to someone saying "Throw what you know!"

the sign
 

That sign is flying around and is more than just a 'xi' it is a combination of an x with the "i love you sign" so often referred to as "xi love".I personally DESPISE seeing AZD... it drives me crazy!!! !(ask any chapter I deal with!)I prefer AXD or AXiD (the latter once appeared on a homecoming shirt... and we lovingly referred to it as a word 'axid') :)

We rarely referred to ourselves as fuzzies. But I've never seen a reason to discourage other chapters from staying away from the term.

Alpha Xi Delta is still known as Fuzzy at Ohio State and Miami University. Must be an Ohio thing.

I know this is an old thread... but my biological sister is a Alpha Xi Delta sister. She's and alumni of the Delta Pi chapter. It's in Ohio, and yeah, they have fleece jackets that say Fuzzies on them. We were at a family function in ohio and an alum from a different chapter recognized her and was like, "I'm a fuzzy too!!" I think it's cool that you guys have a nickname you all can recognize. Even if it's only big in ohio. but AxiD seems big in ohio.

I love my sis and i'm glad she joined AxiD, her self worth, and her self esteem grew so much in just the first year. She grew into this beautiful woman who I look up to very much. I do attribute alot of that to her involvment in Alpha Xi Delta. I'm so greatful she found such an amazing sisterhood! I'm in Delta Phi Epsilon, but if I went to a school that had AxiD i would have prolly had that as my first choice. haha. Either way, I do believe AxiD ladies are a cut above most other sororties (of course not above mine ;-) haha).

Our PR VP & exec board just recently announced that we're going to start using Fuzzies as our nickname. They had some kind of training a few weekends ago, and while talking to the Miami of Ohio girls, who said Fuzzies works really well for them on their campus, they decided we should give it a shot as we're still trying to make a name for myself.

There were few groans when they announced it, but a few cheers too. I'm still not sure about it; I neither love it nor hate it. It is, however, my least favorite of our nicknames. I like Alpha Xi the best, then AXiD (of COURSE spelled that way, not AZD or even AXD), and THEN Fuzzies.

We use the XI hand sign up here in Michigan, but we are not allowed to be called Fuzzie's. I have heard this from many other chapters too and we are NOT suppose to be calling each other or being referred to Fuzzies. :(

Xi love and mine
trisha

i'm an iota lambda (st. norbert college, wi) alumnae, i still participate in some ceremonies and such...we don't use 'fuzzie' that often, but it is thrown around a bit...but we use the 'sign' all the time...we do the 'sign' then the next girl would do a 'heart' with her hands as well...we've done it since installation in 2005!:)
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...41&id=59000015

Coming from Florida Atlantic University where I was initiated - We used the hand signs all the time. We also used "fuzzies" every so often - none of us thought it was degrading 0 yet the opposite cute. We were never referred to the fuzzies but we used it within ourselves. Now that im at UCF we also do hand signs and fuzzies is known here too.

I don't think anyone explicitly mentioned this in the post.

Someone mentioned Al Fuzzie our old mascot. Rumor has it that the inspiration for Fozzie may come from Alpha Xi Delta since Jim Hensen's wife was a sister and the originally muppet had pink roses on his collar.

At Dartmouth we recently started using "the sign" but we call it "xi-fingers". I have a photo from our founding where the girls had shirts that said "Fuzzies".

In my area of the country the women are known as Alpa Xi's. There is a "fuzzy" connection, but more like "fuzzy love" that they say to each other. I know many years ago they chose "fuzzy brothers" which could have been any men on campus belonging to a fraternity, sports team , or just an independent. (the women voted on a small group) They also voted on the one man they called the "rose thorn" and this was a huge honor. The Aplha Xi Deltas were rell respected and represented.

When I was in college I thought it was kind of offensive (small chapter, so maybe we were a little defensive), but now in my old age I think it's cute and I wish it was used more. Our letters are special and making our nickname be something other than the same as everyone else I think is great. But in any case none of that bugs me as much as AZD. It's not a zeta and should NEVER be spelled that way. THAT is nails on the chalk board to me.

I think I've said it already but I'll say it again. I HATE THAT. We are not Alpha Zeta Delta, and YES it is a big deal. We just participated in a philanthropy for one of the stronger fraternities on campus, and when the brother who was running the first event called for our team he said "Alpha Zeta Delta". I think we've done great with PR and getting our name out there since colonization, so that, to me, was just a huge slap in the face.

I'm from the University of South Dakota, and we don't go by 'fuzzies'. On campus, they call us the A-Xis. And I didn't see the picture of the hand sign shown, but we do spell 'Xi' with our fingers. We call it throwing what you know, which I think is cute.

"Throw what you know" was the theme for our bid day shirts this year

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=dbe196fbc9 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=dbe196fbc9

adorable :)
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/C:...you%20know.jpghttp://www.facebook.com/#/photo.php?...d=133246241721

totally agree.. it is a Xi not a Z(eta). I love that we have the greek letter Xi and I believe we are the only national sorority that does (def only NPC). so, i think it is in our best interest to play that up. it is another unique identifier. luv it!
fuzzie..not my fav. we never used it. it reminds me of hairy, which isn't good. :)

You're right about being the only NPC, but Theta Nu Xi is a national sorority.