Need a masculine nickname for my boyfriend Torie!

There's three things that I see that could be contributing to the "effeminate" sound you think you see.

1) I think it's the whole "ie" sound at the end that makes it sound feminine or childish.

a) Billy, Bobby, Richie, Davy, Mikey, Donny. Sounds like a boy band.

b) Think about it. Shmoopsie. Baby. Honey. Sweetie. all end with ie, and all are "cute."

2) Perhaps that's part of it, but perhaps it's also that it sounds like baby talk. No insult to the guy, but it sounds like you're a two year old who can't say "story." (that's the adorable sounding part) I think it's the hard T combined with the ie that makes it sound like it's not pronounced correctly.

3) Don't add "bear" to it. Take my name: David. Add the ie and "bear" - "Davey Bear." Even that sounds effeminate.

Perhaps the trick is to cut out the "ey" or "ie" sound, or at least the emphasis. Tore! (like Toray!) sounds better, but you might go farther.

You could add a manly sound or adjective to it.

Silent ie sound. All of these sound manly, though I think as nicknames they might be goofy.

Tor-nado.
Tore!
Torn ligament!
Torgo! (no Manos Hands of Fate jokes, please!)
see?

Just don't call him Tora the Explora! That wouldn't be good.

Toren

Tore

Tear

Tare